Tips for cutting salt content of Christmas dinner
Campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) has provided a number of tips for reducing the salt content of Christmas dinner, after its research revealed that menus may contain more than double the recommended daily maximum intake.Adults are advised to consume no more than 6g of salt per day, but Cash found that the total amount of salt in pre-lunch snacks, canapes and the main Christmas meal may exceed 15g per person.
However, there are a number of ways to reduce salt levels, such as cooking from scratch instead of buying prepared vegetables and pre-prepared joints, both of which tend to be high in salt.
Items such as gravy, mustard and bread sauce can vary in their salt content and it is therefore important to compare labels and pick lower-salt varieties.
The salt content of pre-dinner snacks, including crisps and olives, also varies, as does the amount in different varieties of cheese.
Cash nutritionist Kay Dilley said: "Everyone likes to be indulgent at Christmastime, and it's not just on the day but for the whole of the festive season that we might be treating ourselves to salty food, so our salt intake can really add up.
"But by cooking at home, your Christmas food will be even more delicious as well as lower in salt."
Consumers should also avoid adding too much salt when cooking, as even so-called 'gourmet' salts, such as rock and sea salt, are damaging for people's health.
