To ensure you and your family maintain a healthy diet which does not exceed the recommended daily allowance for salt intake, the Irish Heart Foundation recommend the following guidelines to help you reduce the amount of salt in your diet.
- If you have salt on the table, remove it. If it's not there, you will be less likely to use it, and it will not become a habit for the kids. Where possible, do not add salt when cooking, if you want to season your food, try to use alternatives such as black pepper, herbs, spices, garlic and lemon juice.
- Limit the amount of stock cubes, gravy granules and processed or ready made sauces as they are all very high in salt. Homemade stock and sauces are a great alternative.
- Choose lean meat and fresh vegetables for main meal times, in place of processed foods, and make home-cooked meals the standard during the week.
- If you need to use a processed food range or sauce, try to opt for the low salt varities.
- Try to avoid buying high salt foods such as packet and tinned soups, instant noodles, ketchups and sauces, sausages and burgers, salty savoury snacks). If you don't have them at home, they are not a temptation.
Children should eat less salt than adults and as the adults in the house reduce their salt intake, so too will the children. Eating regular homecooked family meals, that include plenty of fruit and vegetables, will make a real difference into eating habits.
