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Reducing salt intake

Reducing salt intake
In our everyday food lurks a hidden salt content you may not even realise is there. We take a look at the salt content of foods and how you can avoid giving your child too much salt.
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Eating too much salt dulls the taste receptors, making it difficult to get children eating healthier, but it also places them at risk of cardiovascular diseases later in life.

How much salt do we eat?

Whenever we think of salt we think of shaking a little onto our food or adding a pinch when cooking - but 80 per cent of the salt we eat lurks in some of the most unexpected places. It's in the food we buy, such as breads and cereals, soups and snacks, tinned foods, beverages, sauces and biscuits. It's in many of the processed foods aimed at our children. And this ‘hidden' presence of salt means children are eating about the same amount as adults, which is often already too high.

Health implications of too much salt

It has long been known that dietary salt (sodium chloride) is a causal factor for raised blood pressure, which is the major cause of cardiovascular disease (the biggest cause of death in the world), accounting for 62 per cent of strokes and 49 per cent of coronary heart disease.

Now, raised blood pressure may be the last thing associated with children's health but it is now well-established that blood pressure tracks in children - that is, the higher it is in childhood, the higher it is in adulthood.

Recent research by the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) has strengthened evidence that reducing salt intake in children is capable of reducing exposure to cardiovascular risk in adulthood. CASH nutritionist Jo Butten said the new research (the largest ever study into blood pressure involving children) ‘demonstrates for the first time just how much we stand to gain from keeping children's salt intakes down'.

Salt in your child's diet

Once children become used to the taste of salt it can be difficult to wean them off. Taste receptors become suppressed and children are more likely to reject foods with lower sodium content. They are also more likely to continue to consume foods high in salt later in life.

The Food Standards Agency says parents could begin by cutting down rather than cutting out. Children may miss the salt at first as their taste buds become used to eating less, but as the taste buds (re)discover a wider range of flavours, they will be able to enjoy food with less salt or without any salt at all.

It's a misconception that foods high in salt taste salty. Many foods also have lots of sugar in them, for example some biscuits and breakfast cereals, which masks the taste. The only way to reliably monitor how much salt is in your food is to read the label - a slogan of a current joint campaign by the Food Standards Agency and National Children's Bureau (NCB).

Recommended salt intake for children and adults

Age                   Average salt intake (g/day)
0-6mths           Less than 1g
7-12mths        1g
1-3 years         2g
4-6 years         3g
7-10 years       5g
11-14 years     6g
Adults               6g

Healthy eating information for children

The Food Standards Agency has plenty of ideas for helping to reduce the amount of salt you eat, whether you're cooking, eating out or choosing food at the shops. They include:

  • Always check the label of food products to help you choose those lower in salt
  • Try cereals such as puffed wheat, wheat biscuits or muesli with no added salt
  • Add slices of fresh tomato instead of ketchup to sandwiches
  • Cut down on smoked foods such as smoked meat and fish, or eat them less often, because these can be high in salt
  • Snack on fruit, plain popcorn or unsalted nuts and seeds, instead of crisps or crackers
  • Go easy with ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise - these can all be high in salt
  • Try not to add salt automatically when you're cooking or about to eat. Often people only use salt out of habit.

There are lots of ways to add flavour to your cooking without using any salt, such as:

  • Add fresh herbs to pasta dishes, vegetables and meat
  • Marinate meat and fish in advance to give them more flavour
  • Use garlic, ginger, chilli and lime in stir fries
  • Add red wine to stews and casseroles, and white wine to risottos and sauces for chicken
  • Roast vegetables such as red peppers, courgettes, fennel, parsnips and squash to bring out their flavour
  • Squeeze lemon juice onto fish or seafood
  • Try using different types of onion - brown, red, white, spring onions, shallots
  • Make sauces using ripe flavour-some tomatoes and garlic
  • Use black pepper as seasoning on pasta, scrambled egg etc instead of salt

For more ideas visit the Food Standard Agency's website at food.gov.uk