From our salt-tracking trailblazers...

Beth Furness - Assistant Nutritionist | 15 May, 2023

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A group of Nutracheck members kindly volunteered to participate in a salt tracking week and record their experiences. We were interested to find out how easy or hard people found it, and whether there were any eye-opening moments. Here's what we discovered...

Before the challenge started, half of our trailblazers didn't know or weren't sure about the salt guidelines in the UK (it's no more than 6g per day).

86% of our trailblazers managed to stick to the challenge all week, showing how simple it is to get involved!

An incredible 93% managed to 'Stick to 6', keeping their weekly average salt intake below 6g per day. This again shows this is an achievable daily goal, provided you know it.

40% of trailblazers kept their intake below 6g every day, however 44% tipped over on 1 or 2 days of the week. Perhaps the weekends are a trickier time to stay within the salt guidelines, as socialising often revolves around salt-laden restaurant or takeaway foods.

Salt scales

Top tips!

We also asked our lovely bunch of trailblazers what they learned from the challenge, and how they'd change their seasoning habits going forward. Here are the top answers:

  • Cook at home whenever you can to fully control the salt in your meals.
  • Try to reduce your intake of heavily processed foods.
  • Double-check so-called 'healthy options' for their salt content.
  • Make sure you track everything you eat and drink to get the full picture of your salt intake.
  • Ditch the salt mill. There's more than enough salt in our food already without adding more at the dinner table.
  • If you're trying to lose weight, take the number on the scales with a pinch of salt (couldn't resist!), as you're probably retaining more water.

Nutritionist Beth Furness (ANutr), holding a BSc in Nutrition and Health, is deeply dedicated to applying evidence-based knowledge to all aspects of nutrition. Her passion lies in fostering healthy relationships with food, ensuring that everyone maintains a balanced and sustainable approach to nutrition.

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