Healthy Living

Salt

What is salt?

Salt is made up of sodium and chloride. Both these components are essential to help balance the levels of fluid in the body, and are important for nerve conduction and muscle contraction. However, if consumed in excess amounts, sodium can be bad for your health. 

How much salt should we eat?

The UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN, an independent expert committee that advises the agency and the department of health), recommends the following maximum intakes:

  • Up to 12 months - less than 1g a day
  • 1 to 3 years - 2g a day (0.8g sodium)
  • 4 to 6 years - 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium)
  • 7 to 10 years - 5g a day (2g sodium)
  • 11 and over - 6g a day (2.5g sodium)

The government's Responsibility Deal has set a target of reducing the average daily consumption of adults by the end of 2012. It is always worth taking a look at packs to see the different salt levels in various types of bread and bread products.

How to cut down on salt?

  • Always check the nutrition information on product labels when choosing foods and choose options with lower salt levels (the salt equivalent is approximately 2.5 times the sodium content)
  • Taste food before you add salt!
  • Choose low-salt snacks, e.g. dried fruit, unsalted nuts, as opposed to salty snacks like crisps and salted nuts
  • Add less salt to home-made dishes. Try to use other flavours as a substitute, like herbs
  • Choose products labelled 'no added salt', 'low in salt' or 'reduced salt'

For more information regarding salt consult: http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/goodfood/Pages/Goodfoodhome.aspx

Bowl of Salt