Salt tips

Peppers

There are lots of simple ways to reduce the amount of salt you eat, whether you're cooking, eating out or choosing food at the shops. Take a look at our salt tips to see what you can do.

  • Check the label to help you choose healthier breakfast cereals. Try puffed wheat, wheat biscuits or muesli with no added salt.
  • Go for reduced-salt back bacon in your bacon sandwich. And try adding some slices of tomato instead of ketchup.
  • When you're buying bread, compare the amount of salt in different types and choose the lower one.
  • Try having just a small amount of smoked foods such as smoked meat and fish, or eat them less often, because these can be high in salt.
  • Go for tinned veg and pulses without added salt.
  • For healthier snacks try to choose fruit or vegetables like carrot or celery sticks, a teacake or a fruit bun. If you are going to have crisps or crackers – check the label and choose those with a lower salt content.
  • If you're choosing a ready meal or a ready-made pasta sauce, compare different types and choose the one that is lower in salt.
  • Go easy with ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise - these can all be high in salt.
  • Try not to add salt automatically when you're cooking or about to eat. Often people only use salt out of habit.

Eating out

If you're eating in a restaurant or café, or ordering a takeaway, you can still eat less salt by making some smart choices.

  • When you order a pizza, choose vegetable or chicken toppings instead of pepperoni, bacon, or extra cheese.
  • At the sandwich bar, go for fillings such as chicken salad or poached salmon, instead of ham or cheese and pickle, which are usually higher in salt.
  • If you're having a Chinese or Indian meal, go for plain rice because this is lower in salt than egg-fried rice or pilau rice.
  • Try not to have salty chips too often - you could have a jacket potato instead.
  • When you have a salad, ask for the dressing on the side, so you only have as much as you need. Some dressings can be high in salt, as well as fat.

Cooking

There are lots of ways to add flavour to your cooking without using any salt.

  • Add fresh herbs to pasta dishes, vegetables and meat.
  • Marinate meat and fish in advance to give them more flavour.
  • Use garlic, ginger, chilli and lime in stir fries.
  • Add red wine to stews and casseroles, and white wine to risottos and sauces for chicken.
  • Make your own stock and gravy, instead of using cubes or granules, or look out for reduced-salt varieties.
  • Roast vegetables such as red peppers, courgettes, fennel, parsnips and squash to bring out their flavour.
  • Squeeze lemon juice onto fish or seafood.
  • Try using different types of onion - brown, red, white, spring onions, shallots.
  • Make sauces using ripe flavoursome tomatoes and garlic.
  • Use black pepper as seasoning on pasta, scrambled egg etc instead of salt.