There’s nothing quite as satisfying as tearing open a packet of crisps and savouring every last bite.
But if you think the odd treat won’t make a difference to your health, you’re sorely mistaken, because it turns out Brits’ salt intake is already through the roof.
In fact, a recent British Heart Foundation (BHF) study revealed we’re munching the equivalent of 155 packets of crisps a week thanks to the amount of sodium that’s in our food.
To put this into context, it’s effectively like eating 22 packs of ready salted every single day.
According to the research, working-age adults in England consume an average of 58.8g of salt each week — 40% more than the recommended maximum of 42g, which in snack term is roughly six more packets of ready salted crisps than the UK national guideline.
But if we adhered to the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit of less than 5g per day (35g per week), it would be even worse.
The culprits
Despite excess salt being such a problem for our health, 56% of Brits aren’t confident in estimating their daily intake, according to the BHF and YouGov poll.
And one likely reason for this is that we aren’t sure where sodium is lurking.
‘Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the food we buy, such as bread, cereals, pre-made sauces and ready meals, so it’s often hard to know exactly how much salt we’re consuming,’ commented dietitian Dell Stanford.
Action on Salt’s 2023 ‘bread report’ found 75% of sliced breads at supermarkets contained at least as much salt per slice as a packet of ready salted crisps.
What’s more, 11% of surveyed products exceeded the maximum salt reduction target for breads and rolls.
The same organisation also examined 334 breakfast cereals – including brands like Special K, All Bran, Golden Grahams, Cheerios, Shreddies, and various own-brand options – on sale in the UK, finding 35% contained more salt per serving than a bag of ready salted.
Ready meals were even worse, with Action on Salt saying 56% proved to be high in salt, according to the government’s colour-coded labelling criteria.
Researchers identified all ready meals produced by Wasabi, Jamie Oliver, and Kitchen Joy as high in salt, along with 91% of those by Charlie Bigham’s and 89% from Royal and Saputo Dairy UK, as of May 2025.
Why is too much salt bad for us?
While 32% of Brits don’t know the maximum amount of salt they should be eating, it’s worth getting familiar with, as the BHF warns that eating too much of it can cause high blood pressure, a problem linked to half of all heart attacks and strokes.
This happens because extra water is drawn into our bloodstream, which is responsible for the increase in pressure.
Otherwise known as hypertension, a high blood pressure reading is typically anything over 140/90 when checked by a healthcare professional.
If you’re checking yourself at home, a high blood pressure reading is considered to be 135/85, according to the NHS.
Did you know?
Reducing the UK’s average salt intake to less than 5g by 2030 could actually prevent up to 135,000 new cases of coronary heart disease over 14 years.
Hypertension puts extra stain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, sometimes resulting in heart disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and vascular dementia – all serious and potentially life-threatening conditions.
It’s a big problem, given 30% of UK adults suffer with high blood pressure, and five million don’t even know they have it.
Following its latest findings, the charity is calling on the government to ensure its upcoming Healthy Food Standard – an initiative aimed at reducing obesity – includes mandatory targets that incentivise food companies to reduce salt levels in their products.
‘The Government must step in to make the healthy choice much easier for families by giving manufacturers an incentive to take out excessive amounts of salt from our food,’ dietitian Dell adds.
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