Use less salt across the day
Lower sodium intake helps lower blood pressure and cardiovascular risk.
The number, drawn
Why it matters
Excess sodium raises blood pressure, which damages blood vessels over time. WHO's current adult target is less than 5 g of salt per day, counting salt already in food. Reducing salty sauces and packaged foods often matters more than removing the salt shaker.
How to do it
- Compare salt or sodium labels on similar foods.
- Use herbs, spices, garlic or lemon to flavor meals.
- Choose lower salt stock, sauces and canned foods.
- Taste food before adding salt and reduce added salt gradually.
Potassium based salt substitutes need clinical advice if you have kidney disease or take medicines that raise potassium.
Do it
Pick the time you have. Anything beats nothing.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Name the salty sauce you use most and pick its replacement for your next meal: lemon, garlic, pepper or herbs.
5 minutes
Compare the salt content of two similar foods per 100 g, using packets or online labels; choose the lower salt option.
15 minutes
Check your usual bread, sauce and stock labels. Put one lower salt replacement on your next shopping list.
30 minutes
Prepare a familiar meal with herbs, garlic or lemon in place of some salty sauce; taste before adding salt.
A plan
Reduce salt without losing flavor
- Week 1: Replace one frequently used sauce or stock with a lower salt version.
- Week 2: Taste meals before salting and try a herb or spice you like.
- Week 3: Check another staple, then keep the changes that work.
In real life
- Flavor vegetables with garlic and lemon instead of a salty stock cube.
- Choose canned beans in water instead of brine.
- Compare two sauces and choose the one with less salt per 100 g.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeDo not count only salt you add: check bread, sauces and ready meals too.
- Common mistakeDo not automatically use potassium salt substitutes: ask a clinician first if you have kidney disease or take relevant medicines.
Trusted guides
In Germany
In Germany, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) gives an orientation value of up to 6 g of salt a day, about one teaspoon.
In the Netherlands, the Health Council advises adults to eat no more than 6 g of salt a day.
Voedingscentrum checked
Check usSources
- Evidence grade
- A Meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus.
- Basis
- WHO sodium reduction guidance and NIH dietary recommendations
- The number
- Less than 5 g of salt daily from all sources (WHO, 2026)
- Outcome
- adult total salt intake, stay below this amount
- Comparison
- WHO guidance, including salt already in food
- Tier 1 guidelineSodium reductionWHO, 2026
- Tier 1 guidelineHeart Healthy Living: Choose Heart Healthy FoodsNIH NHLBI, 2025
- Tier 1 guidelineHealthy dietWHO, 2026
General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.