We are a nation of snack-lovers. From biscuits with our tea to a bowl of popcorn while we watch a film, we love to have something to munch on between meals.
In fact, a survey from 2022 found that 86 percent of UK adults admit to snacking at home. Of all the snacks we love, crisps are among our favourites. We consume around six billion packets every year between us.
This is despite knowing that the crunchy treats are not the best for our health. Aside from being cooked in oil they are notoriously salty.
Salt is something we should all try to cut back on where possible as sodium is linked to increased blood pressure and a raised risk of heart disease and stroke.
However, there are a number of other popular foods that contain just as much – if not more – salt than your average bag of crisps. Many you would not even expect, leaving you vulnerable to some of the associated health risks.
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Experts have warned of some everyday foods, such as certain breads, that are high in salt (Image: Getty Images)
Experts are therefore warning people to pay attention to what they’re eating as it could be saltier than they realise.
Sonia Pombo, a registered nutritionist with Action on Salt, told The Telegraph: “We were getting the message to cut back on salt 10 to 15 years ago, but unfortunately it’s started to creep up again.
“In the UK, adults are eating about 8.4 grams of salt per day, about 40 percent higher than the maximum recommended limit of 6g (about one teaspoon).”
According to Sonia, most of that is hidden in products we buy at the supermarket.
Although salt serves a purpose in food to prevent spoiling and extending shelf life, food manufacturers don’t need to add as much as they do, she said.
The following eight foods are surprisingly high in salt, in many cases comparable to the amount in a 32.5g packet of Walkers Ready Salted Crisps – 0.44g of salt.
Processed meat, such as bacon, has a high salt content (Image: Getty)
Sweet biscuits and treats
Two standard biscuits have as much salt as one bag of crisps, The Telegraph reports.
McVities Digestive biscuits contain 0.2g of salt each, so a snack of two contains roughly the same amount as a bag of crisps.
However, some are even worse. Sainsbury’s Belgian white chocolate and raspberry cookies, for example, contain 0.34g of salt each.
Cheese
Salt is essential in cheesemaking, but Action on Salt argues that some manufacturers use much more than necessary.
In its report into 607 hard cheeses, the organisation found that Asda’s 30 percent less fat mature British cheese was the saltiest cheddar with 2g of salt per 100g, meaning 50g is equivalent to more than two packets of crisps.
But bad news for vegans – plant-based cheeses are the saltiest. One brand – Tesco Plant Chef alternative to mature cheese – contains 2.5g salt per 100g.
Breakfast cereals
Many of us are wary of the sugar content in breakfast cereals but they can also be packed with salt.
Sauces such as ketchup can be high in salt (Image: Getty)
A 50g serving of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes contains 0.55g of salt – much more than a bag of crisps – and over a quarter of the recommended intake of salt for a three-year-old.
Even cereals considered healthier options can be salty – one 50g serving of Kellogg’s Bran Flakes contains 0.33g of salt.
Bread
According to Sonia, bread from the supermarket is one of the biggest sources of salt in the British diet.
One slice of Hovis granary wholemeal sliced bread contains 0.46g of salt – more than a packet of crisps. A slice of Waitrose white sourdough contains 0.41g.
Processed meats
Another big contributor to our overall salt intake is processed and cured meat, including sliced ham and bacon.
For example, two slices of Sainsbury’s British honey roast cooked ham contain a total 0.55g of salt – far more than a packet of crisps. But bacon is even worse with rashers of Aldi specially selected dry cured smoked back bacon containing 2.3g salt, more than in five packets of crisps.
Plant-based meat
Similar to the plant-based cheese, vegan and vegetarian alternatives to meat can be full of salt.
Sonia told The Telegraph: “Eating less meat can and should be good for you, but people often consider plant-based alternatives as healthier when that’s not necessarily the case.”
Beyond Burger plant-based patties each contain more than 0.75g of salt – almost the same as in two bags of crisps.
Salad dressings and sauces
It’s easy to ignore the salt content of condiments because we only use small amounts, but it all adds up.
One tablespoon of Hellmann’s Fat Free Vinaigrette salad dressing contains 0.11g of salt, while Tesco French style dressing contains 0.2g.
Ketchup is even saltier. One 15g serving of Heinz Tomato Ketchup contains 0.3g of salt.
Ready meals and soups
It is perhaps less of a surprise that ready meals are high in salt, but soups are usually considered a healthier option.
Cully & Sully chicken and vegetable soup (found in various supermarkets) contains 2.4g of salt per serving, while M&S chunky chicken and vegetable soup contains 2g.
