Six-week plan to reduce salt levels

The leading charity is warning that some adults and children in Northern Ireland in particular, exceed their recommended daily salt intake before they have finished their breakfast. Andrew Dougal, NI Chest, Heart and Stroke chief executive, commented: "A bowl of cereal alone can give a child aged threee up to a third of its salt allowance for the day. That doesn't even begin to take into account the salt in processed foods that most children eat for lunch or in the evening…the big danger with processed foods is that you can't even taste the salt." To help solve this problem, below is an outline for adults to reduce their children's salt levels: The government recommends that 4-6 year-olds should consume no more than three grams of salt each day. Three year-olds should eat even less – two grams. But figures suggest that the average child is eating five grams. Check the food label and go for foods which have as many green traffic lights as possible on the nutrition label.