A pinch of salt Print E-mail
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Less salt in processed food coupled with clearer labelling should help people cut their consumption of salt, especially as publicity - notably Sid the Slug - has raised their awareness of the need to do so. But alongside informed shopper decisions, what else can people do to reduce their salt intake? Simple strategies include: 

  • Stop adding salt to food, both in the kitchen and at the table. Do this gradually, with an interval of 2-3 weeks between each reduction, to give your taste receptors time to adjust.
  • Use fresh/dried herbs, spices, garlic, chilli, pepper or vinegar to flavour and season dishes instead of salt. Herbs and spices work well with staples such as potatoes, rice and pasta.
  • Watch out for high salt levels in stock cubes and cooking sauces (particularly soy sauce).
  • Eat at least five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.
  • Avoid salty snacks such as crisps, savourynibbles and salted nuts.
  • If there is a particular food you just cannot eat without salt, use a low sodium alternative such as LoSalt.
  • Whenever possible, buy fresh food rather than processed.
  • Cut down on ready meals and takeaways.
  • Make time to cook meals from scratch use fresh or frozen ingredients and no salt.

WI concern

The importance of practical food skills and the benefits of home cooking were among the issues highlighted earlier this year by NFWI Chairman, the late Barbara Gill, when she spoke at the sixth National Salt Awareness Day. Organised by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), the focus of this year's event was older people. In the salt/health context, this group is very vulnerable - for two main reasons. First, if age impairs dexterity, eyesight, stamina - cooking can become difficult. Putting a ready meal into the microwave solves the problem, but not if it has a high salt content. Secondly, older people are more sensitive to salt and its harmful effects. They are more likely to suffer from conditions like high blood pressure, osteoporosis and fluid retention and so need to control their salt intake very carefully. Research done by CASH suggests that people over the age of 60, who cut their salt consumption to 6g per day, can reduce their risk of stroke by up to 31 per cent and their risk of heart attack by 24 per cent in a matter of days.

Children, too, are particularly at risk. Although guidelines for the various age groups were issued in 2003, parents still find it difficult to keep below maximum levels. This is because so many children's food products - from sauces and sausages to pasta shapes and potato snacks - are over-salted. Some breakfast cereals are even saltier than crisps - not such a healthy start to the day.

If children grow up without acquiring a taste for salt, their health will benefit long-term. And, among the population at large, it is never too late to make a difference: reducing salt intake by one-third, from the average 9.5g to the maximum 6g, could save 35,000 lives a year.

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