IN PICTURES: Salty Sixteen: popular foods that can have a surprisingly high sodium content
By Sue Wilkinson
Published 28th Feb 2019, 14:03 BST
Updated 16th Apr 2019, 11:20 BST
Bread, cheese, spinach and celery have all been listed among 16 popular foods with shocking levels of salt.
Experts from health and fitness site Vivotion.com have researched foods that contain high amounts of sodium and highlighted some of the more surprising examples.
Depending on the brand and flavour combination, supposedly healthy breakfast cereals can be quite high in salt as well as sugar.
Butter doesnt require it to make a great spread, but many varieties will still be salted to add unnecessary extra flavour.
An apparently healthy supermarket product described as a reduced salt alternative wont always have a low sodium content it will simply contain less than the normal version.
How can companies keep salad dressings low in calories, fat and sugar content but still packing a punch in terms of flavour? Lots of salt.
Grains used to make bread products are naturally low in sodium, but salt will often be added to dough to help it rise and have a longer shelf life or improve the flavour and texture.
The water that fills cans of vegetables is often packed full of salt to help preserve the contents for longer, but this can be absorbed by the ingredients inside.
Fresh olives are typically quite bitter, so plenty of salt is routinely used to make them a palatable delicacy in restaurants and retailers alike
