Eat less salt
Indians are getting increasingly particular about what they eat and when it comes to what their children eat, they are the most particular in the world. In India, 32% of people polled always checked the labels before purchasing packaged food. This rises to 41% when we consider shoppers purchasing a product for the first time. (Source: Study by ACNielsen).
Interestingly, while consumers are checking labels, they don't necessarily understand what they're reading For a food to be low in salt, it must have 120mg or less of sodium per 100g. Anything with over 500mg sodium per 100g is a high salt food and should be eaten very sparingly.
1g of sodium (Na) per 100g = 2.5g of salt per 100g
If you are planning to eat out in a restaurant or a caf�, or are ordering a takeaway, you can maker some smarter choices to reduce intake of salt. Be careful which restaurant, caf�, or takeaway you choose.
- Do not keep saltshaker on the dining table.
- Choose fruits and vegetables as snacks, rather than salty snack foods.
- Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts or of reduced salt variety. There are many products available with reduced levels of salt or with no added salt.
- Select unsalted nuts or seeds.
- Eat less salty foods like chips, crisps, salted peanuts, salty cheeses, soy sauce, pickles, Bikaneri bhujia, Punjabi samosa, processed meat and fish.
- Select fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese with low sodium.
- Add spices, herb, garlic and lemon juice in cooking instead of salt to enhance the taste and flavor of your food. Use only half the amount of salt recommended in a recipe.
- Reduce eating pickles, they are high in salt.
- Do not buy packaged foods that contain more than 120mg of sodium per serving.