Research suggests the main reason people buy plant-based food is to improve their health. If food or drinks are high in saturated fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) they are not considered ‘healthy’ through the Nutrient Profiling Technical Guidance. 

According to the survey of 290 dishes, nearly half (45%) of those with nutrition information, contained 3g or more salt in a single meal, with 19 of these meals containing 6g or more. The daily recommended limit of salt for an adult is 6g. 

Sonia Pombo, campaign manager for Action on Salt, said: “This survey highlights that some restaurants are always looking for new ways to produce unhealthy dishes, this time hidden under a vegan health halo, but continuing to drown us in salt and saturated fat just the same.

“Eating a more plant based diet can and should be beneficial for a number of reasons, but whether you are looking to eat less meat for animal welfare, sustainability or health reasons, it is important to know a ‘plant-based’ or ‘vegan’ label does not automatically qualify a product as healthy.  

“It is time for restaurants and cafes to step up and start making food that is healthy for us and better for the planet.”  

Two thirds of plant based meals served in fast food and coffee chains would get a red label for being high in salt, if they were to display nutrition information as supermarkets do. 

Action on Salt are urging the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, to implement more ‘robust’ salt reduction targets to create a ‘level playing field’ across retail and the eating out sector.