From fresh herbs to chilli oil there are plenty of different ways to boost the flavour of your meals without having to rely on the salt grinder.
The Heart Foundation provide us with the latest on salt .
Salt in our food
The salt found in packaged foods is often described as ‘hidden salt’ and is where most of the salt we eat comes from (around 75%). Almost every food found in a packet will contain some level of salt whether it’s a sauce, loaf of bread or snack food. Interestingly, a product doesn’t need to taste salty for it to add salt to your diet. You may be surprised next time you pick up a packet of biscuits to see how much salt (listed as sodium) some brands contain!
How does salt impact heart heath
For most adults, an ideal blood pressure is below 120mmHg systolic and 75mmHg diastolic1. These two numbers are a measure of the force your heart exerts on the artery walls each time it beats.
The Heart Foundation’s latest position statement recommends adults have less than 5g salt per day (2000mg sodium) to lower our risk of high blood pressure and heart disease2. It’s easy to have more than this because the salt in the food we eat adds up quickly. New Zealand adults have on average around 8.5g salt per day.
Why salt matters for all ages
We can often think salt is something we need to think about as we age or if we’re diagnosed with high blood pressure. But it’s important from the moment a baby starts solid foods. Kids can develop taste preferences for salty foods and research now shows how blood pressure in childhood tracks into adulthood and increases the risk of heart disease3.
Around 20% of adults in New Zealand live with high blood pressure4. Our level of risk can change throughout life so no matter your age – having less salt is important for us all.
5 simple swaps
Even some of the smallest swaps can make a big difference to your daily salt intake. For example, a reduced-sodium soy sauce contains around half the amount of the regular version. This is a great swap if you use this ingredient often.
Here are five swaps to get you started:
- Choose egg or tuna in your sandwich instead of ham or salami.
- Choose plain meat, chicken or tofu instead of meats sold in thick marinades.
- Swap to veggie sticks or unsalted nuts instead of chips and crackers.
- Swap from a standard soy sauce or chicken stock to a reduced-salt version.
- Make your favourite takeaway foods at home like pizza, burgers or fish and chips.
Pack in flavour
Eating a bit less salt doesn’t have to mean less flavour. Salt often plays an important part in a recipe and helps to deliver flavour!
There are plenty of ways to boost the flavour of meals, such as:
- the juice and zest of a lemon, lime or orange
- a sprinkle of fresh herbs like parsley, basil or coriander – now’s a great time to plant herbs
- cooking with dried herbs or spices
- a dash of extra virgin olive oil
- turning up the heat with fresh chilli, chilli oil or chilli flakes
- cracked black pepper.
The good news is your taste buds will eventually adjust to a bit less salt. The evidence suggests it can take from as little as several weeks to a few months to get used to it2.
Shop for less salt
We can often focus on claims like ‘plant-based’ or ‘refined sugar-free’ and forget about the amount of salt in a food product. Remember, many packaged foods that contain salt also provide nutrients that are beneficial for our heart health like hummus, cheese, whole grain breads and breakfast cereals.
When looking at a food label, always compare the amount of sodium per 100 grams between similar products (e.g. two different brands of crackers).
Here’s a quick guide to what different terms mean.
- ‘Low salt’ or ‘low sodium’: the product has less than 120mg of sodium per 100g.
- ‘Reduced salt’: the product must be at least 25% lower in salt than the standard product. For example, a salt-reduced tomato sauce versus regular tomato sauce.
- ‘Unsalted’ or ‘no added salt’: there has been no sodium or salt added to the food. There may be very small amounts of sodium found naturally in the food.
Remember, not all foods that are low in salt will be labelled in this way. There are plenty of products not labelled as ‘low in salt’ that are still great options.
Keeping track
There’s no need to track your sodium intake if your diet is based around plenty of whole foods. If you’re having fruit and vegetables as snacks and plenty of vegetables in your meals, you’re on the right track.
However, if you already use an App like My Fitness Pal to track your food intake, you’ll be able to see how much sodium you’re having and compare it to the recommendation. It won’t include any salt that you add to your food once it’s made.
Where to start
You don’t have to cut salt out completely but it’s a good idea for your household to be mindful of your salt intake. Small swaps, cooking from scratch and basing meals around as many whole foods as possible is a great place to start.
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References:
- Ministry of Health. Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and Management for Primary Care. Wellington 2018.
- Heart Foundation Sodium and Heart Health Position Statement, 2022
- Azegami T et al. Blood Pressure Tracking From Childhood to Adulthood. Frontiers in paediatrics. 2021;9:785356.
- Ministy of Health. Annual Data Explorer 2020/21: New Zealand Health Survey [Data File]. 2021.
Bio: Lily Henderson, National Nutrition Advisor, Heart Foundation
Lily is a New Zealand Registered Dietitian and board member of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. She is passionate about using the latest evidence to educate kiwis with simple and meaningful lifestyle messages. As a mum of two young children, she understands the daily juggle to achieve a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to food, Lily aims to keep it real and focuses on all the tasty whole foods that nourish your body instead of excluding foods. When Lily isn’t cooking, baking, or thinking about food she is often writing about food. She appreciates a wide range of cuisines but can’t go past a mezze platter loaded with seasonal veg, dips, breads, and
