Salt minerals (like sodium) provide our bodies with electrolytes that help to regulate fluid balance and muscle contractions, however we only need 1-2 grams per day! Most Australians eat more than the recommended amount, which can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and osteoporosis.
With this in mind, we’d like you to be mindful of your salt intake, removing processed foods and consider salt replacements in your diet. Here’s some of the most effective ways to reduce the sodium in your diet to add to the healthy lifestyle you’re already living!
- Most of the salt in out diet comes from packaged foods and not from adding salt from a shaker. Reducing your intake of processed foods is the best way to limit your intake. It can take up to 4 to 6 weeks for your taste buds to adapt so add other flavours to make your food interesting such as fresh or dried herbs, spices, pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar.
- When reading nutrition information panels, aim for less than 400mg of sodium per 100g. If you can read the label, look for ‘No Added Salt’ or ‘Salt Reduced’ labels.
- Even specialised or gourmet salts contain sodium. So even Himalayan salt, garlic salt, rock salt, vegetable salt, etc. still need to be limited when cooking/serving foods.
The key to changing your diet even slightly is to celebrate the wins you have. If you’re eating processed foods in even one less meal per week (although we hope it’s more like 7), you should celebrate!
If you have any questions about your own diet or would like dietary advice from your Able Dietician, send us a message letting us know what you’re after and we’ll be in touch to help you achieve your goals!
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