How To Reduce The Amount Of Salt You Eat: Use This New App While Grocery Shopping
How To Reduce The Amount Of Salt You Eat
PA/The Huffington Post UK
A new app has been launched to improve our health by helping us cut the hidden salt inside shoppers' food baskets.
The SaltSwitch app allows users to scan the barcodes of food products and provides details of any less salty, healthier alternatives, campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) said.
The group said it wants to highlight "the shocking and unnecessary levels of salt hidden inside our weekly shopping baskets....in a bid to help UK consumers reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke".
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The free app allows users to scan the barcode of nearly 90,000 packaged foods sold across major UK supermarkets using their smartphone camera. They receive instant colour-coded nutritional information about the product along with details of any similar products with less salt content.
CASH campaign director Katharine Jenner said: "SaltSwitch is not about telling people to stop or avoid certain foods but rather highlighting differences in products. This makes it easier than ever to switch to less salty, and therefore healthier, food choices in your weekly shop.
"Salt puts up our blood pressure, and as a result, thousands of people die unnecessarily each year from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure."
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14 Strange Uses For Salt
Prevent Fruits And Vegetables From Browning(01 of14)
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Drop fruits and veggies into lightly salted water while you're cooking to prevent them from browning. Classic example: when you're peeling a million potatoes at Thanksgiving to make an epic batch of mashed potatoes, keep a bucket of salt water next to you for freshly peeled spuds so you can drop them in and they'll retain their coloring. (credit:Getty Images)
Exfoliant And Deodorizer(02 of14)
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Salt is a great skin exfoliant (take it from someone who used to work at a spa), which is why sea salt scrubs are all the rage these days. It's also a fantastic deodorizer. If you have stinky hands or tired, callused feet, rub them with a little salt to lift off the top layer of dead skin and leave fresh, smooth skin behind. You can add some drops of essential oil for a little extra something; lemon is very energizing, for example, while lavender is calming. (credit:Flickr:Steve A Johnson)
Relieve The Itchies(03 of14)
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Bee stings, mosquito bites, and more...they all itch, and leave you feeling mighty uncomfortable. Soak a cloth in saltwater and apply it as a compress to keep your skin cool and relieve the irritation. (credit:Getty Images)
Oral Care(04 of14)
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Salt and baking soda can be combined in an organic toothpaste, and you can also gargle with saltwater to relieve sores and keep your mouth feeling fresh. (credit:Flickr:decafeined)
Fire Management(05 of14)
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Keep salt (or baking soda) close to the stove for extinguishing grease fires. Both will smother the fire, depriving it of oxygen and putting it out -- remember to never put water on a grease fire, because that will cause it to spatter and spread. You can also use salt to tone down a barbecue or bonfire without making a mess and a lot of smoke. (credit:Flickr:Jamie McCaffrey)
Scrubber(06 of14)
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Remember how salt is a good exfoliant? It also works great on hard water stains in the bathroom and kitchen sink, pots with stubborn stains, plates, and more. A little salt and water paste and some elbow grease can go a long way when it comes to buffing away grease, stains, and burned-on debris (like that sugary goo that oozed over into the bottom tray of the oven the last time you baked a pie). You'd be amazed by the number of things you can clean with salt. (credit:Flickr:Donna & Andrew)
Stain Remover(07 of14)
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Salt is a fantastic stain remover; soak or dab stained fabrics (including rugs and drapes) in cold saltwater to pull out stains like wine and blood. It can also remove sweatstains and the lingering odor of sweat in workout clothes; add salt to your detergent to keep your clothes fresh and bright (and, incidentally, cut down on suds, which can be a particular problem if you have hard water). (credit:Getty Images)
Sink Odors(08 of14)
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Got a stinky drain? Pour a saltwater mixture down it to eliminate some of those bad smells, and for bonus points, use boiling water to scour the drain out. Of course, if the problem persists, you'll need to get on the horn to a plumber. (credit:Flickr:spierzchala)
Remove Watermarks(09 of14)
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White rings on wooden furniture from hot dishes and drinks people set down without coasters are awful. But if you make a salt and water paste, you can buff them away, and follow with furniture polish to restore the finish. (credit:Flickr:Victor Bezrukov)
A New Lease On Life For Sponges(10 of14)
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Sponges get unpleasant with use, and if you have one that's about to give up the ghost, try one last-ditch resuscitation attempt: soak it in saltwater overnight. Wring it out in the morning and see if it feels (and smells) fresher and cleaner. (credit:Flickr:jfeuchter)
Deicer(11 of14)
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One of the most traditional uses for salt! Salt lowers the freezing point of water, so it can be useful for preventing ice formation or breaking down ice more quickly on windshields, sidewalks, and more. Be careful, though: too much salt can contaminate the soil and cause problems for plants, which is one reason why many cities and Minneapolis landscaping crews (as well as those in other places where winters are icy) have switched to sand for deicing rather than rock salt. (credit:Flickr:My Daily Sublime)
Cheese Storage(12 of14)
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Soak a napkin in saltwater and wrap it around your cheese to prevent mold. It's a technique used by cheesemakers the world over, so we figure they probably know what they're doing! (credit:Flickr:Alaskan Dude)
Set Colors(13 of14)
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You just brought home vibrant new towels, sheets, or other textiles. Add 1/4 cup of salt to the first couple of washes to set the color so they won't bleed out and get dull with repeated washings. (Bonus: they also won't bleed all over everything else in the washer.) (credit:Flickr:Camp Pinewood YMCA)
Clean Your Iron(14 of14)
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Irons can get smudged and dirty with time, which means you'll be transferring stains every time you iron clothes, tableclothes, and other fabrics. Change all that with salt. Pour out salt onto some paper, and run your iron over it while it's nice and warm. The salt will lift the stains, leaving the iron sparkling clean.Got more uses for salt? Tell us about them! (credit:Flickr:cookipediachef)
Nutritionist Sonia Pombo said: "It is hard to know how much salt we are really eating. Identical looking products can contain hugely different amounts of salt.
"Looking at the labels can help you make healthier choices for you and your family. SaltSwitch uses the new voluntary front of pack labelling scheme which is being rolled out this year so it is a great tool to use to get to grips with what the labels mean."
The app has been been funded by the George Institute for Global Health and is being launched to coincide with National Salt Awareness Week.
The average daily salt intake in the UK is 8.1 grams - higher than the recommended maximum of 6g per day.
CASH said the weekly food shop of a typical student aged 18 to 22 could contain 58g of salt, according to its analysis of popular foods among different age groups from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS).
Meanwhile, the food basket of a mother in her 30s can contain up to 64g of salt - the equivalent of 128 bags of crisps, CASH claimed.
Switching food products to lower salt options could cut their salt intake by 62% and 72% per week respectively, the group said.
A high salt diet is linked to a number of serious health conditions such as stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney disease.
According to CASH, the Department of Health estimates that reducing salt intakes by just 1g would save 4,147 preventable deaths and £288 million to the NHS every year.