Spice up the flavour, shake down the condiments!

It may sound challenging at first, but cutting down on salt and sugar gradually is much easier than you think. Try adding and eating a little less salt and sugar every day for a month and you’ll be surprised how soon your taste buds adapt!

Do you have a salt shaker permanently on the table, and are your shelves filled with bottles of sauces? They’re likely doing more damage than you think. Gravy made from granules or browning is often high in salt, as are many tomato sauces, chutneys, soy sauces and some mustards. Too much salt contributes to high blood pressure, so chuck the shaker and its salt-laden friends from the table and try these suggestions instead:

• Reduce salt in cooking and instead use onions, peppers, fresh herbs, unsalted spices, garlic, ginger, chilli or lemon for salt-free flavours.
• Stock cubes and packet soups are also high in salt, so limit how much you add to your cooking.
• Prepare your own stock as it is lower in salt - use this awesome white chicken stock or flavourful vegetable stock recipe to enhance your meal), or replace stock in a recipe with water and bump up the herbs.
• Make your own tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes.
• Make homemade hummus, tzatziki or guacamole for dips.

We aim to reduce the long-term health damage caused by poor diet by putting the fun back into nutrition so that individuals and families experience the pleasure of creating meals and making informed, healthier food choices in the process.

For more tips on healthier eating, check out our nutrition page here.