Salt: 5 Unexpected Sources, Are You Over Indulging In These?
Hidden salt in processed foods raises blood pressure & heart risk. Cut back with healthy swaps, herbs & low-sodium options for better long-term health.
Our salt intake is proving to be cause for alarm worldwide, especially with processed meats, fast foods and snacks. Adopt healthy eating habits to reduce the amount of salt in your diet. The culprits often lie in the most overlooked and simplest places.
Food Sources Heavy in Salt
- Bread – bread itself is not the actual culprit here. It includes sandwich spreads, such as beef and yeast-based spreads, as well as processed cheese spreads. These are adding to your daily consumption.
- Deli Meats – processed meats have now been proven to be exceptionally high. In fact, so much so that the portion size of a hot dog is half a sausage.
- Pizza – the lethal combination of salt in the dough. The tomato sauce on the base, as well as, any added meats and cheese make this a number one culprit in topping the charts.
- Burgers – again it is the combination of the patty, cheese, sauces, pickles and the bun that soon add up in making this every day ‘on the run food’ a salty cohort. If you thought those gourmet ‘homemade burgers’ were better you’d be mistaken they are just as loaded.
- Cheese – salt is added to cheeses not only for flavour but also as a natural preservative, your best options in this regards would be the ‘swiss type’ softer textured cheeses.
Salt and Blood Pressure
There is conclusive evidence linking high intake to an increase in blood pressure. This, in turn, often results in and is a major contributing factor to the cause of heart attacks and strokes. Salt is also known to be guilty of causing water retention. What is the daily recommended salt allowance? No more than 6g a day, whilst in fact, most of us are packing away between 10g and 12g every day. For optimal health, avoid adding salt to your food and use it sparingly when cooking. Consider using low-sodium soy sauce or vegetable alternatives instead. To add flavour to food, opt for fresh herbs and spices. Your palate will quickly adjust, and you will see that you no longer find your food quite as salty as before. Good health is irreplaceable. Be wise!
