Adults often know that they should avoid a lot of added salt in their diets, and in fact, are sometimes on salt restriction diets because of health problems, especially high blood pressure.
Eating salt is often thought to be less of a problem for kids though, as many parents assume that their kids don't have a lot of salt in their diets. This is only true if you don't add a lot of salt to the foods that you cook. Keep in mind that many of the processed and prepared foods that are popular with parents and kids -- usually because they are quick and easy -- are often loaded with salt.
Some of the Oscar Meyer Lunchables, for example, can have up to 1440mg of sodium per serving.
Why is monitoring your child's salt intake important? Some studies have reported that children with low-salt diets may avoid high blood pressure as adults. And maybe even more important, salt intake has been linked to childhood obesity, as kids with high-salt diets have been reported to drink a lot of high-sugar, high-calorie drinks, which increases their risk for obesity.
Foods High in Salt
Of course, any foods that you add table salt (sodium chloride) to will be high in salt.
In addition, foods that are usually high in salt (more than 400mg per serving) include:
- Onion soup
- Foods made with seasoned bread crumbs
- Sauerkraut
- Spaghetti sauce (ready to serve)
- Potato salad
- Cheese sauce
- Baked beans with franks
- Macaroni and cheese
- Pizza slice
- Cheeseburgers, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, and many other fast foods
- Beef stew (from a can)
- Cottage cheese
- Minestrone soup
- Submarine sandwiches
- Tunafish salad
- Pretzels, potato chips, and other snacks
- Sliced ham, bologna, salami and other cold cuts
- Cream-style corn (from a can)
- Pickles
- Beef jerky snacks
- Egg bagels
This is just a partial list, but reviewing it and then getting in the habit of reading food labels can help you spot other foods high in salt. As you can now see, high-salt items are typically many canned foods (especially soups), cold cuts, snack foods, and fast food.
Low Salt Diet
Most kids don't actually need a low-salt diet. Instead, they need a normal salt diet and to learn to avoid too many foods that are high in salt and to eat a healthy diet with a variety of foods. They should get their daily requirement of salt and sodium (about 500mg per day), but not too much, which would be more than about 2,400mg.
In general, if you simply don't add extra salt to the foods you prepare and your child eats and avoid a lot of the foods high in salt, then you shouldn't have to worry about your child's salt intake.
Keep in mind that like adults, kids can develop a taste or preference for salty foods. That makes it important to avoid salty foods and not add extra salt to foods hen your child first begins solids as an infant and toddler.
And if you are concerned about your child's salt intake, especially if he is overweight, then look for more foods that are low in salt, with less than 140mg of salt per serving.
Sources:
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Sodium, Na (mg) Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, sorted by nutrient content.
Salt Intake Is Related to Soft Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents: A Link to Obesity? Feng J. He, Naomi M. Marrero, and Graham A. MacGregor. Hypertension. 2008;51:629-634.
High salt intake, its origins, its economic impact, and its effect on blood pressure. Roberts WC - Am J Cardiol - 1-DEC-2001; 88(11): 1338-46.
