I NEED TO EAT LESS SALT

Idon’t add salt to my food, but my doctor still wants me to cut down. How can I do so – and why is it so important? You’ll be surprised to learn that around 75% of the salt in our diet is hidden in foods such as ready meals, takeaways, sauces, stocks, processed meats, bread – and even foods you might not expect to be salty, such as breakfast cereals, biscuits or cheese.

Adults shouldn’t eat more than 6g salt a day (children need even less) but most of us have far more, thanks largely to these culprits. The latest figures reveal we’re currently consuming an average of 8.1g a day.

You’re right not to add salt to food, but to help you cut down further, get into the habit of always reading the labels on products you buy, even those that seem unlikely sources of salt.

As a rule, anything with no more than 0.3g salt per 100g is considered low in salt (and gets a green traffic light), whereas anything with 1.5g or more salt per 100g is high (and gets a red traffic light) – but do take into consideration the portion size you’d typically eat. Some labels only show sodium, the component of salt that increases blood pressure, although in the future manufacturers will have to give the salt value by law.

To convert sodium into salt, multiply the figure by 2.5.

One of the easiest ways to avoid hidden salt is to prepare as much food as you can from scratch – you’ll find recipes (including bread, which can be particularly high in salt) at bloodpressureuk. org.

If food tastes more bland at first, rest assured your taste buds will soon adjust. Use plenty of herbs and spices for extra flavour.