Carley Grimes
is a Senior Lecturer in Population Nutrition in the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Deakin University. Her research focuses on dietary salt intake and cardiovascular health.
Location Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
Activity
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Hi Kristy, I have provided relevant links below in response to Heather Bridgman which you may find useful.
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Hi Alison, yes baking your own bread is one way to control how much salt is added. Of course this is not practical for everyone to do. But certainly if it works for you a great idea to try. The process of learning to bake a loaf of bread can be quite an enjoyable experience.
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Yes, I agree with Jaenelle here. I don't doubt there are many claims available on the internet for health properties of certain salts, however there is no robust scientific evidence to support such claims. A lot of this is marketing. You can get the other beneficial minerals like potassium and magnesium found in these types of salts just by eating healthy...
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Hi Bernie,
To clarify at about 6 months of age solid foods should be introduced to the diet, while the baby is still ideally also being breastfed. It is important that first foods introduced are rich in iron. When parents are introducing complementary foods, the message for salt is that as a strategy you can use a food label to find those which have less... -
Yes, I agree Carmen. See my response below to Roxana for further discussion on this.
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Hi Heather,
Our food based guidelines i.e. Australian Dietary Guidelines can be found here
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines-publications/n55
Recommendations here include limiting foods with added salt. Further advice includes checking food labels to find lower sodium options and to avoid adding salt at the table or during cooking.Our nutrient...
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Hi Roxana, yes I agree the current food supply in many parts of the world can present additional challenges to eating a healthy diet. In Brazil, their most recent version of dietary guidelines acknowledge this and have shifted to grouping foods as ultra-processed, processed and natural/minimally processed. People are encouraged to eat mostly...
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Hi there, yes many people are often surprised to learn of the contribution of cheese and bread to salt in our diets. As you note though cheese is an important source of calcium and bread, particularly whole grain options, is a good source of fibre and nutrients. Hence for these foods the focus really is on public health strategies that seek to work with the...
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Hi Jessica, yes savoury sauces and condiments like sauces, mustard, mayo and so forth which you mention are often packed with salt. Some of these products are often available as 'salt reduced' and this is on the front of the label so can be helpful when shopping. Better yet, some savoury sauce options (like pasta simmer sauces and curry pastes) can be made at...
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Yes, breast milk has a low level of sodium. if a baby is exclusively breast feed for the first 6 months of life as per recommendations they will get all the sodium they need from breast milk.
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Thanks Emma, great overview of what is happening in the UK and tips on how to convert between salt and sodium. Just to note in Australia on food labels sodium is listed in mg. Hence to convert to salt one needs to divide sodium (mg) / 1000 then multiply by 2.5.
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Hi Ammar, what country are you from? Certainly salt reduction strategies are not occurring everywhere but there is momentum in this space. The World Health Organization has included population salt reduction as one its 9 targets to reduce non-communicable diseases by 2025, a 30% reduction target has been set with the aim of intakes of 5 g/d. Many member states...
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Hi Jessica, good point on limiting the amount of salt and sugar added to processed foods as a strategy. In Australia, we have previously had voluntary targets for the maximum level of sodium permitted in 9 different food categories (e.g. bread, processed meat). These targets are currently under review again under the federal government Healthy Food...
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Thanks Lauren. Yes, as a general rule of thumb going to fresh food options will help to cut back on sodium in the diet. You're right cheese is a nutrient dense food, and is an important source of calcium which is important in children's diets. There is a lot of variation in the amount of salt added to cheese so if the label is checked a better option can...
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Carley Grimes made a comment
Hi all, great discussion regarding differences in sodium guidelines for infants and children between countries along with some practical measures that people do to cut back on salt in the context of their own cultural dietary pattern.
A common theme has been the discussion regarding the contribution of salt from bread and cheese. As highlighted in the...
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Hi Allison, I agree having limits on the amount of salt added to processed foods is a good idea. Some work on this has progressed in Australia, with some companies making commitments to reduce the amount of salt in processed foods but there is still a lot more that can be done. The UK is a great example, whereby voluntary targets for the amount of salt...
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Hi Vicky, thanks for this. Yes, in the UK a lot of work is currently underway targeting sugar in the food supply. Just to note the UK has also lead the way on reducing the amount of salt added to many packaged foods. This process was initiated by the Food Standards Agency in 2000. The salt reduction program included a consumer awareness campaign, which Sid...
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Thanks Shenae for highlighting those recommendations. You are right, those types of food can add salt to children's diets. In school aged children our previous research has shown that savoury sauces/condiments (which includes gravy) account for about 8% of total daily salt intake, snack foods account for about 4% and vegemite about 1-2% . I agree swapping to...
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Thanks for this insight into salt habits in Bangladesh Sirajul. Yes, the WHO recommends that adults eat no more than 5 grams of salt / day. It is recommended that for children this value be adjusted downwards in line with energy requirements. You can find more information on these guidelines...
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Thanks Alison. Yes the eat for health website is where the Australian Dietary Guidelines are found and provides information on what types of foods to eat for a healthy dietary pattern, along with the recommendations you mention for salt. In Australia, there are also nutrient reference values set by the National Health and Medical Research Council. This...
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Hi Alison, yes picking the salt reduced varieties or adjusting the amount added is a great idea for stock. You make a great point about settings that children attend as important avenues to explore salt reduction strategies. Our research team has recently completed some work in long day care centres based in Geelong, Victoria where we have assessed the amount...
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Thanks Lucy. In Australia, under our food regulator (Food Standards Australia and New Zealand) there are restrictions on how much sodium is permitted in baby foods. For example, ready-to-eat cereal-based foods for infants can have no more than 100 mg of sodium per 100 g. Of course, many of the table foods that babies enjoy, like cheese and bread do not fall...
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I agree Zoey, focusing on fresh, unprocessed foods is a great way to cut back on salt. It's also great to start children on home cooked meals with no added salt that the family can enjoy and share together.
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Thanks for sharing these guidelines Jazzmin. Yes, I agree sauces can have a lot of salt hiding in them, home made alternatives are a great way to cut back on salt.
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Hi Linda, great that you are aware of salt in your family's diet. Yes, salt is often added during cooking to enhance flavour. The good news though is that over time our taste buds adjust to less salt in our diet and they become more sensitive. This means that you still get flavour but with less salt. Home cooked meals can provide great nutrition and sharing...
