Ever tempted to add a bit of salt to your food? It seems us Brits are doing so less and less with the latest figures from the Food Standards Agency, showing that salt consumption has fallen from 9.5g to 8.6g. If you are still consuming over the recommended 6g a day, the ‘What’s Inside Guide’ could help you monitor your salt intake.
The What’s Inside Guide, highlights the guideline daily amount (GDAs) of key nutrients in your food, in a clear and easy label format. It appears on 20,000 food and drink products and shows the exact percentage of salt plus calories, sugars, fat and saturates in each portion. With some foods, a high salt content is easy to detect from the taste, but for others, such as ready meals and some sandwiches, a high level of salt may be less obvious – so check the label!
The GDA for salt for an average adult is 6g per day. The salt information on the What’s Inside Guide on the packaging of your food will tell you exactly how many grams are in that portion of food so you can help make good choices and feel happy that you’re eating a healthy amount of salt.
Nutritionist, Gaynor Bussell says: “It is important to remember that salt is still a key part of our diet and it shouldn’t be cut out completely. Ideally, your salt intake, along with other nutrient elements should all be monitored to help contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Try not to add salt when cooking as some foods already contain salt naturally; instead add herbs or spices to give flavour.”
So, next time someone passes the salt – pass it back!
