- The average adult eats two or three times the amount of salt they should be
- With this in mind, FEMAIL consulted Australian nutritionist, Susie Burrell
- Ms Burrell shared some of the most surprising sources of high sodium
- These include prosciutto, packaged soups, wraps and curry pastes
- She shared tips for how to eat less salt; you don't need to worry about table salt
When it comes to public enemy number one in the food world, sugar is right up there.
But it would seem it's not just the sweet stuff we should be concerning ourselves about - for our salt consumption levels are too high, too.
FEMAIL spoke to Australian nutritionist and expert, Susie Burrell, to find out the surprising hidden sources of salt - which include packaged soup, those 'healthy' wraps you buy at lunch and sauces.
Ms Burrell also explained how you can make sure the amount of salt you're eating is close to or exactly at the right amount.
The average Australian adult consumes two to three times the amount of salt they should be - this does not come from table salt, but rather hidden salts in foods (stock image)
FEMAIL spoke to Australian nutritionist and expert, Susie Burrell (pictured), to find out the surprising hidden sources of salt - which include packaged soup, 'healthy' wraps and sauces
THE WRAP QUESTION
According to Ms Burrell, one of the most surprising sources of excess salt is wraps - which many people now opt for as a 'healthy' alternative to a regular sandwich at lunchtime.
'Popular varieties of wraps could contain more than double the amount of salt than is recommended,' Ms Burrell explained to Daily Mail Australia.
She outlined that a review recently carried out by the University of Newcastle found that the salt contained in top-selling wraps in supermarkets over a 12-month period varied significantly, with some containing six times as much as others.
'This is before you even take into account what often fills a wrap, such as processed meats, cheese or sauces,' Ms Burrell added.
The expert said it pays to scan the ingredients list and look out for 'nasties' such as 200 (potassium sorbate), 282 (calcium propionate) and 281 (sodium propionate).
'Wraps can be good for you,' she said - 'especially when they have fibre and wholegrains, but you need to make sure you're not eating something unhealthy thinking it's a healthy choice'.
According to Ms Burrell, one of the most surprising sources of excess salt are wraps - these can contain almost double the amount of sodium that's recommended (stock image)
PROSCIUTTO
Also one to not be fooled by is prosciutto.
'All processed meats contain added salt to help to preserve them and add flavour, but prosciutto is one of the saltiest with two thin slices containing more than 500mg of sodium,' Ms Burrell explained.
The expert said that ideally we should be having less than 2000mg of salt per day, but recent studies have found that the average Australian eats three times this amount.
'This is because our diets are so heavy in processed foods,' she said.
'Not only is a high intake of salt linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke long term, but on a daily basis a high salt intake can leave you feeling tired, bloated and heavy as the body retains more fluid.'
Perhaps one to watch if you're partial to a cheeseboard with olives and cured meats.
'All processed meats contain added salt to help to preserve them and add flavour, but prosciutto is one of the saltiest,' Ms Burrell explained (stock image)
PRE-PACKAGED SOUPS, SAUCES AND PASTES
Elsewhere on the high-salt list is pre-packaged soups - a popular option for time-starved people who think they're being healthy:
Packaged soups, curry pastes and tinned foods are also on the negative list (pictured: Susie Burrell)
'That packaged soup you pick up might seem healthy as it has such few calories, but in order to give the mix flavour, often 600-800mg of salt is included in one single packet,' Ms Burrell said.
The same applies to curry pastes: 'A single 50 gram serving of curry paste contains more than 1000mg of sodium and that is before you count up the other ingredients used to make the curry,' Ms Burrell said.
Meanwhile, soy sauce, tinned spaghetti and foods in tins in general are also repeat sodium offenders.
'Any food found in a tin will generally contain some added salt to help preserve the food, but tomato-based spaghetti options are particularly high with up to 600mg in a half cup serve,' Ms Burrell said.
'That packaged soup you pick up might seem healthy as it has such few calories, but in order to give the mix flavour, often 600-800mg of salt is included,' Ms Burrell said (stock image)
SO HOW CAN YOU EAT LESS?
If you're looking to eat less than 2000mg of salt each day, Ms Burrell has a few tips.
To eat less, make sure you're looking at food labels and reading ingredients (stock image)
While she said if it doesn't need it, there is no need to add 'extra salt to your food', she also added that it's not table salt you really need to worry about - it's what's been added before it even reaches your kitchen.
'Check to see your food labels have labels with less than 400mg per 100 grams,' she said.
'Avoid processed meats where possible, and measure out your sauces - so you're using appropriate portions.'
She also said it helps to pick 'low salt stocks, soups and baked beans'.
'If you have high blood pressure or heart problems, you should probably keep your salt levels even lower,' she concluded.
For more information about Susie Burrell, you can visit her blog here.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "It's not sugar you need to worry about! From your lunchtime wrap to pretty much everything you eat from a tin, the ..."
Post a Comment