Most of the salt we eat isn’t from the salt shaker. It’s already in bread, stock cubes, sauces, processed meats and ready meals. Too much salt raises blood pressure, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes worldwide.
Imagine never adding salt at the table and thinking you eat very little. Then you look at labels: the stock cube in your stew, the bread, the instant noodles at work, the soy sauce. By evening, you’ve eaten nearly double the recommended amount without noticing.
How much is too much?
The World Health Organization recommends adults eat less than 5 grams of salt a day, about one teaspoon. Most people worldwide eat around double that. Children need even less.
Where salt hides
- Bread and breakfast cereals
- Stock cubes, seasoning mixes, soy and fish sauces
- Processed meats such as bacon, ham and sausages
- Cheese, crisps, salted snacks and instant noodles
- Ready meals and takeaways
Simple ways to cut down
- Cook with herbs, spices, garlic, lemon and vinegar for flavour
- Use half a stock cube, or low-salt versions
- Taste food before adding salt
- Compare labels and choose lower-salt options
But will food taste bland?
Your taste buds adapt within a few weeks of cutting down. After that, very salty food often tastes too salty. If you have kidney disease or take certain medicines, check with your doctor before using salt substitutes, which often contain potassium.
Your next step: Check the salt on the labels of three foods you eat every day. Swap the highest one for a lower-salt version this week.
Sources: World Health Organization (Sodium reduction fact sheet), NHS (Salt: the facts), American Heart Association. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or dietitian.
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