Like many people, I am a lover of savoury, salty flavours.
Salt, of course, enhances and brightens flavours in cooking, one of the reasons why it’s beloved of chefs. Salt also performs an important role in preserving food.
Our love of salt, though, has (without being too dramatic about it) the potential to kill us. Too much salt (or sodium) in the diet can lead to high blood pressure which increases the risk of stroke. A high salt intake is a risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease and stomach cancer.
It’s probably not news that most of us eat more salt than recommended. Young people and men are the worst off, with men aged 19-44 having mean intakes almost double the recommended upper level for adults. It’s true we need salt to stay healthy. But the amount of salt we actually need in a day is not very much at all – the recommended upper limit is 2300mg of sodium, or 6g of salt (sodium chloride) a day. That’s about one teaspoonful of salt from all food sources. Our average as a nation is around 9g!
According to the Stroke Foundation, the benefits of even a modest reduction in salt intake are large. Globally, they say, a reduction in salt intake to 6g a day would lead to a 24 per cent reduction in stroke deaths and an 18 per cent reduction in coronary heart disease.
So how can we get less salt? Although it helps, it’s not as simple as just holding off with the salt shaker. Most of the sodium we get is not from salt we add to food, but actually ‘hidden’ salt in processed foods we eat. And before you congratulate yourself for not eating junk food or salty snacks, it may be a surprise to know that a quarter of our daily salt comes from a food we don’t tend to think of as salty: bread. Other big contributors are processed meats (salami, bacon, sausages), smoked foods, Marmite, foods canned in brine and fast food. Tomato sauces, dressings, soy sauce, marinades, chips and instant noodles are also high in sodium. Some other unlikely hiding places for salt include breakfast cereals, cheese, baked beans and crackers.
So an important step is increasing the fresh food we eat. Fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, unsalted nuts, milk etc are naturally low in salt and packed with nutrients.
Second, do some label reading when shopping. Look at the ‘per 100g’ column on labels, compare brands, and go for the lower sodium product where you can. Low salt foods are those with less than 120mg of sodium per 100g. High salt foods have more than 600mg/100g.
Although you may have read that ‘gourmet’ salts such as flaky, sea salt or Himalayan salt have less sodium than regular salt, this is not true. Salt is salt; the Stroke Foundation advises it’s all made up of about 97% sodium chloride and contains exactly the same amount of sodium.
Check out the May issue of Healthy Food Guide magazine for more on ‘gourmet’ salts and some great tips on boosting the flavour of your dishes without adding salt.
Talk to us – is salt something you consciously look out for when you’re buying food? Do you read labels specifically for salt? Comment below!
9 Comments. Add yours
I dont think so. What about taste for a start. Common table salt with its anti-caking agent is a far cry from my organic mineral salt with over 80 minerals & trace elements, with natural iodine. it doesnt have to 'iodised' or anti-caked & tastes FAR superior. I dont consider it 'gourmet' but in fact real salt.
Well said Judi. I love to refer to history. All the explorers on finding a place to live looked for, (1) water; (2) good source of fatty protein and (3) easily obtained SALT. Yes the salt that most people consume is far from ideal, coupled with that is the low fat regime, removing the main source of Vitamin A from the diet. Vitamin A is essential for the health of the immune system and organ health. Get the stroke patients back on to a diet rich in nutrient dense food, and salt fits in just fine.
The experts say less salt, sugar and fat and reduce alchohol.
Yet, to me, every time I see food that I enjoy eating, would some expert say "That's very bad for you, you are not allowed that!"
So here's the question, are we here to do our duty, or enjoy life?
What is bad for you today, maybe good for you tommorrow...How do you know that scientific research may find out that without the food that we enjoy, we may look forward to an early death.
Poverty is the major curse of NZ. All the cheapest foods are the most fattening, and so that is the very reason why people on the lowest wages are going to look forward to becomming fatter unless they make a conscience decision to exercise more and think twice before buying something on special or going out.
If you can't afford outings or going overseas, or so many things that wealthy people enjoy, what are you going to enjoy?
Mind you, enjoyment doesn't only occur for the rich, for often enjoyment comes from simple things such as the ability to create.
Not all people on lower incomes can create their own wealth, but some can.
Absolutly agree with you judi, we only use organic mineral salt and it is real salt. It tastes delicious and less salt is needed than usual because it has such a good taste rather than fake iodised salt. My family eats no pre packaged processed food, we make our own meals with wholesome natural ingredients and dont worry about how much fat or salt etc we have because its all natural, chemical free, good food that you dont have to over eat like processed food to feel full!
I noticed the lo sodium salt advertised in Healthy Food Guide, so I hunted it out and bought some. It doesn't taste as salty as ordinary salt (I only use rock salt for making focaccia). I know that I could get used to that, but then I realised it isn't iodised, so now I'm not sure which is the bigger health-risk the sodium or the lack of iodine?
Just remember to eat salt with iodine in it - my husband and I rarely use salt and we have both had partial thyroid operations due to the lack of salt in our diet. According to our surgeon it's becoming quite a problem with all these "fancy" salts that are now available as they generally have no iodine at all in them.
I like the Pacific Salt iodised flaky sea salt. It has great flavour and texture, and iodine as well, which as you've pointed out is really important. It is worth noting also that bread manufacturers are now required to use iodised salt in bread (except organic bread) and since this was introduced in late 2009, it's already having a positive effect, particularly in kids' iodine levels.
your article about SALT are you aware your recipe for Home Made Baked Beans using Worcestershire Sauce..this product uses sodium per 100 gram a whopping 1,340 mg
tut tut !! Are you watching those labels ???
You're right Dorothy. However, We're only using a very small amount of that high-sodium product in this recipe, so the whole thing is actually low sodium. (Only 350mg per serve). We'd never say "never have this" because that's not realistic - what we're about is using these things in moderation to give flavour without going overboard. Make sense?