Salt

Listed on the nutrition panel as sodium, salt is often used in packaged food as a flavour enhancer or preservative which means your salt intake can be high without you knowing it. Most of the salt that we consume comes from the processed foods we buy.

Understanding the food label

• Look at the nutrition panel on the back of your food product
• Low salt foods are those with less than 120mg per 100g of sodium
• Try to restrict your consumption of foods with more than 600mg of sodium per serve
• Our total maximum recommended limit of sodium for adults should be less than 2300mg/ day. This figure should be lower for children.

How can I reduce my salt intake?
Reducing your salt intake can be as easy as switching brands. Always check labels when shopping. Choosing foods with the Heart Foundation Tick can help you stay on top of how much salt you and your family is eating.

• Check the nutrition panel and choose the foods lowest in sodium
• Look for foods labelled 'no added salt' or 'salt reduced'
• Choose Tick products where available*
• Compare the sodium content of similar products to see which is lower in salt.

* If your doctor or dietitian has asked you to follow a low sodium diet you must check all labels and only choose foods with sodium levels of 120mg/100g or less.

Always read the food label
Did you know that a ham and cheese sandwich can provide a four year old with more than one and a half times the amount of salt they need daily? Salty snack foods and takeaway meals encourage children to develop a taste for salty foods, so the healthy meals you cook for them at home may seem tasteless in comparison.

The below table shows how much sodium is in two typical kids lunches and how much this contributes to their adequate daily intake (%AI). Figures are based on recommended levels of sodium for four to eight year olds (300mg-600mg/per day).

Healthy heart tip
Most of us need to cut down our salt intake. This includes not just table salt but all salts - rock salt, sea salt, salt flakes, pink salt, garlic salt, onion salt, seasonings, monosodium glutamate (MSG), stock cubes, soy sauce and most Asian sauces.  Look for reduced salt liquid stocks and soy sauce.