Excess salt (sodium chloride) in your diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.
Do not add extra salt to food on the table - use a salt substitute.
Use little or no added salt when cooking. Food without added salt contains all the sodium you need.
If you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, check with your doctor or chemist before using a salt substitute. Some contain potassium chloride, which maybe unsuitable.
Beware of tinned or dehydrated soups, almost all of which are heavily dosed with salt. Instead, make your own chicken, beef, vegetable or fish stock and freeze it for use in soups. A few cups of stock that have been boiled down to a concentrate and then frozen in an ice cube tray make handy stock cubes.
Substitute lemon juice, vinegar, wine, aromatic bitters, herbs and spices for salt (dill and parsley, especially, have a vaguely 'salty' flavour). Experiment with your own herbal blends in the kitchen as well as at the table. Throw out salt cellars and use pepper mills to grind whole mustard seeds or black pepper-corns over soups and salads.
