Six-week plan to reduce salt levels

31st January 2008, 11:03am

The Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke Association (NICHSA) have come up with a six week plan to help people wean themselves off the taste of salt.

The leading charity is warning that some adults and children in Northern Ireland in particular, exceed their recommended daily salt intake before they have finished their breakfast.

Andrew Dougal, NI Chest, Heart and Stroke chief executive, commented: "A bowl of cereal alone can give a child aged threee up to a third of its salt allowance for the day. That doesn't even begin to take into account the salt in processed foods that most children eat for lunch or in the evening…the big danger with processed foods is that you can't even taste the salt."

To help solve this problem, below is an outline for adults to reduce their children's salt levels:

• Week One – Don't add salt to your child's food.

• Week Two – Encourage children not to have salt by setting a good example yourself! Cut down on salt added at the table and in cooking. Use herbs, spices, black pepper and lemon juice to add more flavour instead.

• Week Three – Compare food labels and choose products with less salt (also listed as sodium).

• Week Four – Cut down on very salty foods such as crisps, savoury snacks, salted peanuts, cooked ham, bacon and smoked fish.

• Week Five – Limit ready meals and takeaway foods. These are often high in salt and can be high in fat too.

• Week Six – Try cooking from scratch more. That way you will have more control over the amount of salt you are eating.

The government recommends that 4-6 year-olds should consume no more than three grams of salt each day. Three year-olds should eat even less – two grams. But figures suggest that the average child is eating five grams.

Check the food label and go for foods which have as many green traffic lights as possible on the nutrition label.

Related Articles:

• 21 May 2009 - More reaction to FSA salt targets
• 29 Apr 2009 - Chippies urged to swap their shakers

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