Ever wondered where all that salt actually comes from?

Get this - salt's been a staple in our diets for centuries, making everything taste better and keeping food fresh. But here's the kicker: we're way overdoing it. The average working adult in England is consuming 8.4g daily - that's 40% above the recommended 6g. And guess what? Your salt pig isn't even the main culprit.

So where's all this salt hiding then?

65-75% of your daily salt intake is found in processed and pre-packaged foods.

Let me break this down for you. A massive 65-75% of your daily salt intake is sneaking in through processed and pre-packaged foods. We're talking ready meals, baked goods, cured meats, soups - even your everyday sauces and snacks. Manufacturers aren't just adding it for taste - they're using it for preservation and texture too.

Give me the full picture - what's really going on with our salt intake?

Only 1.26g of our salt intake is from cooking

Right, here's the real deal:

Processed foods are smuggling in 5.46g-6.3g of your daily salt
That salt pig and cooking? Only about 1.26g
Natural sodium in foods like your spinach and feta cheese adds around 0.84g

And get this - a single cup of spinach packs 125mg of sodium, while 100g of feta cheese hits you with 400mg. Wild, right?

Okay, so what can we actually do about this?

Here's where it gets interesting. Cooking from scratch is a total game-changer. Take bread - make it at home and you're typically looking at half the sodium of store-bought. If you slash your processed food intake to 55-60%, and also switch to lower-sodium salt for cooking you could drop your daily intake by 2.4-2.6g - enough to hit that recommended 6g target while keeping all the flavour you love.

What are the big players doing about all this?

The UK government's not messing around. Their Public Health Responsibility Deal is pushing food manufacturers to step up and cut down on salt, especially in those High Fat, Sugar, and Salt foods. We're already seeing changes in everyday stuff like bread and cereals. Plus, campaigns like "Change4Life" are helping people get smart about reading labels.

So what's the bottom line here?

Listen, the truth about salt in our diet isn't what most people think. Those processed foods in our cupboards are the real salt bombs. While your salt pig gets a lot of the blame, it's actually what's lurking in your shopping cart that's the bigger issue.

By making informed choices about what we buy and cook, we're not just improving our own health - we're part of a bigger shift towards mindful eating. Whether you're cooking more from scratch or picking up lower-sodium alternatives, every change counts. Time to shake up how we think about salt!

Based on research from WHO, NHS, Public Health England, British Heart Foundation, and USDA Food Composition Database.

The Truth About Salt in Your Diet