Salt - Too Much Too Bad ?

Table Salt - Too Much Too Bad ?

Salt is made up of Sodium and Chloride. It's the Sodium in the salt that can be bad for our health. Sodium rather than salt is the word often listed in the nutritional information on food labels in supermarket and stores. Try as you may, you will not find the word salt 'salt' listed on food packaging at all!!

We all need some salt, but only around 6 grams per day for adults. On average we consume around 10 grams per day (not good).
So, to live a healthy lifestyle you need to reduce your salt intake from 2 to 1 teaspoon per day.

Salt is closely linked to water balance in our bodies and blood pressure control. Salt can raise blood pressure which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Recommendations for children are well under 6g per day, the younger the child, the less salt they need.

Where Do We Get Salt From ?

The major sources of salt in the diet are from processed foods, food mixes, sauces, bread some breakfast cereals, preserved and processed meats and fish such as bacon, salami and ham, cheese or from salt added at the table or in cooking.

How To Consume Less Salt

1/ Use less salt in cooking, for example add less ready-made bouillon and stock powders; try making soups and stock powder; try making soups and stocks from fresh ingredients

2/ Flavour foods with herbs, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar

3/ Steam vegetables and potatoes so you do not rely on added salt to bring out the flavours

4/ Buy canned products with less salt e.g Tuna i Spring water; reduced salt baked beans

5/ Cut down on cured meats such as bacon and ham

Simple Maths for Sizing Salt!!

Salt = grams of Sodium * 2.5

For example, if a portion of soup contains 640mg of Sodium, that is 0.64g of Sodium.
Then the soup contains (0.64g * 25g of salt) = 1.6g of salt

Please note that, 1 teaspoon of salt contains 5g of salt.

THE MORAL OF THE SALT STORY IS

"always taste food BEFORE you reach for the salt in cooking or at the table - TASTE BEFORE YOU SHAKE"

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