How to reduce your salt intake

Australians consume too much salt. But we don't have to.

Let's look at some of the basics behind salt, including how much you should be consuming plus some helpful ways to cut back if your sodium intake is too high.

When consumed in the right quantity, salt is an important part of keeping you healthy. Sodium chloride (which is the chemical name for salt) is an electrolyte that helps your body process fluids. Without it, you can become dehydrated and deregulated.

But when it comes to salt, it's all about striking the right balance. Which most of us don't.

In fact, the average person in Australia consumes around twice the amount of recommended sodium every day, a trend that's closely linked to some of the country's leading illnesses.¹

Essentially, too much salt in your diet can lead to high blood pressure. This can lead to a number of serious health risks, including:

• heart disease (including heart attack)
• kidney disease
• stroke.²

Whether you have an existing health issue (such as a heart condition) or not, there's a good chance you need to reduce your sodium intake. Because most of us do.

According to Australian guidelines, based on your age and health profile, your sodium intake should generally look like the following:³

Healthy adults who don't have a pre-existing health condition like high blood pressure or heart disease should consume a maximum of 2,000mg of sodium per day. That's equivalent to 5g of salt, which is roughly one teaspoon.

That said, adults only need as little as 460mg of sodium per day to function, which is equal to around 1g of salt (about a quarter of a teaspoon). So, when it comes to sodium, less is more (or at least better).

You should also reduce your sodium intake as you start to get older.

The sodium intake for children should be less than that of adults.

Here's a breakdown of the recommended amount of sodium that children should consume each day:

• Ages 1 to 3: Between 200 and 400mg (which is about 0.5 to 1g of salt, or up to a fifth of a teaspoon).
• Ages 4 to 8: Between 300 and 600mg (which is about 0.75 to 1.5g of salt, or up to a quarter of a teaspoon).
• Ages 9 to 13: Between 400 and 800mg (which is about 1 to 2g of salt, or up to a third of a teaspoon).
• Ages 14 to 18: Between 460 and 920mg (which is about 1.15 to 2.3g of salt, or up to half a teaspoon).

Unless you cook every meal from scratch, it can be hard to know how much salt is in your diet. This is because around 75% of the average person's daily sodium intake comes from 'hidden' or 'added' salt (salt that's found in processed, preserved and packaged foods and drinks).¹

But there are ways to get around this and keep your sodium levels low, which may be particularly important if your doctor has put you on a low-sodium diet.

Here are my top 5 tips for lowering your sodium intake without giving up on flavour!

Before you grab for the saltshaker, taste your food first and ask yourself: Does this meal really need more salt? Chances are there was already some salt added during the cooking process (whether you knew it or not).

You might also consider how much salt you've already consumed (or plan to consume) today before adding more onto your daily intake.

Much of the sodium you consume is hidden inside packaged and processed foods and drinks. Of course, there are the obvious suspects, like deli meats and potato chips, but often these products don't taste particularly salty.

Before you eat or cook with anything that's packaged or processed, take a look at the label or do a quick search online to figure out how many milligrams of sodium is in the serving. You may need to limit your portions or avoid certain things altogether in order to stay under your daily sodium limit.

As well as giving you more control over what goes into your body in general, cooking your own meals is a great way to stay on top of your sodium intake.

Again, if you're cooking with anything that's processed or from a packet, you need to factor in its sodium content. This includes things like sauces, spreads and condiments, which may have higher-than-expected amounts of salt in them.

There are a range of non-salt ingredients that you can swap into your cooking in place of salt for enhanced flavour.

Rosemary, for instance, is great with lamb, fish, chicken and potatoes. Coriander is a fantastic addition to Indian and Mexican food. And basil is a sure thing with Italian staples like pasta and home-made pizza.

Other excellent flavour enhancers include:

• chili
• garlic
• lemon juice
• balsamic vinegar.

If these aren't giving you the desired flavour at first, don't fret. It usually takes your tastebuds a few weeks to adjust to a reduction in salt.