Eating less salt does not mean eating bland food. Start with a product you buy often, compare its sodium with a similar option, and build flavour in home cooking with ingredients such as lemon, garlic, herbs and spices. Small choices you can repeat are more useful than a strict rule you cannot maintain.
It also helps to know where salt is coming from. Much of the sodium in an everyday diet can be present before you pick up the salt shaker. Bread, breakfast cereal, sauces, stock, processed meats, takeaway and ready meals can all contribute, even when they do not taste especially salty.[3]
Why pay attention to sodium?
Sodium is a mineral your body needs, and salt is a major source of it. The goal is not to remove sodium completely. For many Australians, the useful step is to bring a high intake down over time. The Heart Foundation recommends adults have no more than 5 g of salt a day, which is about 2,000 mg of sodium. That includes sodium already present in food and any salt added during cooking or at the table.[3]
Blood pressure is one reason this matters. In the DASH Sodium trial, 412 adults ate either a typical control diet or the DASH eating pattern. Within each pattern, they tried higher, intermediate and lower sodium levels for 30 days each. Blood pressure fell as sodium intake fell, and the combination of the DASH pattern and lower sodium had the greatest effect. This was a controlled, short-term trial, so it does not tell us what will happen after one low-salt dinner or prove an individual's long-term outcome.[1]
You do not need to follow the exact trial diet to act on its practical message. Regular food choices affect overall sodium intake. Looking at the foods you eat most often is a sensible place to begin.
Find the salt that is already in your food
On an Australian nutrition information panel, look for sodium. To compare two similar products, use the per 100 g or per 100 mL column. Comparing per serve can be confusing when brands set different serving sizes. The Heart Foundation describes less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g as low salt, but you do not need to find the lowest possible number in every category to make a useful swap.[3]
Say you buy the same pasta sauce most weeks. Check its sodium per 100 g against another sauce you would also enjoy. If the second is lower, try it in a meal you already make. Repeat that comparison with bread, cereal or stock when you next need to buy them. One swap to a frequently eaten food can be easier to maintain than changing the whole pantry at once.
Front-of-pack claims need context. Reduced salt means less than a regular version, but it can still contain a substantial amount of sodium. No added salt means no salt was added during manufacture, although the food may naturally contain sodium. Check the nutrition panel if the difference matters to you.[3]
Build flavour before reaching for the shaker
Salt is one way to season food, but it is not the only way to make it appealing. Think about what a dish needs. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar can brighten it. Garlic, onion and spices can give it a stronger base. Fresh herbs added near the end bring aroma, while toasted spices add depth. These are options to experiment with, not a requirement to stop using salt entirely.
For a weeknight pan meal, cook garlic and spices with the main ingredients, add herbs as the food finishes, then taste it. Squeeze over lemon before deciding whether to add salt. In a tomato sauce, try onion, garlic, pepper and basil. In a soup, a lower sodium stock can leave you room to season the finished bowl to your liking. If a recipe already uses salty ingredients such as soy sauce, olives or cheese, taste before adding more.
Be realistic about the setting. You control a home-cooked meal more easily than a takeaway dish, but eating out does not undo your usual choices. What you do regularly matters more than trying to make every meal identical.
Can you get used to less salt?
A sudden large change may make a familiar dish taste different. Gradual changes can make the process easier to live with. A longitudinal study found that, after three months of sodium restriction, participants' preferred salt concentration had shifted lower. This is evidence about measured taste preference under study conditions. It does not promise that every person will enjoy every lower-salt product or adjust at the same pace.[2]
Try reducing the salt you add to one familiar recipe a little at a time. Keep the other ingredients you like, and build flavour with herbs, aromatics or acidity. You can also mix a familiar packaged product with a lower sodium version while you decide which one you prefer. There is no need to force a swap that makes you dislike a meal you otherwise cook regularly.
A simple way to put it into practice
- Choose one frequent purchase. Start with a bread, sauce, cereal or stock you use most weeks.
- Compare two similar options. Check sodium per 100 g or per 100 mL, then choose an option that also suits your taste and budget.
- Make one familiar meal. Use your chosen product and add flavour with ingredients you already enjoy.
- Taste before adding salt. Give the finished dish a chance, then season it if needed.
- Repeat what works. Keep a satisfying swap and leave the next change for another shopping trip.
This approach is especially useful because it fits normal routines. You do not need a special meal plan, expensive products or a completely new recipe collection. You need a comparison you can make in the aisle and a meal you will still want to eat.
When generic advice may not fit
Nutrition needs can differ. If a clinician has given you a specific sodium or fluid plan because of a medical condition, follow that advice rather than a general article. People taking certain medicines or living with kidney disease should also ask a health professional before trying a potassium-based salt substitute. These products are different from simply adding herbs or lemon to food.[3]
Activity and circumstances matter too. People exercising for long periods in heat may have different fluid and electrolyte needs from someone spending the day at a desk. The general approach here is about everyday eating patterns, not a plan for endurance events or medical treatment.
The takeaway
Eating less salt can begin with one product and one meal. Compare sodium on similar packaged foods, use other ingredients to make cooking taste good, and adjust at a pace you can keep. The research supports reducing excess sodium for blood pressure and suggests that taste preferences can shift with time, while your own health needs should guide any more specific plan.[1][2]
For more practical topics across food, sleep and movement, explore the ProActive Health Group health articles.
Sources
- Sacks FM et al. “Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.” New England Journal of Medicine, 2001. PubMed study page.
- Blais CA et al. “Effect of dietary sodium restriction on taste responses to sodium chloride: a longitudinal study.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1986. PubMed study page.
- Heart Foundation. “Salt and Heart Health” and “Reading food labels,” updated 2025. Salt guidance and Label guide.
