Health, Nutrition & Fitness: 05/01/11

May 1, 2011

Acrylamide

Acrylamide is a chemical found in starchy foods that have been cooked at high temperatures. These include crisps, chips, bread and crispbreads. It was first discovered by scientists in Sweden in 2002.
Acrylamide causes cancer in animals and so might also harm people's health.

Acrylamide is produced naturally when starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures.
From the research available so far, it seems that boiling food doesn't produce acrylamide.
It isn't possible to stop acrylamide being produced or to remove it from foods once it has been produced. Therefore research is being carried out to find out how the levels of acrylamide produced in food can be reduced.

Cooking and storing potatoes

If you want to help reduce the amount of acrylamide in your diet, here is some advice on cooking and storing potatoes.
Potatoes should be kept somewhere cool and dry but not in the fridge. This is because putting potatoes in the fridge can increase the amount of sugar they contain, this could lead to higher acrylamide levels when the potatoes are roasted, baked or fried at high temperatures.
Additionally, research carried out by the Agency has shown that if you are making your own chips, they contain less acrylamide when they are cooked to a lighter colour than chips cooked to a darker colour. You can also reduce acrylamide levels by soaking potatoes in water for 30 minutes before frying them. But remember excess water should be dried off before putting the chips into hot oil. If you are using frozen chips, the levels of acylamide are lower when the cooking instructions on the packaging are followed.

Are home-cooked foods safer?

The Agency has carried out research including tests on pre-cooked, processed and packaged foods, plus chips that were prepared from potatoes and cooked by the researchers. High levels were found in the home-cooked foods and in the processed foods.

What is the Agency doing about acrylamide?

The Agency has carried out its own research, which confirmed the original findings of the scientists in Sweden who discovered acrylamide. The Agency has also played a significant role in contributing to European and international efforts to find out how acrylamide forms in food.
Although some studies have already been carried out, further research is needed to work out how best the issue might be resolved. As part of the international efforts to investigate acrylamide, the Agency is continuing to fund research.
The Agency's research includes projects investigating acrylamide in the UK diet, the effect of home cooking on acrylamide, how it is formed, and how levels can be reduced. The main aim is to minimise the amount of acrylamide present in food.

Are there any legal limits set for acrylamide?

There is no general limit set for acrylamide in food because levels of this sort of chemical should be kept as low as is reasonably practical. There is a legal limit set for acrylamide from plastics used in contact with food, such as packaging, so that acrylamide from this source should not be found in food at levels at or above 10 parts per billion.

More on food intolerance

If you think you have a food allergy or intolerance, it's important to get a proper diagnosis. Don't cut food groups out of your diet without medical advice, because you could miss out on important nutrients.

Click on a type of food allergy or intolerance on the right-hand side to find out more.

Food allergy and food intolerance are both a type of food sensitivity. When someone has a food allergy, their immune system reacts to a particular food as if it isn't safe. If someone has a severe food allergy, this can cause a life-threatening reaction. This means that people with food allergies, particularly peanut allergy, need to be extremely careful what they eat.
Food intolerance doesn't involve the immune system and is generally not life-threatening. But if someone eats a food they are intolerant to, this could make them feel ill or affect their long-term health.

Which foods cause food allergy?

In theory, any food can cause a food allergy. But in fact just a handful of foods are to blame for 90% of allergic reactions to food in the UK. They are:

celery
cereals containing gluten (including wheat, rye, barley and oats)
crustaceans (including crabs and prawns)
eggs
fish
lupin
milk
molluscs (such as mussels and oysters)
mustard
nuts (including Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts)
peanuts (groundnuts or monkey nuts)
sesame seeds
soya
sulphur dioxide or sulphites

Labelling rules mean that when any of these ingredients are intentionally added to pre-packed foods they must be listed on the label.
In adults, most allergic reactions are to peanuts, nuts, fish, shellfish and wheat.

Children and food allergy

In children, the most common allergic reactions to food are to:

eggs
milk
nuts
peanuts
soya
wheat

Usually children grow out of most types of food allergy in early childhood.

Pulses, nuts and seeds

Pulses include beans, lentils and peas. They are a low-fat source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals and they count as a portion of fruit and veg.

Nuts and seeds are a tasty source of protein and other nutrients.

What's a pulse?

A pulse is an edible seed that grows in a pod. Pulses are a great source of protein for vegetarians, but they are also a very healthy choice for meat-eaters.
Pulses include the whole range of beans, peas and lentils such as:

baked beans
red, green, yellow and brown lentils
black eyed peas
garden peas
runner beans
chickpeas
broad beans
kidney beans
butter beans

You can add pulses to soups, casseroles and meat sauces to add extra texture and flavour. This means you can use less meat, which makes the dish lower in fat and cheaper - important if you have a big family, are on a budget or catering for a large number.
Pulses also count as a starchy food and add fibre to your meal. The fibre found in pulses may help lower blood cholesterol so they are also good for your heart.
Pulses are a good source of iron, but try to have some food (such as peppers or dark green vegetables) or a drink rich in vitamin C (such as orange juice) with your meal because this might help you absorb the iron. The type of iron found in pulses is harder for the body to absorb compared to that found in meat.
And you should also avoid tea and coffee for half an hour after eating an iron-rich meal because these drinks might make it harder for the body to absorb iron.

Pulses and 5-a-day

Pulses count as one of the variety of at least five portions of fruit and veg we should be aiming to eat each day.
Three heaped tablespoons of pulses = one portion.
But pulses can only make up a maximum of one portion a day. This is because we need to eat a variety of fruit and veg to make sure we get all the important nutrients we need.

Buying pulses

Tinned pulses
Tinned pulses are very quick and easy to use because they have already been soaked and cooked so you only need to heat them up or add them straight to salads if you're using them cold.
Tinned baked beans are a healthy choice but they can be high in sugar and salt. So check the nutrition information on the label to help you choose those with less sugar and salt.
f you buy tinned lentils, beans or peas (or other vegetables), always try to choose those with no added salt and sugar if possible.

Dried pulses
Dried pulses need to be soaked and cooked before they are tender enough to use. Dried kidney beans and soya beans contain toxins so these need to be cooked properly before you can use them, check the information in Cooking and storing pulses.

Cooking and storing pulses

If you're cooking dried kidney beans or soya beans, check the advice below.
Many other types of dried pulses need to be soaked to make them easier to digest. Cooking times vary depending on the type of pulse and how old they are, so it's best to follow the instructions on the packet or in a recipe book.

Cooking kidney beans

If you buy dried kidney beans, it's important to cook them properly. This is because kidney beans contain a natural toxin (called lectin) that can cause stomach aches and vomiting. However, it's easy to destroy the toxin if you prepare the beans properly.
Follow these three steps to destroy the toxins:

1. soak the dried beans for at least 12 hours
2. drain and rinse the beans then cover them with fresh water
3. boil them vigorously for at least 10 minutes

Then you need to simmer the beans for approximately 45 to 60 minutes to make them tender.
If you buy tinned kidney beans, they have already been through this process so you can use them straight away.

Cooking soya beans

If you buy dried soya beans, it's also important to cook them properly. This is because the raw beans contain a natural toxin (which is called a 'trypsin inhibitor') that can stop you digesting food properly. However, it's easy to destroy the toxin if you prepare the beans properly.
Follow these three steps to destroy the toxins:

1. soak the dried beans for at least 12 hours
2. drain and rinse the beans then cover them with fresh water
3. boil them vigorously for 1 hour

Then you need to simmer the beans for approximately 2 to 3 hours to make them tender.
If you buy tinned soya beans, they have already been through this process so you can use them straight away.

Storing cooked pulses

If you cook pulses and you aren't going to eat them immediately, cool them as quickly as possible and then put them in the fridge or freeze them.
Don't leave pulses (or other cooked foods) out at room temperature for more than an hour or two, because this could allow bacteria to grow and multiply.
If you keep cooked pulses in the fridge, eat them within two days.
If you freeze them, it should be safe to keep them for a long time, providing they stay frozen. However, keeping food frozen for too long can affect its taste and texture, so it's a good idea to follow the freezer manufacturer's instructions about how long to store certain foods.

Nuts and seeds

Nuts
Nuts are high in fibre, rich in a wide range of vitamins and minerals and a good source of protein (which is important for vegetarians).
Nuts can be a good alternative to snacks high in saturated fat. They are a good source of monounsaturated fat, which can help reduce the amount of cholesterol in our blood. They also contain other unsaturated fats called 'essential fatty acids', which the body needs for good health.
However, nuts are also high in fat, so it's a good idea not to eat too many of them. And try to avoid salted nuts because they are very high in salt.

Seeds
There are many different types of seeds such as:

sunflower
pumpkin
sesame
poppy
flax

Seeds contain protein, fibre and vitamins and minerals. They also add extra texture and flavour to various dishes and can be used to coat breads.
They make a healthy snack and you could try adding them to salads, casseroles and breakfast cereals.
You can eat them raw, or try dry frying or dry roasting them in a frying pan or in a roasting tin without any oil.

Fruit and veg

Most people know that we should be eating more fruit and veg. But most of us aren't eating enough. Did you know that we should be eating at least five portions of fruit and veg every day?
You can choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced. But remember, while potatoes don't count towards your 5-a-day they do play an important role in your diet because they're a starchy food.

ONE portion = 80g = any of these
1 apple, banana, pear, orange or other similar sized fruit
2 plums or similar sized fruit
½ a grapefruit or avocado
1 slice of large fruit, such as melon or pineapple
3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables (raw, cooked, frozen or tinned)
3 heaped tablespoons of beans and pulses (however much you eat, beans and pulses count as a maximum of one portion a day)
3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad (fresh or tinned in fruit juice) or stewed fruit
1 heaped tablespoon of dried fruit (such as raisins and apricots)
1 handful of grapes, cherries or berries
a dessert bowl of salad
a glass (150ml) of fruit juice (however much you drink, fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day)

Getting your five portions a day

If you eat one or two portions with each meal and have the occasional fruit snack you might be surprised at how easy it is to eat five-a-day.
At breakfast you could:

add a handful of dried fruit to your cereal
eat half a grapefruit or an apple
drink a glass of fruit juice

At lunch you could:

eat a bowl of salad
have a banana sandwich
have some fruit salad

At your evening meal you could:

add vegetables or pulses to your curry, casserole or stir fry
serve at least two types of vegetables with your fish, chicken or meat

And don't forget, when you fancy a snack, reach for an apple, banana or perhaps even some dried fruit.

Getting the most out of fruit and veg

Some vitamins and minerals can be easily lost when fruit and veg are prepared or cooked, so try to remember:

eat fresh fruit and veg as soon as possible rather than storing for a long time - or use frozen instead
don't overcook. Start with boiling water and cover tightly to keep in the steam, because this speeds up the cooking. You could use a steamer or a microwave
use as little water as possible when you cook fruit and veg. If you use the cooking water for sauce or soup, you'll recapture some of the lost vitamins and minerals
avoid leaving any vegetables open to the air, light or heat if they have been cut. Always cover and chill them. But don't soak, because vitamins and minerals can dissolve away
don't keep food hot for too long because vitamin levels start to drop within a few minutes

Why it's important

Fruit and veg are good sources of many vitamins and minerals, yet most of us don't eat enough of them.
There is evidence to suggest that people who eat lots of fruit and veg are less likely to develop chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and some cancers.
And don't forget, fruit and veg are also very low in fat.

Recommendations

Eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables and aim for at least five portions a day. Try to avoid:

adding fat or rich sauces to vegetables (such as carrots glazed with butter)
adding sugar or syrupy dressings to fruit (such as stewed apple)

Checking the label

Checking the label and choosing foods that are lower in salt is one of the best ways to cut down. When most people think of salt, they think of shaking it on their food, or adding a pinch to cooking, but 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy. So even though it's important to try to get out of the habit of adding salt, we also need to be careful about the salt in everyday foods.
By looking at the salt content on the label you can:

compare similar products and find out which is lower in salt

find out if the food is high, medium or low in salt

work out how much salt will be in the portion you would eat

When you’re comparing the salt level of different food products, look at the nutritional information on the labels and make sure you’re comparing like with like. The easiest way is to check the figure for salt per 100g on both labels. Choose the one that is lower in salt – even if there is quite a small difference in salt content, choosing the lower one can help you cut down on salt, especially if it’s a food you eat a lot of.
If the label also tells you how much salt is in one serving or one slice, remember that the servings won’t always be the same size from brand to brand – and they may also not be the same amount you would eat.

How can I tell if a food is high in salt?

Here is a quick way to tell if a food is high in salt by looking at the nutritional information on the label.
Look at the figure for salt per 100g.
High is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)
If the amount of salt per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of salt.
Foods produced by some supermarkets and manufacturers have 'traffic light' colours on the front of the pack, which show you if a food is high (red), medium (amber) or low (green) in fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt. For a healthier choice try to pick products with more greens and ambers and fewer reds.

Find out more about traffic light labelling

How do I know how much salt is in a portion of food?

Look at the nutritional information on the label. If the label gives a figure for salt per 100g, all you have to do is work out how much salt is in the amount you will eat. So if you're eating 500g, you would multiply the figure for 100g by 5. Or use the calculator below to work it out.
The label might also tell you how much salt (or sodium) is in the whole pack or in part of the pack. Remember that the serving size listed on the label may not be the same as the amount you will eat and it may be different from brand to brand.
If you only have a figure for sodium, work out how much sodium is in the amount you will eat. And then multiply this by 2.5 to find the amount of salt. (See What’s the difference between sodium and salt? below.)

Salt calculator

How can I work out how much salt I’m eating?

It would be very difficult to calculate exactly how much salt you eat in a day, because you would need to know the salt content of each food and measure the exact quantities you eat.
But if you find out the amount of salt in a few of the foods you normally eat, then you'll see how easy it can be to eat more than 6g in one day. So if you eat a 200g ham sandwich that contains 1.6g salt per 100g, then that would be 3.2g salt, which is more than half of an adult’s daily maximum of 6g.

What’s the difference between sodium and salt?

Salt is also known as sodium chloride. So sodium is part of salt. Having too much sodium could increase your blood pressure.
Lots of food labels tell you how much salt is in 100g of the food. Sometimes they only give a figure for sodium, or they might give both.
Sodium x 2.5 = salt
If you know how much sodium is in a food, you can work out roughly the amount of salt it contains by multiplying the sodium by 2.5. So if a portion of food contains 1.2g sodium, then it contains about 3g salt. Or use the calculator below to work it out.

How much salt?

How much salt should we eat?

Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Children should have even less.
6g of salt is about a teaspoonful. But remember we’re not just talking about the salt you add to your food because most of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, pasta sauce and soups.

Babies need only a very small amount of salt – less than 1g (0.4g sodium) a day up to 12 months. Their kidneys can't cope with larger amounts of salt.
Babies who are breastfed will get the right amount of salt through breast milk. Infant formula contains a similar amount.
Once your baby is eating solid foods (after six months), remember not to add salt to food you make for your baby or give to him or her. And be careful not to give him/her foods that aren't made specifically for babies, such as breakfast cereals and pasta sauces, because these can be high in salt.

Find out more about feeding your baby

How much salt should children have?

Children under 11 years old should have less salt than adults, because they are smaller.
The daily recommended maximum for children depends on their age:

1 to 3 years – 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium)
4 to 6 years – 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium)
7 to 10 years – 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
11 and over – 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium)

Remember these are maximums for children. It’s better for them to have less.
When you're buying foods, even those aimed at children, remember to check the information given on the labels so you can choose the ones lower in salt.
Remember there is no need to add salt to your child's food.
If children have too much salt, this could affect their health in the future. And it could also give them a taste for salty food, which means they're more likely to continue eating too much salt when they grow up.

Children

Why cut down on salt?

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which triples your risk of developing heart disease or stroke.
And since many people in the UK eat too much salt, that means that lots of people would benefit from cutting down. These are some of the benefits:

Cutting down on salt reduces blood pressure, whether or not your blood pressure is high to start with.

When your blood pressure goes down, your risk of developing heart disease and stroke goes down too, whatever your age.

If you have high blood pressure, cutting down on salt could lower your blood pressure after four weeks. Try to make this a permanent change to carry on seeing the positive effects.

You may start to notice a wider range of flavours in food, as your taste buds adjust to having less salt.

Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Reducing the UK’s average daily salt intake for adults to 6g could prevent about 17,500 premature deaths a year.

It's possible to develop high blood pressure at any age. In England and Scotland about a third of people have high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
It's sometimes called the 'silent killer', because most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms and don't realise they have it.
People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure. And they are twice as likely to die from these diseases.
In the animation below, nutritionist Sam Montel explains how too much salt can raise your blood pressure and damage your body. Turn up the volume if you want to hear her commentary, or alternatively you can read the text that goes with each scene.
After each scene, click on the next number to continue. You can replay any scene by clicking on it again.

Watch how too much salt damages your body

Heart disease and stroke

Coronary heart disease is the most common cause of death in the UK, with about 94,000 people dying each year.
Stroke is the third biggest killer and a leading cause of severe disability in the UK. More than 250,000 people live with disabilities caused by stroke.
In 2006, about 55,000 deaths in the UK were caused by stroke.

You can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by cutting down on salt, eating a healthy diet, being active and maintaining a healthy weight.

Healthy heart

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

Salt tips and myths

There are lots of simple ways to reduce the amount of salt you eat, whether you're eating at home or eating out. Take a look at our salt tips to see what you can do. There are many myths about salt and sometimes these can stop people trying to cut down, so test your knowledge by checking out our salt myths.

Compare the labels on different types of bread and choose the ones lower in salt. Supermarket own-label bread is often lower.
Go for reduced-salt back bacon in your bacon sandwich. And try adding some slices of tomato instead of ketchup.
Switch to breakfast cereals with no added salt, such as shredded wholegrain wheat cereals, some muesli or home-made porridge. Or compare the labels on your favourite cereals and choose the ones lower in salt.
Go for tinned veg and pulses without added salt.
Watch out for the salt content in bought pasta sauces – compare the labels and choose the one that is lower in salt. Often tomato-based sauces are lower than cheesy sauces or those containing olives, bacon or ham.
For healthier snacks try to choose fruit or vegetables like carrot or celery sticks, a teacake or a fruit bun. If you are going to have crisps or crackers, check the label and choose the ones lower in salt.
Go easy with soy sauce, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise – these can all be high in salt.
Try having just a small amount of smoked foods such as smoked meat and fish, or eat them less often, because these can be high in salt.
Compare the labels on different ketchups and choose the one lower in salt –own-label ketchup is often lower. Or try to use less.
Try not to add salt automatically when you're cooking or about to eat. Often people only use salt out of habit.

Cooking

There are lots of ways to add flavour to your cooking without using any salt.

Add fresh herbs to pasta dishes, vegetables and meat.
Marinate meat and fish in advance to give them more flavour.
Use garlic, ginger, chilli and lime in stir fries.
Add a little red wine to stews and casseroles, and white wine to risottos and sauces for chicken.
Make your own stock and gravy, instead of using cubes or granules, or look out for reduced-salt products.
Try roasting vegetables such as red peppers, tomatoes, courgettes, fennel, parsnips and squash to bring out their flavour.
Squeeze lemon juice onto fish or seafood.
Try using different types of onion – brown, red, white, spring onions, shallots.
Make sauces using ripe flavourful tomatoes and garlic.
Use black pepper as seasoning on pasta, scrambled egg, tomatoes etc. instead of salt.

Eating out

If you're eating in a restaurant or café, or ordering a takeaway, you can still eat less salt by making some smart choices.

When you order a pizza, choose vegetable or chicken toppings instead of pepperoni, bacon, or extra cheese.
If you’re having a pasta dish, choose one with a sauce based on tomatoes, vegetables or chicken, rather than bacon, cheese or sausage.
At the sandwich bar, go for fillings such as chicken, egg, mozzarella, or vegetables such as avocado or roasted peppers, instead of ham or Cheddar cheese. And try having salad and low-fat mayonnaise instead of pickle or mustard, which are usually higher in salt.
If you're having a Chinese or Indian meal, go for plain rice because this is lower in salt than egg-fried rice or pilau rice.
At the fish and chip shop, ask for your food without salt, then add it yourself to taste, and maybe try having a little less – you can still have plenty of vinegar.
Instead of a full English breakfast, go for a poached egg on toast with mushrooms and grilled tomatoes, or have just bacon or a sausage.
Ask for salad dressings or sauces on the side, so you only have as much as you need. Some dressings and sauces can be high in salt, as well as fat.
Taste your food before adding salt automatically – the chef will have seasoned the dish already, so you shouldn't need to add more.
If you’re having a burger, try having it with just some salad in the bun and avoid toppings that can be high in salt, such as bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce.

Salt myths

I can't be eating too much salt because I don't add it to my food – FALSE
About 75% of the salt we eat comes from everyday foods such as bread, some breakfast cereals, soups, sauces and sausages – so it’s easy to eat too much salt without adding any yourself.
Food has no flavour without salt – FALSE
If you're used to foods that are high in salt, or adding lots of salt to your food, you could miss it when you first cut down. This is because our taste buds get used to high levels of salt. So, at first, you could find some foods bland without it.
But our taste buds can get used to eating less salt in about eight weeks and after that you're more likely to enjoy food with less salt, or no salt at all. Salt can hide subtle flavours, so you might prefer some foods with less salt, once your taste buds have had time to adjust.
You can tell what foods are high in salt because they taste salty – FALSE
Some foods that are high in salt don't taste very salty. Sometimes this is because they have lots of sugar in them as well, for example some breakfast cereals.
Also, our taste buds get used to high levels of salt, so you might not notice the saltiness of some foods. When people get used to eating less salt their taste buds become more sensitive. So sometimes when they eat a food they used to eat all the time, they are surprised to find how salty it tastes.
Only old people need to worry about how much salt they eat – FALSE
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure at any age. It's true that you have less chance of developing heart disease or stroke in your 20s or 30s than when you're older. But if you have high blood pressure when you're young, you're still at greater risk than someone the same age with normal blood pressure.
Sea salt is better for you than table salt – FALSE
It doesn’t matter how expensive salt is, where it’s from, or whether it comes in grains, crystals or flakes – it all contains sodium and it’s the sodium in salt that can raise your blood pressure if you have too much.
ou need more salt in hot climates because you sweat so much – FALSE
We only lose a small amount of salt through sweat, even in extremely hot places. So there’s no need to eat more salt during hot weather. But it’s important to drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated.
If I cut down on salt my body won't have enough – FALSE
It's actually very difficult to eat too little salt. This is because it's in so many everyday foods, such as breakfast cereals, bread, soups, sauces and ketchup. And people in some countries survive on a fraction of the amount of salt eaten by people in the UK.
I’d know if I had high blood pressure – FALSE
Many people with high blood pressure have no symptoms, so you can’t assume that your blood pressure is normal if you haven’t had it tested. One in four people in the UK have high blood pressure and many of those don’t realise they have it.

Summer salads

In the summer there are lots of nutritious and tasty salad ingredients to choose from. So for a delicious, healthy choice why not mix up some super salads?
It's also important to eat plenty of fruit and veg, including salads, because this can help prevent heart disease and some types of cancer, as well as being good for general health. We should all be trying to eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. A dessert bowl of salad is one portion and if you have a big mixed salad with lots of veg, this could count as more than one.

The Spanish carried tomato plants back to Europe, but it took some time for them to be accepted in Spain because it was thought that they were poisonous. Tomatoes make fantastic salads, either on their own with a simple dressing, or mixed with other ingredients. Cherry tomatoes are also delicious roasted in the oven and served warm in a salad.

Nutrition
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and they contain vitamins A and B, potassium, iron and phosphorus. They also contain a substance called lycopene, which is the pigment that makes tomatoes red. Research suggests that lycopene may help to protect against some diseases, including cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer, such as prostate cancer.

Serving suggestion
Mango, tomato and red onion with a spicy dressing.

Lettuce

Lettuce has been around for thousands of years and not just in the kitchen. In ancient Egypt, lettuce was sacred to the fertility god Min and considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac. But the ancient Greeks and Romans thought it helped you to have a good night's sleep.
Today, there are literally hundreds of different varieties of lettuce grown throughout the world. Summer is the perfect time to tuck into British-grown varieties such as cos, Webb's, iceberg and little gem.
Or try loose-leafed lettuces such as lollo rosso or oak leaf. These have a fuller flavour and deeper colour than round lettuces.

Nutrition
All types of lettuce are low in calories and most of them contain vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin C, folate and antioxidant nutrients called carotenoids. The darker varieties tend to contain the most nutrients.

Serving suggestion
Rocket, pear slices and pecan nuts.

Cucumber

The cucumber is another terrific salad vegetable, which people have cultivated for thousands of years. Although cucumbers are available all the year round, the peak crop is from May to August.

Nutrition
Like many other salad vegetables, cucumber is very low in calories. It's mainly made up of water, which means it's refreshing to eat in hot weather. It also contains small amounts of calcium, phosphorous and potassium.

Serving suggestion
A classic Greek salad with chunks of cucumber, tomato, feta cheese and black olives.

Avocados

Avocados are classified as fruit, but they are usually eaten in savoury meals. They make delicious salads and go especially well with smoked fish and seafood.

Nutrition
Avocados contain lots of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, potassium and vitamin B6. They are also high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which can help to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. So, avocados are a healthy choice, but because they contain more fat than most fruit and veg, try not to eat them too often. Half an avocado counts as one portion of fruit and veg.

Serving suggestion
Slices of avocado and tomato, prawns and lettuce leaves.

Other ideas

Try adding some fruit to salads for a tasty combination of sweet and savoury. Mix baby spinach leaves with thin slices of orange and some pine nuts. Liven up plain salad leaves by adding slices of fresh fig or pear, walnuts and some crumbled blue cheese. Or try making a salad with grated carrots, raisins and orange segments.
You can also make some great dressings at home. To start with, try a vinaigrette. Mix some red wine vinegar, mustard and chopped shallots in a small bowl, then add some olive oil. To spice up a basic dressing, try adding ground cumin, caraway seeds or paprika.
Fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, tarragon, chives, chervil and basil can add terrific flavour to dressings.
Go easy with the mayonnaise and ready-made salads that are coated in mayo (such as coleslaw), because these are high in fat. Try using low-fat plain yoghurt instead.

8 tips for eating well

These practical tips can help you make healthier choices. The two keys to a healthy diet are eating the right amount of food for how active you are and eating a range of foods to make sure you're getting a balanced diet.
A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of types of food, including lots of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals; some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils; and some milk and dairy foods.

1. Base your meals on starchy foods

Starchy foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes are a really important part of a healthy diet. Try to choose wholegrain varieties of starchy foods whenever you can.
Starchy foods should make up about a third of the food we eat. They are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet. As well as starch, these foods contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.
Most of us should eat more starchy foods - try to include at least one starchy food with each of your main meals. So you could start the day with a wholegrain breakfast cereal, have a sandwich for lunch, and potatoes, pasta or rice with your evening meal.
Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram they contain less than half the calories of fat. You just need to watch the fats you add when cooking and serving these foods, because this is what increases the calorie content.

Why choose wholegrain foods?

Wholegrain foods contain more fibre and other nutrients than white or refined starchy foods.
We also digest wholegrain foods more slowly so they can help make us feel full for longer.
Wholegrain foods include:

Wholemeal and wholegrain bread, pitta and chapatti
Wholewheat pasta and brown rice
Wholegrain breakfast cereals

2. Eat lots of fruit and veg

Most people know we should be eating more fruit and veg. But most of us still aren't eating enough.
Try to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. It might be easier than you think.
You could try adding up your portions during the day.
For example, you could have:

a glass of juice and a sliced banana with your cereal at breakfast
a side salad at lunch
a pear as an afternoon snack
a portion of peas or other vegetables with your evening meal

You can choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced, but remember potatoes count as a starchy food, not as portions of fruit and veg.

More on fruit and veg including a portion guide

3. Eat more fish

Most of us should be eating more fish - including a portion of oily fish each week. It's an excellent source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals.
Aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including a portion of oily fish. You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned - but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

What are oily fish?

Some fish are called oily fish because they are rich in certain types of fats, called omega 3 fatty acids, which can help keep our hearts healthy.

How much oily fish?

Although most of us should be eating more oily fish, women who might have a baby one day should have a maximum of 2 portions of oily fish a week (a portion is about 140g). And 4 is the recommended maximum number of portions for other adults.
Examples of oily fish
Salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines, pilchards, eel
Examples of white or non-oily fish
Haddock, plaice, coley, cod, tinned tuna, skate, hake
Shark, swordfish and marlin
Don't have more than one portion a week of these types of fish. This is because of the high levels of mercury in these fish.
Anyone who regularly eats a lot of fish should try to choose as wide a variety as possible. Eating a wider variety of fish and shellfish will also help reduce the environmental impact.
For more information on fish and for advice - including recommended limits - for children, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying for a baby, see the link below.

4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

Fats

To stay healthy we need some fat in our diets. What is important is the kind of fat we are eating. There are two main types of fat:

saturated fat - having too much can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the chance of developing heart disease
unsaturated fat - having unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat lowers blood cholesterol

Try to cut down on food that is high in saturated fat and have foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead, such as vegetable oils (including sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil), oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Foods high in saturated fat

Try to eat these sorts of foods less often or in small amounts:

meat pies, sausages, meat with visible white fat
hard cheese
butter and lard
pastry
cakes and biscuits
cream, soured cream and crème fraîche
coconut oil, coconut cream or palm oil

For a healthy choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or a reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. And when you are having meat, try to choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat.

How do I know if a food is high in fat?

Look at the label to see how much fat a food contains. Generally the label will say how many grams (g) of fat there are in 100g of the food.
Some foods also give a figure for saturated fat, or 'saturates'.
Use the following as a guide to work out if a food is high or low in fat.
Total fat - what's high and what's low?
High is more than 20g fat per 100g
Low is 3g fat or less per 100g
If the amount of fat per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of fat.
Saturated fat - what's high and what's low?
High is more than 5g saturates per 100g
Low is 1.5g saturates or less per 100g
If the amount of saturates per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of saturated fat.
Remember that the amount you eat of a particular food affects how much fat you will get from it.
Try to choose more foods that are low in fat and cut down on foods that are high in fat.

Sugar

Most people in the UK are eating too much sugar. We should all be trying to eat fewer foods containing added sugar, such as sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drinking fewer sugary soft and fizzy drinks.
Having sugary foods and drinks too often can cause tooth decay, especially if you have them between meals. Many foods that contain added sugar can also be high in calories so cutting down could help you control your weight.

How do I know if a food is high in added sugar?

Take a look at the label. The ingredients list always starts with the biggest ingredient first.
But watch out for other words used to describe added sugars, such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch and invert sugar, corn syrup and honey. If you see one of these near the top of the list, you know the food is likely to be high in added sugars.
Another way to get an idea of how much sugar is in a food is to have a look for the 'Carbohydrates (of which sugars)' figure on the label. But this figure can't tell you how much is from added sugars, which is the type we should try to cut down on.
High is more than 15g sugars per 100g
Low is 5g sugars or less per 100g
If the amount of sugars per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of sugars.
Remember that the amount you eat of a particular food affects how much sugars you will get from it.
Sometimes you will only see a figure for total 'Carbohydrates', not for 'Carbohydrates (of which sugars)', which means the figure also includes the carbohydrate from starchy foods.

5. Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day

Lots of people think they don't eat much salt, especially if they don't add it to their food. But don't be so sure!
Every day in the UK, 85% men and 69% women eat too much salt. Adults - and children over 11 - should have no more than 6g salt a day. Younger children should have even less.
Three-quarters (75%) of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, sauces and ready meals. So you could easily be eating too much salt without realising it.
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. And people with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure.

How do I know if a food is high in salt?

Check the label to find out the figure for salt per 100g.
High is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)
If the amount of salt per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of salt.
Remember that the amount you eat of a particular food affects how much salt you will get from it.

6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight

It's not a good idea to be either underweight or overweight. Being overweight can lead to health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Being underweight could also affect your health.
Check if you are the right weight for your height using the link below.
If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice. But if you think you just need to lose a little weight, the main things to remember are:

only eat as much food as you need
make healthy choices - it's a good idea to choose low-fat and low-sugar varieties, eat plenty of fruit and veg and wholegrains
get more active

It's also important to eat a variety of types of food so you get all the nutrients your body needs.
Physical activity is a good way of using up extra calories, and helps control our weight. But this doesn't mean you need to join a gym.
Just try to get active every day and build up the amount you do. For example, you could try to fit in as much walking as you can into your daily routine. Try to walk at a good pace.
Whenever we eat more than our body needs, we put on weight. This is because we store any energy we don't use up - usually as fat. Even small amounts of extra energy each day can lead to weight gain.
But crash diets aren't good for your health and they don't work in the longer term. The way to reach a healthy weight - and stay there - is to change your lifestyle gradually. Aim to lose about 0.5 to 1kg (about 1 to 2lbs) a week, until you reach a healthy weight for your height.

7. Drink plenty of water

We should be drinking about 6 to 8 glasses (1.2 litres) of water, or other fluids, every day to stop us getting dehydrated.
When the weather is warm or when we get active, our bodies need more than this. But avoid drinking soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugar.

Alcohol

There is nothing wrong with the occasional drink. But drinking too much can cause problems. Alcohol is also high in calories, so cutting down could help you control your weight.
Women can drink up to 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day and men up to 3 to 4 units a day, without significant risk to their health.
A unit is half a pint of standard strength (3 to 5% ABV) beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirit. A glass of wine is about 2 units and alcopops are about 1.5 units.
For good health, it's a good idea to spread your drinking throughout the week and avoid binge drinking. Drinking heavily over a long period of time can damage the liver.

8. Don't skip breakfast

Breakfast can help give us the energy we need to face the day, as well as some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health.
Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight. But missing meals doesn't help us lose weight and it isn't good for us, because we can miss out on essential nutrients.
There is some evidence to suggest that eating breakfast can actually help people control their weight.
So why not go for a bowl of wholegrain cereal with some low-fat milk and sliced banana and a glass of fruit juice for a healthy start to the day?

Check out our Nutrition Essentials section

May 1, 2011

On this page

Acrylamide is produced naturally

Cooking and storing potatoes

Are home-cooked foods safer?

What is the Agency doing about acrylamide?

Are there any legal limits set for acrylamide?

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What's the difference between allergy and intolerance?

Which foods cause food allergy?

Children and food allergy

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What's a pulse?

Pulses and 5-a-day

Buying pulses

Cooking and storing pulses

Cooking kidney beans

Cooking soya beans

Storing cooked pulses

Nuts and seeds

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How much fruit and veg should I be eating?

Getting your five portions a day

Getting the most out of fruit and veg

Why it's important

Recommendations

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How can I compare the salt content of different foods?

How can I tell if a food is high in salt?

How do I know how much salt is in a portion of food?

Salt calculator

Enter the amount of salt per 100g:

Enter the weight of the serving (g):

This is Low

How can I work out how much salt I’m eating?

What’s the difference between sodium and salt?

On this page

How much salt should babies have?

How much salt should children have?

On this page

Blood pressure

Heart disease and stroke

On this page

Eating at home

Cooking

Eating out

Salt myths

On this page

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Cucumber

Avocados

Other ideas

On this page

1. Base your meals on starchy foods

Why choose wholegrain foods?

2. Eat lots of fruit and veg

3. Eat more fish

What are oily fish?

How much oily fish?

4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

Fats

Foods high in saturated fat

How do I know if a food is high in fat?

Sugar

How do I know if a food is high in added sugar?

5. Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day

How do I know if a food is high in salt?

6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight

7. Drink plenty of water

Alcohol

8. Don't skip breakfast

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