5 ways to cut salt

We know it’s bad for us, so try these 5 ways to  cut salt.

Salt reduction – Why cut down?

Too much salt can wreak havoc on your health, leading to high blood pressure and risk of stroke and heart attacks. But we’re still eating too much of the white stuff. Richard Paterson, managing director of Freedom Cereals, says ‘Although the human body requires only 3-5g of salt per day, people in the developed world are typically consuming over 8g a day.’

But now the government has stepped in: The Department of Health has developed targets for salt reduction for 80 specific food groups that contribute most to salt intake. While this is a good step, really it’s up to you to keep an eye on how much salt you’re eating. And the good news is that if you cut back you can expect to see results – lower blood pressure – in just four weeks.

But salt isn’t just added to our food from the salt shaker on the table or the pinch of the white stuff you pop in soups and stews in the kitchen. Seventy-five per cent of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals says the NHS.

Ready to cut back? We help you get started:

1. Check packets
Be an expert at packet checking, scan the labels of pasta sauces, cereals, bread – everything that’s in any way processed – for high salt levels. According to the NHS a high level of salt is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium).

2. Avoid cured meats and fish
They may be tasty, but they are packed with salt. Try to limit yourself to just one helping of cured meat or fish a week.

3. Make your own,
Wherever possible, cook from scratch, so you can control the salt levels in your food.

4. Hold the sauce
Go easy on salty condiments – soya sauce, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise can all be high in salt.

5. Change your seasoning
Buy a spice rack and fill it with your favourite herbs and spices. These will provide more than enough flavouring and you’ll wonder why you ever needed salt in the first place!