Low-salt recipe and cooking tips

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) UK adults consume the equivalent of around 9g salt (about 3.6g sodium) each day, though we should have no more than 6g salt (2.4g sodium) daily - that’s about one teaspoon. Considering that salt is an ingredient in just about every type of processed food or restaurant meal, it's no wonder British people are getting almost 50% more salt in their diet than is good for them.

Salt may add flavour to your food, but getting too much of it can also cut years from your life. Studies have linked a high-salt diet to increased risk of high blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. Research has also shown that reducing the salt in your diet may help lower those risks.

Low-salt meals: How to cut the salt in your cooking

It is possible to limit the salt in your meals without sacrificing the flavour of your food. Here are three low-salt cooking tips to help you make healthy, delicious meals that are good for your heart:

• Keep it real. Processed foods are often loaded with extra salt. That's because salt acts as a preservative. Cooking your own meals from scratch is the best way to control how much salt goes into your food. Cookbooks and the Internet are full of easy low-salt recipes that take all of the guesswork out of cooking. Opt for fresh fruits or vegetables instead of canned. Choose fresh poultry, fish and meat instead of processed or smoked varieties. For side dishes, make brown rice or whole jacket potatoes instead of instant or flavoured rice or mashed potatoes. If you have to use canned foods, such as tuna, rinse the contents beforehand to wash away some of the salt.
• Become a label reader. The Food Standards Agency has established the traffic light labelling system, which lists certain nutrients per 100g of product. Use the label to compare products. If the salt level is red, the product has a high amount of salt at more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium), while green is low at 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium). Watch out for broths, dressings, soy sauce, bouillon cubes, meat tenderisers, seasoned salts and condiments (mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce), which are notoriously high in salt. Watch for additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and sodium benzoate, which are all salt compounds.
• Don't follow directions. Except for in baking bread or cakes, where the baked item needs to rise, when a recipe calls for even a pinch of salt, replace it with another herb or spice. You can try rosemary, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, onion or garlic powder, curry powder, pepper, nutmeg, cumin, ginger, coriander, bay leaf, oregano, mustard powder or dill.