Which foods contain salt?

Most foods contain some salt. But it’s the foods that are high in salt we need to watch out for because eating these can make it very easy to have too much salt. This is why it's important to choose foods that are lower in salt, when you can.

Some foods are almost always high in salt because of the way they are made – you can still enjoy them, but try to have these in smaller amounts, or eat them less often.

With some foods, such as bread and breakfast cereals, it’s because we eat a lot of them that they contribute a lot of salt to our diets and not that they’re necessarily high in salt. For these foods, and for foods such as pasta sauces and tomato ketchup, there can be a really big difference between different types and brands. So next time you’re shopping, take the time to compare the salt levels on a few similar products. And always try to choose the ones lower in salt. Making small changes like this can make a big difference to how much salt you eat, especially if it’s a food you eat a lot of.

Foods that are often high in salt	Foods where some brands/recipes are high in salt
Try to eat smaller amounts of these, or have them less often. Anchovies Bacon Cheese Chips (if salt added) Gravy granules Ham Olives Pickles Prawns Salami Salted and dry roasted nuts Salt fish Smoked meat and fish Soy sauce Stock cubes Yeast extract	Compare the labels on similar foods and choose the ones lower in salt. Bread products such as crumpets, bagels and ciabatta Pasta sauces Crisps Pizza Ready meals Soup Sandwiches Sausages Tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces