Salt

Official guidelines state we should be eating less than 6g of salt – just a level teaspoon – a day. Average consumption in the UK currently stands at 9g of salt per day. The occasional dip into some salted crisps, olives or smoked salmon isn’t going to harm anyone, as the body easily steps into action and gets rid of the salt (in the urine). However, a diet which is high in salt on a daily basis can have a profound impact on our heart, largely through aggravating blood pressure – according to the British Heart Foundation, if we reduced our salt intake by around 2.5g a day it could reduce our risk of stroke or heart attack by one quarter.

• Use alternative seasonings, such as herbs, lemon juice and spices
• Wean yourself off the taste by gradually adding a little less salt to your food
• Taste your food as you cook and don’t automatically reach for the salt cellar
• Check the traffic light salt amounts on food labels.

Cheap meat pies and sausages
Breakfast cereals
Cakes and biscuits