Assault on salt
What children eat from an early age can have a direct impact on their health in adult life. Too much salt in the diet has been linked to raised blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Cutting down on salt may help to maintain a healthy heart.
Saltiness is a learned taste preference, so it is important that children are not encouraged to develop a liking for high salt food; recent evidence suggests that children are eating more than the recommended salt intake.
How much salt should children have?
Parents are advised to cut down on levels of salt they use. The guideline amounts of salt for babies and children varies by age:
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Age |
Grams per day |
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Up to 6 months old |
less than 1g a day |
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7 to 12 months |
1g a day |
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1 to 3 years |
2g a day |
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4 to 6 years |
3g a day |
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7 to 10 years |
5g a day |
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11+ years |
No more than about 6g a day
(the same level that is recommended for adults) |
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