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How to eat less salt

How to reduce salt for a balanced family diet

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How to eat less salt

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Did you know that most of us eat more than the recommended amount of salt, which is 6 grams (or 1 level teaspoon) a day? It can be really difficult to keep track of how much salt you’re eating. To help reduce your salt intake, why not check out our Flora recipes section or try this great family roasted vegetable pasta recipe which is not only quick to make and very tasty but is also low in salt.

10 easy ways to eat less salt:

1. Cook from scratch

When you cook family meals yourself, you can control the amount of salt you add to the recipe. For overall healthy eating, look for meals that are high in fibre-rich foods, fruit and vegetables and contain “good" fats.

2. Hide the salt cellar

Your family meals don’t have to be salty to be tasty. Try not to add salt automatically when you're cooking or about to eat. Often people only use salt out of habit. If you must add salt, one option is to try the low sodium variety. Put the pepper mill on the dinner table, but hide the salt cellar. Get the whole family on board with this!

3. Ditch the deli

Making your own sandwiches at home for all the family is another great way of avoiding processed deli meats, which can be packed with salt.

4. Use fresh or frozen veg, not canned

Fresh and frozen vegetables usually have less salt than canned ones. If you do use canned veg, rinse the vegetables first to get rid of some of the extra salt. To get more vegetables into your family’s diet, why not try our minestrone soup?

5. Read nutrition labels carefully

Check the labels on food packaging including the ingredients list. Salt often appears as “sodium” on food labels. 6 grams of salt is equivalent to approximately 2.5 grams of sodium, both of which you can get from 1¼ teaspoons of salt (1 teaspoon of salt is 5g). For pre-prepared foods, check the amount of salt per serving. Find out more about reading food labels.

6. Buy low-salt and reduced-salt versions

Look for the words salt-free, reduced-salt, no salt added or low salt on food packaging.

7. Add extra flavour to your food

Experiment with different herbs and spices to bring flavour to your food without needing to use salt.

8. Be smart with your snacks

Watch out for the salt content of processed foods such as crackers, crisps, cheese, meats, soups, gravy, some breakfast cereals and ready to eat or frozen meals. Instead, snack on fresh fruit and vegetables, unsalted popcorn, nuts and crackers and homemade soups where you can control how much salt is added.

9. Choose differently when eating out

Kids love treats like pizza, burgers and hot dogs but they contain lots of salt. When dining out, try to check the menu in advance. On your pizzas choose vegetable or chicken toppings instead of pepperoni or extra cheese; when ordering Chinese, choose plain rice instead of fried rice; if you're having salty chips as a side dish, instead order a baked potato. Alternatively why not make these treats at home? For a tasty, easy meal, try our herbed burgers with potato wedges.

10. Cook with Flora recipes

Our Flora recipes are nutritious and tasty – perfect for a quick family meal. Many of our Flora recipes are a great addition to a balanced diet as they are packed with fruit and vegetables for your five a day, and of course provide you with some of the good fats your family needs. This means you don’t have to worry, just choose something tasty to cook! Remember that every small change helps you and your family have a healthier lifestyle.

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