• Question: How much sugar and salt should you have in a day and what is the avridge?

    Asked by anon-230141 to Anisha on 12 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Anisha Wijeyesekera

      Anisha Wijeyesekera answered on 12 Nov 2019:

      According to the NHS, adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day (around 1 teaspoon), and the maximum amount of salt children should have depends on their age:

      1 to 3 years – 2g salt a day
      4 to 6 years – 3g salt a day
      7 to 10 years – 5g salt a day
      11 years and over – 6g salt a day

      Sugar is a little more complicated as there are natural sugars found in foods (e.g. fruits), and there are other foods where sugar has been added to it (e.g. fizzy drinks, sweets). Some sugar in the diet is important as they provide energy for the body, but it is important to limit foods where sugar has been added.

      Again, the NHS guidance is that added sugars shouldn’t make up more than 5% of the energy (calorie intake) you get from food and drink each day. This is about 30g of sugar a day for those aged 11 and over.

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