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Getting Savvy about Salt: The pinch without the punch

Currently South Africa has one of the highest rates of hypertension (raised blood pressure) worldwide. In fact, 1 in 3 adult South Africans are living with high blood pressure, and many people don’t know they have high blood pressure as the symptoms are not always obvious. Most of the salt consumed in the diet comes from salt added by manufacturers during the processing of foods. The other half of the salt consumed comes from salt added during cooking as well as salt sprinkled on food before it is eaten.

Controlling the diet and making healthful lifestyle choices, at all stages of life regardless of race or ethnicity, can help to reduce the risk of developing hypertension

So how much salt do we need?Salt Values

Current dietary recommendations limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to one-teaspoon salt. For those at risk for heart disease, and anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, the sodium limit is 1,500 milligrams per day.

What is the difference between sodium and salt?

Often the words “salt” and “sodium” are used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Salt is made up of two parts – sodium and chloride. Sodium is the part of salt that can increase your blood pressure when you eat too much of it. 5 g of salt is the same as 2000 mg of sodium. Most of the time food packets show the ‘sodium’ content and not the ‘salt’ content. 

Salty tips

Steer clear of processed foods

Cut down on processed foods – salt is found in almost every pre-prepared food, from processed meat to canned soup, bottled dressings and packaged sauces, bread, and even condiments such as tomato sauce and pickles.

HerbsPractice low-sodium cooking

Cooking your own meals is one of the best ways to control the amount of sodium in your food. When preparing your own foods, follow some of these tricks to keep your meal as low in sodium as possible:

  • Rinse all canned beans and vegetables under cold water before cooking with them
  • Hold back on the salt, and season with herbs and spices instead. Rosemary, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, paprika, ginger, garlic, black pepper, chili powder, lemon zest are just some of the inspiring ways to add flavour without upping the sodium content.
  • Use citrus juice and vinegars in place of salt in sauces and marinades
  • When baking, add less baking soda or baking powder since these rising agents contain a significant amount of sodium

Read the labels MSG

  • Read the information on food packages. According to the new South African Food Labeling law a product that claims to be ‘low salt’ needs to contain no more than 120 mg sodium per 100g food.
  • Beware of the hidden salts in food products such as, sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrate, sodium bicarbonate and soy sauce – these are all salt too!