Everyday health Note · 5 min read

Salt, sugar and her plate: small changes that help her BP and sugar

The limit is 5 g of salt a day, just under a teaspoon. Most of us eat double. What India's own dietary guidelines say for older adults

The Pushpa team · 3 sources

Pushpa notes21

SabziDalRoti

Salt: under a teaspoon for the whole day

Her plate

Pickles, papad, namkeen with tea. Salt hides everywhere in an Indian kitchen, and too much of it raises blood pressure, the WHO says. Worldwide, adults eat about 11 g of salt a day on average, more than double the recommended limit

5 g

of salt a day, just under a teaspoon, is the WHO's recommended limit

Salt

ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) note that about 45% of Indians eat more than 5 g of salt a day
Cook with less, and keep the salt off the table
Watch the hidden salt: pickles, papad, chutneys, namkeen, ready-made masalas
Ask her doctor about a lower-sodium salt substitute, which the WHO suggests. Check first if she takes kidney or BP medicines

Sugar

ICMR-NIN advises keeping added sugar below 5% of daily energy, roughly 20 to 25 grams a day for adults. Two cups of sweet chai can use up most of that. Try one spoon less each week

What older bodies need more of

Protein. ICMR-NIN's sample diet for an older woman includes about 56 g a day. Dal, curd, paneer, eggs and milk all count. MedlinePlus notes some older adults need more protein
Vegetables and fruit: 400 to 500 g a day
Milk or curd: 200 to 400 ml a day
Water: about two litres a day, says ICMR-NIN. Many older people lose their sense of thirst, so don't wait for it
Soft, well-cooked food with less salt, especially if chewing is hard

How Pushpa helpsPushpa asks what she ate and drank on the evening call, without nagging, and notices when meals get skipped or water runs low on hot days. It all shows up in the family's morning report

Diet for diabetes, kidney or heart disease needs her doctor's advice. This is general guidance