Do salted peanuts contribute very much to the average salt consumption?
No. Understanding recommended serving sizes makes this easy to understand. The average salt intake per day by adults in the UK is 9g, equivalent to about 3500 mg of sodium. This is more than we need to maintain normal body functions in a temperate climate. Most of the salt consumed in European countries comes from tinned foods, frozen and “microwave ready meals”, baked goods and processed meats, as well as salt added during cooking and at the table. Between 120-180mg of sodium is present in a 30g serving of roasted peanuts depending on the brand. This equates to between 0.30-0.45g of salt. Recent UK Governmentrecommendations are for adults to keep their daily salt intake to no more than 6g. A daily serving of 30g of roasted peanuts accounts for only 7.5% of that total. Daily servings of salted peanuts contribute very little to the average person’s intake of salt. It would be a pity to miss out on the heart-healthy nutritional content of peanuts simply because some salt has been used in
