Eating too much salt may raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.
There are small changes you can make to cut down the amount of salt you eat. Over time, this will help to keep your heart healthy.
When we use salt to season our food, we use table salt. Table salt is also called sodium chloride. When you see sodium on food labels, it’s just another way of talking about the amount of salt in the food.
Some sodium in our diet is good because it helps our kidneys to control the amount of water in our blood. If we eat too much sodium, water is pulled back into our bloodstream. The more water in our blood vessels, the higher our blood pressure gets.
High blood pressure can put you at risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases such as:
Find out what happens to your body when you eat too much salt and how it raises your blood pressure with our 2 minute video.
The recommended daily salt intake for adults is less than 6 grams of salt per day. 6 grams of salt is about one level teaspoon.
Children should eat less salt than adults. The recommended daily intake of salt for babies and children depends on their age.
Some food labels call salt, sodium instead. Salt and sodium are measured slightly differently. The recommended daily sodium intake for adults is less than 2.5g per day.
The recommended daily intake of salt (or sodium) includes the amount already added it ready-made and processed foods, as well as the salt you add when you cook and eat.
| Age | Max. salt per day | Max. sodium per day |
| 1-3 yrs | 2g | 0.8g |
| 4-6yrs | 3g | 1.2g |
| 7-10 yrs | 5g | 2g |
| 11 and older | 6g | 2.5g |
| Adults | 6g | 2.5g |
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The labels on your food will usually have a nutritional information section. This section will show you how much of each nutrient is in the food, like the amount of salt. To see how much salt is in the packaged food, you can look at the ‘amount per serving’.
Some food labels have a traffic light system to help you see if the food has a low, medium or high amount of salt in it. If you reduce the amount of food you eat with medium (amber) and high (red) levels of salt, it will help you reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.
| --- | Red - high |
| --- | Amber - medium |
| --- | Green - low |
Some food labels might not say the ‘amount per serving’, they might say the ‘amount per 100g’. Most food labels that say ‘amount per 100g’ will use the traffic light system to help you track your salt intake:
| Low | Medium | High | |
| Salt | 0g - 0.3g | 0.3g - 1.5g | More than 1.5g |
| Sodium | 0g -0.1g | 0.1g - 0.6g | More than 0.6g |
A lot of the food we eat already has salt in it. In fact, around three quarters of the salt we eat on a daily basis has already been added to our food before we buy it.
Most people know that microwave meals, takeaways and snacks like crisps are high in salt. You might be surprised to know a lot of other foods are also high in salt such as:
The amount of salt will vary between different brands and varieties. Check your food labels before you buy to help you choose healthier options.
It might feel tricky to have tasty food and watch how much salt you’re having. There are other ways to add flavour to food other than salt. Many people add flavour to their food by using:
Reducing how much salt you eat can make you feel less thirsty, less dehydrated and have less headaches.
Even if the food we eat doesn’t taste salty, it might still be high in salt. But there are many foods that are naturally low in salt and sodium. You can reduce the number of salty foods you eat by swapping to less salty options. Trying new recipes and seasonings can also help you make your meals exciting and satisfying.
Try one of these delicious alternatives:
Swapping salty ready-meals and takeaways for home-cooked meals is a great way to watch how much salt you eat. Our recipe finder is full of easy and tasty meals to help you watch what you eat, and they don’t take as long as you might think to make.
No, other types of salt still effect your blood pressure in the same way table salt does. They include:
These types of salts are usually less refined (less processed) than table salt. But their amount of sodium and nutrients are similar to table salt. They can still put you at risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.
Some supermarkets sell low salt alternatives like LoSalt and Saxa So-Low, or their own brands. These salt substitutes have less sodium than normal salt. They can help you reduce your sodium intake, but they won’t help you kick the habit of eating salty or ready-made foods. The low salt alternative brands usually contain potassium. High levels of potassium are not recommended for people with existing health conditions. If you have an existing health condition, you may want to talk to your doctor before using a salt substitute.
There are lots of things you can do to make sure your food is still exciting and easy to prepare. Try one of these top tips today:
If you want to cut down on salt, this leaflet can help. It provides practical tips on how to cut down on salt and improve your heart health.
Last updated: September 2021
Next update: September 2024
