How Much Salt Should You Eat in a Day?
Less than 5 grams a day is the advice for adults — roughly a teaspoon. Indian diets often carry considerably more than that.
The short answer: less than 5 grams a day for adults — about a teaspoon, and that includes the salt used in cooking.
Where the salt actually hides
Most people believe they eat little salt because they do not add it at the table. The real quantity comes from:
- Pickles, papad and chutneys
- Namkeen, chips and bhujia
- Biscuits and bread
- Packaged soups, masala mixes and instant noodles
- Restaurant food and gravies
- Processed meat and some cheeses
What too much salt does
A consistently high salt intake is linked to raised blood pressure, and raised blood pressure affects the heart and kidneys. Some people are more sensitive to salt than others — particularly those with a family history of high blood pressure.
Easy ways to cut it
- Keep the salt shaker off the table
- Build flavour with lemon, pepper, green chilli, coriander and jeera
- Pickle and papad occasionally rather than daily
- Read labels on packaged food
- Reduce gradually — the palate adjusts in two or three weeks
Is rock salt better?
Rock salt and black salt differ slightly in taste and trace minerals, but they still contain sodium. Switching and then using more of it gains nothing for blood pressure. Dropping iodised salt entirely can also leave you short of iodine.