Children are risking their long term health by eating too much salt. That’s the message in National Salt Awareness Week (28th Jan to 3rd Feb), supported by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service.
Trading Standards own studies in to children’s foods available in restaurants, pubs and cafes in Warwickshire found that many child meals are high in salt. Their study found that of 70 children’s meals examined across Warwickshire and other Central England Authorities, 40% (28 meals), contained high levels of salt (1.5g or more per 100g).
Children should be eating less salt than adults, but most are probably consuming as much as or even more than adults, and 75%-80% of salt in hidden in processed and convenience foods.
High salt intake results in higher blood pressure - in children as well as adults! The higher the blood pressure in childhood, the higher it is likely to be in adulthood, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. High salt intake is also associated with other diseases such as osteoporosis.
It’s easy for a young child to consume too much salt. A six year old child who eats a typical homemade ham and cheddar cheese sandwich for lunch (2.5g of salt) and two chocolate digestive biscuits (0.5g of salt) has already reached his maximum recommended salt intake of 3g for the day – without eating anything else!
Warwickshire Trading Standards salt awareness website has loads of useful advice and information to help you reduce you and your families salt intake.
How you can reduce your child’s salt intake
- Check labels and compare products for salt and choose lower salt options
- Limit foods high in salt to once a day.
- Keep fast foods (burgers, fried chicken, pizza etc.) to an occasional treat
- Swap salty snacks for lower salt alternatives e.g. fruit
- Avoid ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard etc. these can be high in salt
- Make your own sandwiches using lower salt options e.g. salad, fresh chicken
- Make packed lunches with lower salt products e.g. boiled egg, raw vet,
- Don’t add salt to your food, in cooking or at the table
- High salt flavour enhances include stock cubes and gravy granules. Use lower salt alternatives e.g. herbs, spices, pepper, lemon or lime juice
Recommended maximum salt intake
| Age | Maximum Intake |
| 0-6 months | <1g / day |
| 6-12 months | 1g / day |
| 1-3 years | 2g / day |
| 4-6 years | 3g / day |
| 7-10 years | 5g / day |
| 11 years + | 6g / day |
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