“Keep your salt intake low” is a message we are all familiar with. But what exactly is salt and why the concern? Common table salt is made up mainly of sodium chloride (NaCl) and it’s really the sodium part of this mineral that is the problem, if we too much of it...

Having too much salt is not good for us because it may raise blood pressure and increase risk of stroke, heart disease and heart attack. It has also been linked to other conditions like stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney disease.

But how much is too much? Strictly speaking salt needs differ according to age, climate and the amount you sweat and also activity level. The minimum amount of salt needed by the average healthy adult is about 1.25 g (about 500mg of sodium). Based on information from research, worldwide health organisations recommend that we don’t have more than one teaspoon (6g) of salt per day.

Ways to Shrink Your Salt Intake

Either lower or halve the amount of salt called for in recipes.

Steer clear of the fast food joints – food from these is notoriously high in salt, even the items that are fat and calorie reduced.

Prepare your own food from scratch as much as possible – convenience foods like ready meals, ready sauces, marinades and dressings, rice mixes, canned foods, cup or instant noodles and frozen meals are typically high in salt.

Avoid eating a lot of salty snack foods and crackers with salted tops.

Choose to either add a little salt at the table or during cooking, don’t do both.

Go with fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned whenever you can. If using them, rinse and drain canned foods such as canned vegetables if possible.

Limit cured meats or foods packed in brine and have fresh meats instead.

Look out for any form of the word "sodium" on the ingredient list. Additives such as sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate are examples of sodium found in packaged foods.

Watch out for a future post, where I’ll chat about ways to season and flavour your food without using salt.