Ask Sam

Sam Montel is our online nutrition expert and a registered public health nutritionist. Read her answers to people's questions on salt below. If you can't find the answer to your salt question on this site, email Sam on info@salt.gov.uk

I notice that some bottles of natural mineral water contain sodium. Is it OK to drink it?
It is true that some mineral waters contain sodium. The amount they contain can vary quite a lot from one brand to another, because each has a different mixture of minerals depending on where the water comes from. There aren't any controls on how much sodium a mineral water can contain.

Spring water and other bottled water, for example 'table water', are different to mineral water because there is a limit on the amount of sodium these can contain. They essentially have to meet the same standards as tap water, with a limit of 200mg sodium per litre. These types of water are generally low in sodium.

So, there's no need to avoid drinking mineral, spring or other types of bottled water, but if you drink a lot each day it's a good idea to compare labels and choose the one with the lowest amount of sodium per litre.

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Should I use reduced-sodium alternatives instead of salt?
Reduced-sodium alternatives contain less sodium than standard salt and taste similar. But they are not sodium-free, so you will still be adding sodium to your food if you use these products. (Sodium is the part of salt that can lead to high blood pressure if you have too much.) Salt substitutes are not suitable for some people, so always check the label.

Also, because these alternatives taste salty, they don't help you get used to less salty flavours. It's better to gradually reduce the amount of salt you add when you're cooking and eating, until finally you use hardly any - or none at all. It doesn't take long for your taste buds to get used to less salt and then you might appreciate some other flavours more.

See Salt tips to find out other ways of adding flavour.

Another thing to bear in mind is that 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, so while it is important to cut down on the salt we add ourselves, it is also very important to check the labels of food products and try to choose those that are lower in salt. See Understanding labels to find out more.

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Are smoked foods high in salt?
Smoked foods are generally high in salt because the traditional smoking process includes adding salt to preserve the food. During the smoking process, foods are prepared and then salted using either salt or brine (salt in water). They are then placed into ovens and smoked, usually using wood smoke, for anything up to two days.

Smoked foods can sometimes contain up to 50 times more salt than the same foods that haven't been smoked. For example, fresh salmon contains 0.1g salt per 100g, but when smoked this increases to 4.7g salt per 100g. And fresh mackerel contains 0.15g salt per 100g, which increases to 1.9g salt per 100g when smoked.

This doesn't mean that you should avoid eating smoked foods altogether, but try to avoid eating lots of foods like this that are high in salt (more than 1.5g salt per 100g).

Bear in mind that some foods that are often smoked may still be high in salt when not smoked, such as bacon.

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I've heard that ready meals are high in salt. Should I stop eating them?
There are lots of different types of ready meal. It's true that some ready meals are high in salt, but not all of them. The important thing is to remember to look at the label.

So you don't need to avoid ready meals, but when you're choosing food in the shops, compare different ready meals to see how much salt they contain and try to go for the one that is lower in salt. See Understanding labels to find out more.

Remember that children under 11 should have less salt than adults, so a ready meal (or other food) that is high in salt would take them even closer to their daily recommended maximum of salt. See Babies and children for information on the daily maximums for different age groups.

Don't forget that some ready meals can be high in fat and saturated fat too. See our eatwell site for more advice on making healthier choices at the shops.

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I'm finding it hard to find reduced-salt stock cubes. What's the alternative?
There are some reduced-salt stock cubes and granules available, but even these can contain quite a lot of salt. So it's a good idea to cut down on the amount you use. Try using just half a stock cube instead of a whole one. Or use water, herbs and maybe a bit of wine in cooking, instead of stock.

If you have time, try making your own salt-free stock. You could make a large batch, divide it into smaller portions and freeze it, so you always have some to hand when you need it.

To make a salt-free vegetable stock, roughly chop some vegetables - for example 2 large carrots, 6 sticks of celery, 2 medium onions, 1 large parsnip - and place them in a large pan with 1 bayleaf, 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns and 2.5 litres of water. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour, then strain.

If you would like to make a meat-based stock, you may be able to buy bones from your local butcher. Or, if you have cooked a whole chicken, you could use the carcass to make stock. To make beef or chicken stock, place 1.5kg beef or chicken bones (or a chicken carcass) and 2 roughly chopped onions in a roasting tin and bake in a hot oven until the bones are well browned (about 1 hour). Transfer the bones and onions to a large saucepan, add 2 roughly chopped sticks of celery, 2 chopped carrots, 1 bay leaf, 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns and 2.5 litres of water. Simmer uncovered for 3 hours, then strain.

Or to make fish stock, place 0.75kg fish bones, 1 medium onion, 2 sticks of celery, 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns in a large pan, cover with 1.5 litres of water and simmer for 20 minutes, then strain.

When making fresh stock, always remember to cool it quickly, skim any fat from the top and then put it in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible.

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I have a bread-making machine and have tried to make bread without salt, but I can't get the dough to rise. Can you suggest how to make bread with no salt?
You do generally need a bit of salt when you're making bread, whether by hand or in a machine. Salt acts to control the action of yeast during the bread-making process. Bread-making machines strictly regulate rising and proving time, so if you don't add any salt at all, the dough tends to over-rise, giving a poor-quality loaf and a collapsed crust. You may be able to put slightly less salt into a recipe devised for bread-making machines, but you won't be able to cut it out completely.

The Blood Pressure Association produces a factsheet on making low-salt bread.

Are some ethnic groups more at risk of high blood pressure?
Yes, some ethnic groups are more likely to have high blood pressure than others. For example, most UK population surveys show that more African-Caribbean people have high blood pressure than the national average.

It is estimated that as many as half of African-Caribbean people over the age of 40 have high blood pressure. Stroke is also more common in African-Caribbean people.

Eating less salt is one important step that African-Caribbean people can take to reduce their risk of high blood pressure and stroke, especially since some traditional African-Caribbean foods can be very high in salt. See Blood pressure for information on other factors that can increase the risk of high blood pressure.

Some other ethnic groups living in the UK tend to have lower rates of high blood pressure, for example people of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese origin. However, this doesn't mean that people in these groups can't develop high blood pressure, so they should still be careful not to eat too much salt.

People of South Asian (including Pakistani and Bangladeshi) origin living in the UK are at greater risk of heart disease than the general population. So they can benefit a lot from changing their diet and lifestyle to reduce their risk of heart disease. See Heart disease for more information.

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For information on other healthy eating topics, visit our eatwell site.