Some of our favorite coffee shops Starbucks, Costa and Caffè Nero, are selling sandwiches with incredibly high salt content, a new report has revealed.
And when we say high, we’re talking more than a McDonald’s Big Mac, which contains 2.3g of salt per portion, or a quarter pounder with cheese, which contains 2.5g.
The research, carried out by The Telegraph and Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), found that a number of lunchtime favorites from large chain coffee shops contained salt content nearing the recommended daily allowance.
A croque monsieur panini from Starbucks contained 3.1g of salt. Meanwhile their cheese and ham croissant contained 2.4g of salt.
Caffè Nero’s brie and bacon panini contained 3.2g of salt, while their bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich contained 3g of salt.
Costa’s mozzarella and tomato sourdough panini contained 2.7g of salt.
And it’s not just coffee shops that have been exposed, as the report also highlighted pre-made sandwiches from Waitrose and Tesco as containing high levels of salt.
Tesco’s mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto sandwich contained 1.8g of salt while Waitrose’s classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich contained 2g.
The NHS recommends adults consume up to 6g of salt per day and many of the sandwiches and paninis featured in the report feature more than half of that amount.
Sonia Pombo, nutritionist and campaign manager for CASH, said it was “shocking to see reputable coffee shop chains… which portray a healthy lifestyle image, selling products so high in salt”.
Pombo said: “The food we eat is now the biggest cause of death and ill health in the UK, owing to the large amounts of salt, saturated fat and sugars added by the food industry.
“High blood pressure and obesity both lead to the development of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attacks and heart failure, which are the most common causes of death and disability in the UK.”
DO YOU LOOK AT LABELS WHEN YOU BUY FOOD AT THESE CHAINS? DO YOU CHECK SALT CONTENT WHEN AT THE MARKET?Exerpted from: Best Health Magazine