Low Salt Diet Tips for Kids and Adults

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 by: Laura Bankston

Our bodies
only require a small amount of salt for proper nutrition. But the fact
is that we all, including our children, consume way more salt -or
rather, the sodium - than we should.

Why should we care how much salt (sodium) our children consume?

1. Too
   much salt (sodium) creates risk for high blood pressure and higher risk
   for heart attack. And, we women know salt's affect on bloating!

2. The
   eating habits of our children will continue in their adulthood - and
   all too frequently less healthy than they were reared when they face
   busy schedules they haven't expereinced before.

What is the recommended daily intake of salt (sodium)?

The
adult recommended daily intake of sodium in the U.S. is less than 2,400
mg. But, you may be interested to note the the daily recommendation in
the UK is less than 1,600 mg! That's quite a difference.

So, who do you trust?

It doesn't take much shopping and looking at the nutrition information on foods to find that they hold a LOT of sodium.

I personally think that the government's recommendation of sodium intake is influenced by prepared food production.

I think that they've taken into account how American's can reduce sodium intake without too much impact on the economy.

But, then again, depending on which association you check, you'll find different recommendations from them all.

There
are no intake recommendations for children, but I think that they are
important due to the formation of eating habits that I mentioned above.

So, what's a person to do?

Of course, a person should follow the advice of his/her doctor.

But, for me - a healthy adult with great blood pressure - I just use my common sense to guide me.

Tips for easy, common sense salt reduction:

1. Use
   less salt than recommended in a recipe. I've never found it to affect
   the taste. Most of the time I totally leave it out - especially if it's
   accompanied by a product that already contains salt/sodium.

2. Don't
   let your kids salt at the table. The only time salt is on my dinner
   table is when company is over. I think that my two younger kids don't
   even realize that people salt their food at the table. If you do decide
   to let your kids have additional salt - put it on for them. It comes
   out faster than they realize and it's hard to see!

3. Check
   the nutrition label of every food that you buy. You will quickly become
   aware of how much sodium is in cereal, bread, canned goods, bacon,
   frozen foods, etc. Having an awareness of how much sodium you are
   consuming will make reduction much easier

4. Buy low-salt
   or low-sodium versions of a product. Why eat the extra sodium when
   you'll adjust to the difference in taste (if any) in a few bites?

5. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

6. Substitute salt with other spices that will give food flavor without adding sodium

Forming
good "salting" habits now, will make things a lot easier for your
children in the future. Do it for them, and you'll be doing it for you
too!

About the Author

Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with Kids Curriculum: “Homeschool Cooking in a Box” and the “Homeschool Cookbook”. Her articles are published online and in home schooling magazines such as The Homeschool Digest. She currently home schools her three children and maintains home school support websites. For information on her curriculum and free home school support services, please visit http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com

laura@homeschoolcookbook.com

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