Are you a sweetie, or a savoury? New research has just shown you are more likely to overeat high fat salty foods than high fat sugary foods – which is in turn linked to being overweight. It seems the salt overrides the normally satiating effect of fat, making salty high fat snacks very moreish!

But you say, I least I don’t add salt to my food. Did you know 75% of the salt we eat is not added at the table or whilst cooking, but hidden in processed foods?

And what a choice we have with the huge range of salty high fat snacks available these days. No longer a “sometimes” food – the average Australian child consumes over one-third of their daily energy intake as “junk” foods.

We humans have an inherent taste for salt – and it’s hard to override your biology! Rather keep those salty snacks to an occasional treat, share a bowl or buy smaller single serve packets. Make your own goodies – oven baked wedges with lemon, vinegar or herbs such as rosemary to add flavour instead, or popcorn with BBQ spice mix. Buy salt reduced varieties – it takes on average 6 weeks for your tastebuds to adjust to a less salty diet – after which those snacks won’t taste quite so good!