How much is too much?
| What | Limit a day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | Less than 5 g, about 1 teaspoon | Counts salt added in cooking and in packaged food. Use iodised salt |
| Sugar | Under 5% of energy, about 25 g (6 teaspoons) | WHO's main limit is under 10% of energy, and under 5% brings extra benefit |
| Cooking oil | 20 to 50 g, or 4 to 10 teaspoons | Less if you are not very active. Not more than 27 to 30 g on a 2000-calorie diet |
| Ghee and butter | 1 to 2 teaspoons, or none | Avoid them if you can |
Children need less salt than adults, and WHO says their limit should be worked out from how much they eat. Children under 2 years should have no added sugar, and no salt or sugar should be added to a baby's first foods.
Less salt
Much of the salt we eat is added by the cook or by the food maker. A liking for salt is acquired, so cut down a little at a time, and help children get used to less salty food from an early age.
- Add less salt in cooking, and flavour dishes with spices such as turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic and pepper.
- Take the salt shaker and salty sauces off the table.
- Limit pickles, papad, namkeen, chips, biscuits, instant soups, sauces, ketchup, cheese, canned food and salted dry fish.
- Baking soda, baking powder and monosodium glutamate (MSG) also add sodium, so use them sparingly.
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit. Their potassium helps the body get rid of sodium and keeps healthy.
- When you buy packaged food, choose products with less sodium.
Less sugar
Added sugar means table sugar, jaggery, honey, syrups and the sugars put into sweets, drinks and packaged food. It adds calories without adding useful nutrients. WHO's limit does not cover the sugars found naturally in whole fresh fruit, vegetables and milk.
- Put less sugar in tea, coffee and milk, and have fewer sweets, biscuits, cakes and pastries.
- For a snack, choose fresh fruit, a handful of nuts, or roasted or boiled chana instead of sweets and biscuits.
- Skip soft drinks, cool drinks, health drinks with sugar and packaged fruit juices. Water, buttermilk and lemon water without added sugar are better choices.
- Do not swap sugar for artificial sweeteners. WHO advises cutting sugar without using them, and the Indian guidelines say that children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women, should avoid sugar substitutes.
Less oil
Nuts, seeds, pulses and whole grains already give the fats the body needs, so cooking oil is mainly for taste. Most Indian recipes use oil, so it cannot be dropped, but it can be limited to the amount in the table above, per person for the whole day.
- Steam, boil or pressure-cook instead of deep frying.
- Restrict deep-fried and bakery foods such as samosa, kachori, puri, chips, biscuits and cakes.
- Do not heat oil again and again. Oil used once for frying can be filtered and used in a curry, but not for frying again.
- Avoid vanaspati, which has trans fat and saturated fat, and be careful with fast food and bakery food.
- Choose lean meat, and trim the visible fat.
Reading food labels
- The ingredient list starts with the ingredient there is most of. Look at where sugar, salt and oil come in the list. Sugar also hides under names such as glucose, fructose, dextrose, corn syrup and molasses.
- The nutrition panel shows energy, carbohydrate with sugar, fat with saturated and trans fat, and sodium. Check whether the figures are for 100 g or for one serving, and how many servings are in the pack.
- Prefer foods low in sodium, saturated fat and added sugar, with no trans fat. Partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients is a sign to put the pack back.
- Be careful with claims such as sugar free, low fat, light, real fruit and made with whole grain. They do not by themselves mean the food is healthy, so check the ingredients and the nutrition panel.
If you have a health condition
These limits are for healthy adults. If you have high , diabetes, high , fatty liver or kidney disease, ask your doctor or dietitian what limits are right for you. A lot of salt raises blood pressure and puts a burden on the kidneys.
Myths and facts
Things people often say about this. Open each one to see what is true.
Myth“Rock salt (sendha namak) or black salt (kala namak) is healthier, so I can use more of it.”What is true?
Fact
The Indian guidelines say that whatever the kind of salt, the sodium in it is almost the same, so all salt should be limited to the same amount.
Myth“Jaggery and honey are healthy, so they do not count as sugar.”What is true?
Fact
The Indian guidelines list jaggery and honey among the added sugars, along with table sugar. Added sugars give calories without useful nutrients, and WHO counts the sugars in honey and syrups as free sugars.
Myth“Oil labelled cold-pressed, light or heart friendly can be used freely.”What is true?
Fact
Every oil is all fat, whatever the label, so all oils are to be used in moderation. No plant oil contains cholesterol, so a no-cholesterol label tells you little.
Myth“Sugar free means safe to eat as much as I like.”What is true?
Fact
Sugar-free foods can still be high in fat and refined flour, and can contain hidden sugars. Long-term use of sugar substitutes may also be linked with weight gain and diabetes, so check the whole label.
Common questions
Is the oil limit for the whole family?
No. The 20 to 50 g (4 to 10 teaspoons) is for each person for the whole day, counting the oil, ghee and butter used in what that person eats.
I sweat a lot at work or in summer. Can I take more salt?
Sweat does carry some sodium out of the body, and the guidelines note that high temperatures and hard physical work raise the loss. They still say that salt should not be more than 5 grams a day. If you work long hours in the heat and are unsure what you need, ask a doctor.
Do I have to cut the sugar in fruit and milk?
No. WHO's limit on free sugars does not cover the sugars found naturally in whole fresh fruit, vegetables and milk. Fruit juice does count, because the sugars in juice are free sugars, so whole fruit is the better choice.
Do children have the same limits?
No. WHO says children's limit for salt is lower and should be worked out from how much they eat. Children under 2 years should have no added sugar, and salt and sugar should not be added to a baby's first foods.