Eating too much salt may raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. There are small changes you can make to cut down the amount of salt you eat. Over time, this will help to keep your heart healthy. Reducing how much salt you eat can make you feel less thirsty, less dehydrated and have less headaches.
The recommended daily intake of salt includes the amount already added in ready-made and processed foods, as well as the salt you add when you cook and eat.
Salt
Most of us are eating more salt than we realise, and it’s not just the salt added to our cooking or at the table we need to watch out for. Three-quarters of the salt we are eating is already in the foods we buy. These contain a lot of salt even if they do not taste salty.
Table below shows maximum salt intake per age group
| Age | Max. Salt per day |
| 1-3 years | 2g |
| 4-6 years | 3g |
| 7-10 years | 5g |
| 11 years and older | 6g |
| Adults | 6g |
Most people know that microwave meals, takeaways and snacks like crisps are high in salt. Other foods to look out for are, sausages, bacon, ham and sauces (ketchup, brown sauce, gravy and soy sauce). You might be surprised to know a lot of other foods are also high in salt too such as:
- Cheese (but high in Calcium)
- Breakfast cereals
- Canned soups
- Bread, pastries and pizzas
- Biscuits, cookies and cakes
The amount of salt will also vary between different brands and varieties.
Self Help
Check your food labels before you buy to help you choose healthier options. Use the traffic light system to help you see if the food has low (green), medium (amber) or high (red) amount of salt in it.
Use other seasonings to add flavour to food other than salt, such as:
Swap foods for less salty options:
Use other seasonings to add flavour to food other than salt, such as:
- Chilli
- Lemon juice
- Black pepper
- Fresh and dried herbs
- Fresh and dried spices
Swap foods for less salty options:
- Crisps, salted nuts and or salty snacks for plain rice cakes, unsalted nuts, chopped up fruit or vegetable sticks
- Sauces – buy reduced salt options or use less
- Canned soups – check food labels for lower salt options or use homemade soups. Be careful not to add too many stock cubes.
- Salty processed meats such as ham or salami, swap for chicken, tinned tuna or chickpeas
- Take away to fake away (cook your own)
- Remove the salt shaker from the table and use less in cooking