Salt+in+the+diet

Sodium, which is in salt, is important for healthy muscle, stomach and nerve function as well as being an essential component in the blood. Children need some sodium to grow.

Children require only a small amount of salt in their diet for healthy growth and will naturally consume these amounts within a healthy diet. Children with a high salt diet may develop a preference for salty foods and we know that a high salt intake in later life can cause health problems such as high blood pressure.

The Food Standards Agency recommended the following maximums as a guide for children under three:

• Under 1 - less than 1g of salt or 0.4 g of sodium a day
• 1 to 3 years - 2g of salt or 0.8 g of sodium a day

When most people think about salt they think about shaking salt on food or adding salt to cooking. However, about three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, including processed foods such as ready meals, sauces and canned foods.

Some nutritious foods are preserved with salt, such as cheese, ham, bacon and yeast extract spread. These nutritious foods are part of a healthy diet but ham and bacon should be limited to once or twice per week. Parents and carers can cut down on excess salt in children’s food by cutting out crisps and other packet snack foods, and cutting back on takeaways. Always advise parents and carers to…

• … use herbs and spices rather than salt to flavour their cooking
• …choose canned food that is unsalted or low in salt
• …read the label on packaged food (even those foods aimed at children) and choose those that are lower in sodium or salt

Parents should be advised to not…

• … add salt to food at the table
• …give their toddler salty snacks such as crisps
• …give their toddler adult ready meals or takeaway food unless they have checked the nutritional information. If they can’t avoid it, then serve a small portion with some extra vegetables
• …give food with added salt if it already contains cheese, ham or bacon (these foods are preserved with salt). Added salt will be listed in the ingredients list

Some contain more salt than others therefore advise parents and carers to choose cereals with as little as possible. Some breakfast cereals are enriched with vitamins and iron and make a good contribution to your toddler’s daily diet. Cereals should not be excluded; it’s more about making the right choices. In addition, fruit and milk can be added to make a healthy breakfast or snack. Advise parents to…

• …choose cereals lower in salt (less than 0.7g salt or 0.27g sodium per 100g of cereal)
• …choose wholegrain cereals some of the time
• …choose cereals low in sugar (less than 8g of sugar per 100g of cereal)
• ...try to avoid cereals with oil or fat in the ingredients list

Babies (children under one year) need only a very small amount of salt (even less than toddlers), because their kidneys can`t cope with large amounts of salt. Babies who are breastfed will get the right amount of salt through breast milk. Infant formula contains a similar amount. Cows’ milk as a drink should not be given to babies as it also contains too much sodium. When babies are weaned salt should not be added to food and parents and carers need to be careful not to give their baby manufactured foods that aren`t made specifically for babies.

For further information visit: www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/fss/salt/howmuchsalteat/