Dear Dietitian

What is an acceptable level of salt in foods?

I'm confused about how much salt I should eat. When reading a label what is an acceptable level of salt in foods?

Common salt is sodium chloride, and it is the sodium that causes health problems. For healthy people, the general dietary recommendation for sodium is 2400mg daily.

The sodium content per 100g on the Nutritional Information Panel of a product gives us an indication of how much sodium is in a product and therefore how salty it is.

As part of healthy eating, it is important to watch our sodium intake - we actually require as little as 500mg a day, which is equal to 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Many people eat far in excess of this, having 4000-6000mg daily.

Our intake of processed and prepared foods accounts for most of our sodium intake. It's therefore wise to read food labels to identify foods lower in sodium.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to give a general guideline that will apply to all foods. I usually encourage people to look for foods with less than 500mg per 100g. However, it is important to consider the quantity you will eat. The sodium content of a soup is more relevant than that of a relish or a sauce, which you might use in only very small quantities.

By checking the sodium content, you will become more aware of the amount of sodium hidden in foods. For example, Arnott's Vita-Weat 9 Grain Cracker has 450mg sodium per 100g but Griffin's Vitalife Wellgrain Cracker has 1120mg sodium per 100g, despite both having a similar amount of fat and fibre.

Look for packaged foods that are salt reduced or 'no added salt'.

Fresh foods tend to be lower in sodium. Enjoy fresh meat, poultry and fish, fruit and vegetables, dried beans, peas and lentils, eggs, milk and yoghurt. Experiment with herbs and spices to add flavour rather than relying on added salt.

Remember - fresh is best!

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