We'd like to thank the following Registered Dietitians and Registered Nutritionists for their support of Salt Awareness Week 2024:

Aliya Porter, RNutr Registered Nutritionist

"Salt reduction is important to me as a nutrition professional working with children because salt is an acquired taste. If children get used to foods with less salt, they won't need as much in their food going forward. Reducing salt in foods we buy in the shops, restaurants and cafes, as well as the foods served in childminder settings, nurseries and schools will help them develop their taste for less salty foods later on. We know that too much salt can increase blood pressure which in turn can affect our risk of heart attacks and strokes so salt reduction in children's food is essential."

https://porternutrition.co.uk/ IG: @porter_nutrition X: @AliyaPorter

 

Azmina Govindji, RD, Registered Dietitian

"Salt deserves to be in the spotlight.  

We're eating too much and this is harmful and has long-term consequences.  

The message is simple: choose foods with less added salt. 

The food industry is clever enough to create and market tasty food with less salt. Everyone can make small yet sustainable changes, such as cutting down on UPFs and checking labels for sodium per portion. I've been championing Salt Awareness Week for nearly ten years now, impressed by the engaging and impactful campaigns. Let's put salt in the spotlight together!"

https://azminanutrition.com/ IG: @azminanutrition X: @AzminaNutrition

 

Charlotte Radcliffe RNutr, Registered Nutritionist 

"Salt awareness week is an important campaign which I have supported for several years. 

High salt intake is a health risk which can lead to serious conditions like heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks, and reducing consumption is vital. It’s so easy to consume excessive salt as it is widespread in our food. As a food industry nutritionist, I am well aware of the challenges businesses face in reducing salt content, yet it’s not insurmountable. We need a level playing field across industry and continue raising public knowledge. Collective action is key."

https://thenutritionconsultant.org.uk  IG: @the_nutrition_consultant X: @Nutr_Consultant 

 

Charlotte Stirling-Reed, RNutr, Registered Nutritionist

"I’m really pleased to support Salt Awareness Week 2024. Reducing salt levels in foods is super important to help families trying to keep the salt they feed their babies and children to a minimum. Many of the everyday foods we buy can have higher levels of salt than necessary, which can be really challenging for families. It’s really important that food manufacturers work towards reducing salt levels in food. This helps everyone, especially those with young families, lower their salt intakes for a healthier future."

https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/ IG: @sr_nutrition X: @SR_Nutrition

 

Fareeha Jay, RD, Registered Dietitian

"The body needs salt to contract and relax muscles. It maintains the balance of water and minerals essential for the heart, liver, and kidneys. Salt is not bad; however, too much salt can cause problems in the body. Increased intake of salt can cause high blood pressure, which may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Adults should eat no more than 5-6 g of salt daily, equivalent to a teaspoon. This seems quite a lot. However, the average person in the UK has around 8.1 g of salt daily. Increased salt intake is unconscious, the reason being that salt is in everything. Bread, cereals, butter, jam, stock cubes, crisps, pizzas, ketchup, sauces, mayonnaise, masala curry powders and curry mixes. My client niche is the South Asians of the UK and in South Asian communities’ salt is also added to curries and the dough for rotis. Many use saltshakers as a habit. One way to prevent health effects associated with increased salt intake is to train the tastebuds and slowly wean off it. Take baby steps and acknowledge that it will be a slow process. If a teaspoon of salt is added to curries, perhaps add 3/4th next time. Continue to do so for a few weeks. Once the taste buds get used to the taste, go for ½ a teaspoon. Moreover, continue this process until only small amounts of salt is added. South Asian cooking uses a lot of spices, such as lemon and lime, which can enhance the taste of the food anyway."

https://www.fareehajay.com/ IG: @dietitian_fareehajay  X: @FareehaJay

 

Gopi Chandratheva, RNutr, Registered Nutritionist

"I am thrilled to support salt awareness week. According to SACN and evidence regular excess consumption of salt can impact our health increasing our risk of high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of stroke and premature death from cardiovascular diseases. Sodium is a key nutrient and maintains the water balance of the body. It can be easy to consume more salt than required as salt is found in everyday packaged foods such as breads, cereals, tinned products, crisps, nuts, crisps, sauces and ready meals. The recommended daily amount of salt is no more than 6g per day about a teaspoon and it’s worth reading the food labels to make better choices. Products containing more than 1.5g of salt per 100g is considered high and 0.3g per 100g or less of salt is considered low. It really is all about balance, being mindful of how much salt we use in our cooking and incorporating alternatives to add flavour to food instead of salt such as tomatoes, onions, lemon, garlic, ginger, herbs and spices. We really need the food industry to produce lower salt content foods to allow the population to reduce their overall salt intake."

https://gopisnourishingrecipes.com/about-gopi-2/ IG: @gopis_nourishingrecipes

 

Lizzie Hennig, RNutr, Registered Nutritionist

"I am really thrilled to be supporting Salt Awareness Week 2024 and really keen the awareness around salt far and wide. Adults only need around 6g of salt per but many of us are consuming too much on a daily basis. Consuming too much salt over a long period of time can lead to high blood pressure which can lead to a number of other health problems. 

The amount of salt we consume does not just come from salt we add to our food, there is already a lot of salt in ready-made and processed foods. We need to keep an eye out for this, and my biggest mission is to spread the word about eating whole foods and avoiding UPFs where possible. This will really help keep your salt intake down and also ensure you are looking after your overall health. 

Another big tip for reducing salt intake is start experimenting with other herbs, spices and other larder products that will add amazing flavour to your dishes without needing salt. Not only will your food taste great, you will have fun experimenting in the kitchen and you will keep your salt intake down. 

The last note from me is on salt and hydration. If you are exercising heavily and sweating a lot you will need to make sure you are replenishing your salt. Sodium is an electrolyte, a mineral that can help keep the amount of water in your body balanced. This ensures you stay hydrated and your body can carry out all its normal functions."

IG: @lizziehennigrnutr LinkedIn: Lizzie Hennig

 

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, RD, Specialist Registered Dietitian

This year I'm proud to be supporting Salt Awareness Week by Action on Salt, an annual campaign which aims to do just that - take action on salt!  

 As a nation, we are still regularly consuming over the recommended daily amount of salt (>6g) which is one of the main contributors of high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure causes excess strain and damage to the heart, increasing the risk of heart disease, strokes & heart attacks which can be fatal and cause deaths that could have been prevented. 

Although most people think that the majority of our salt intake comes from adding salt to our food, around 75% is actually found within the food we already consume, such as processed meats, pizza, ready meals, tinned soups and savoury snacks such as salted nuts. We can of course utilise the information from food labels to decipher low in salt options (should they be consumer friendly) and include more whole foods, however - we can't escape it in our weekly shops! It's imperative that the food industry to do more to reduce the amount of salt in packaged goods (and improve food labelling) in order to reduce the amount we eat and improve the nation's heart health!

https://nicsnutrition.com/ IG: @nicsnutrition X: @nicsnutrition

 

Priya Tew, RNutr, Registered Dietitian

"Eating a lower salt diet and reducing our salt intake is a key way we can look after our health. We know that a high salt diet can increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. The DASH diet research shows eating a Mediterranean diet and lowering your salt intake has a big impact on our health. I highly recommend finding ways to reduce salty snacks, foods and added salt to meals. "

www.dietitianuk.co.uk IG: priya_tew X: @PriyaTew

 

Rhiannon Lambert, RNutr, Registered Nutritionist

"Salt consumption is still a huge problem here in the UK and we need to find a way to reduce our intake. The recommendations state that we should not be consuming any more than 6g (around one teaspoon) of salt a day. However, we are exceeding these recommendation which leads to ill health and premature deaths."

"The rise in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption here in the UK results in children being more exposed to high levels of salt, sugar and fat. A recent study found that the UPF content of primary and secondary school lunches were more than 72% and 77% of the meals total energy, respectively. UPFs are commonly very high in salt even if they don't taste salty as it is often added during food processing for purposes other than contributing to the taste. As parents, we need to make a conscious effort to read food labels, cook fresh food from scratch and opt for low salt options to protect the next generation and our children's long-term health."

https://www.rhitrition.com/ IG: @rhitrition X: @Rhitrition

 

Sophie Bertrand, RNutr, Registered Nutritionist

"Salt is naturally occurring in some foods and can also be added to your cooking to enhance the flavour of a dish. However as a nation we are unfortunately consuming too much salt which can have negative impacts on our overall health. The reason for the overconsumption can be largely down to those pre packaged and ultra processed foods that we buy in the supermarket and we may not even be aware of the salt content so it’s important to check the label! Try cooking from scratch to reduce the amount of added salt you may be consuming. Cooking from scratch does not need to be complicated and can encourage more nutritious ingredients. As a nutritonist and Mum of 2 I’m extremely passionate about healthy eating and believe education is key."

https://sophiebertrand.com/  IG: @sophiebertrand_ X: @sophiebertrand_

 

Zoe Griffiths RNutr, Registered Nutritionist

"I am really pleased to be supporting Salt Awareness Week once again this year. As a Registered Nutritionist (Public Health), I know the impact eating too much salt can have on our health. A diet high in salt can lead to raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. 

As 75% of our salt intake comes from manufactured foods that we buy, it can be difficult to cut down on salt intake. It is time for manufacturers to look further at reformulating their products to reduce the salt content in foods to make it easier for everyone to reduce their salt intake and prevent ill health."

https://zgnutrition.co.uk/  IG: @zg_nutrition X: @ZG_Nutrition