What is salt?
Salt is made up of two chemicals, sodium and chloride and can be found in most of the foods that we eat, so it is difficult to avoid.
Salt may also be added to food to preserve it or give extra flavour.
How much salt do I need?
Our bodies only need a small amount of salt which can be found naturally in food. Most of us are eating too much; therefore we do not need to add any extra salt to our meals.
The average salt intake is 8.1 g per day.
It is recommended that we all reduce our intake to 6 g or less, per day, which is about 1 teaspoon.
Why do we need to cut down?
Eating too much salt has been linked to many health problems which can affect everyone. These include high blood pressure, stroke and heart conditions. It is the sodium in salt that causes these problems:
- A high salt intake can work against some medications or treatments that you may be receiving
- Eating too many salty foods can also make you thirsty, which may cause you to drink too much fluid. This may be a problem, if your fluid intake has been restricted
- Too much salt may cause you to retain water. This can result in swollen ankles, raised blood pressure and in serious cases fluid can collect around the heart and lungs
Where does my salt intake come from?
Most salt is ‘hidden’ in food.
- 75 % is present in processed and convenience foods
- 15 % is added to food in cooking or at the table
- 10 % is naturally present in food
Most of the salt we eat is already added to the food we buy. It is found in canned food, jars, ready-made meals and take-away foods. It is important to be able to understand the labels on foods, so that you can make healthier choices.
What do the labels mean?
The information on food labels is very useful, although it can vary. Products may list the salt or the sodium content of the food.
To convert sodium to salt: multiply by 2.5
To convert salt to sodium: divide by 2.5
For example
0.8 g sodium = 2 g salt
1 g salt = 0.4 g sodium
When looking at the labels you need to consider the portion of the food you will be eating. The salt or sodium content of the food will be listed per 100 g of product but may also be listed per serving.
For example
| Salt per 100 g | Salt per serving Foods | |
|---|---|---|
| Cornflakes | 2.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Soup: tinned tomato | 1.0 g | 2.2 g |
‘At a glance’ label guide
We all eat some processed or convenience foods sometimes. If you need to use these foods, these guidelines will help you choose a lower salt option.
For ready meals and sandwiches, aim for a product containing less than 1.25 g salt or 0.5 g sodium per serving.
For individual foods e.g. sauces, snacks and cereals aim for a product containing less than 0.75 g salt or 0.3 g sodium per serving.
Front of pack labelling
Traffic Light System
This shows at a glance if the food has a high (red), medium (amber / yellow) or low (green) amount of nutrients including salt. Choose foods which are labelled green as much as possible, and keep those labelled red to a minimum.
Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA)
The label also shows, as a percentage, how much of recommended daily salt intake will be found in a portion of the food. You can use this to compare different foods such as pizza and ready-made meals.
Top tips on lowering the salt
- Avoid adding salt to your food during cooking and at the table, instead try using black pepper, garlic, herbs, spices, vinegar or lemon juice to add flavour
- Cut down on the amount of salty ingredients used in cooking e.g. stock cubes, soy sauce, pre-mixed or all purpose seasonings, instead use low-salt stock cubes or try making your own stock
- Avoid salty foods such as crisps, nuts and salted biscuits; try to choose plain and unsalted varieties instead
- Cook with fresh foods as regularly as possible rather than relying on ready-made or processed foods
- Try to limit your intake of salty meats and fish e.g. bacon, gammon, corned beef and smoked fish to occasional use
- Choose fresh and frozen vegetables, where possible. If you use tinned vegetables, choose those in water rather than brine
- Try choosing breakfast cereals which are low in salt or have no added salt such as porridge, Shredded Wheat and Weetabix
- Avoid tinned and packet soups. Try homemade soups instead using onion, garlic, celery and homemade stocks for flavouring
- Use lower salt cheese such as cream cheese or cottage cheese and limit your hard cheese intake to 4 oz (120 g) per week
- Remember to avoid salt substitutes e.g. Lo-Salt and supermarket own brands.
Some products may be labelled as “reduced salt”. Check the food label before you buy as they may contain salt substitutes.
Will my food taste different if I use less salt?
It may take about 6 weeks for your taste buds to adjust to eating less salt. At first you may miss the salty taste so it may be easier to cut down gradually. You will probably appreciate the flavour of food more afterwards.
Back to topHow can I improve the flavour of my food?
There are many ingredients available to add flavour to your food, here are just a few suggestions.
Back to topOther dietary requirements
You have been asked to reduce your salt intake. If you have diabetes, coeliac disease, are following a weight reducing diet or have other dietary needs it is important that these diets continue. The dietitian will discuss this with you.
If you have been advised to reduce the amount of potassium in your diet, ‘reduced salt’ products and salt substitutes should be avoided. This is because salt substitutes are based on potassium e.g. Potassium Chloride
The tables on the following pages list some high salt foods and some lower salt alternatives. Where possible, try to choose the lower salt foods to help you and your family keep to the recommended 6 g of salt per day.
| High salt foods | Lower salt alternatives |
|---|---|
| Meat Bacon, gammon, ham, tinned meats, corned beef and tongue | Fresh or frozen meat and poultry – beef, lamb, pork, mince, chicken and turkey and veal |
| Meat products Meat paste, sausages, pre-prepared burgers, salami, wafer thin meat, black pudding, polony, doner meat, pre-prepared meat pies & pastries | Homemade burgers and pies Shish kebabs |
| Fish Smoked fish e.g. kippers, smoked haddock and smoked salmon Shellfish e.g. prawns, shrimps, mussels, crab and crabsticks Fish tinned in brine e.g. tuna Fish paste, taramasalata and anchovies | White fish e.g. cod, haddock and plaice Unsmoked oily fish e.g. salmon, trout and mackerel Aim to have no more than 2 portions per week Fish tinned in water, oil or tomato sauce e.g. tuna, sardines and pilchards Fish coated in breadcrumbs or batter |
| Beans and pulses Ordinary baked beans | Reduced salt baked beans, kidney beans, butter beans, lentils, chick peas and haricot beans tinned in water |
| Dairy products Edam, Gouda and Stilton Processed cheese e.g. slices and cheese spreads Feta Scotch eggs | Hard cheese e.g. Cheddar and Wensleydale Aim to have no more than 4 oz (120 g) per week Cream cheese, mascarpone, cottage cheese, ricotta and mozzarella Fresh eggs |
| Snacks Salted and flavoured crisps, tortilla chips and Twiglets Salted and dry roasted nuts Savoury biscuits e.g. Tuc, Ritz and Cheddars Bombay mix and chevra | Unsalted crisps e.g. Smith’s ‘Salt ‘n’ Shake’ Breadsticks Unsalted and non-roasted nuts e.g. monkey nuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts Cream crackers, water biscuits, rice cakes, Matzo biscuits and plain unsalted popcorn |
| Cereals Cornflakes, All Bran, Cheerios, Special K and Branflakes Naan bread Super Noodles and Pot Noodles Savoury rice | Shredded Wheat, Weetabix, Sugar Puffs, porridge and ‘Reduced salt’ supermarket own brands Chapatis Pasta, rice and noodles |
| Soups and sauces Tinned, packet and instant soups Stock cubes, gravy granules, beef and yeast extract e.g. Bovril and Marmite Soy sauce, Worcester sauce, barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, brown sauce, piccalilli, mango chutney, sweet pickle, Thai fish suace, smooth mustard, salad cream, “fat free” French dressing and thousand island dressing | Homemade soup using low salt stock Gravy made from meat juices and thickened with cornflour, Low salt yeast extract e.g. Natex Low salt stocks e.g. Kallo Tomato puree, apple chutney, tomato chutney, mustard powder, regular French dressing, sour cream or mayonnaise-based dips and dressings |
| Seasoning Salt, sea salt, rock salt, garlic salt and celery salt | Pepper, vinegar, herbs, spices, garlic, lemon juice and chilli |
| Vegetables Vegetables tinned in brine Olives in brine | Fresh or frozen vegetables Vegetables tinned in water |
Please ask your dietitian if you would like any recipe ideas
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