To season my 3 year olds food?

and even though some posters will think i’m fibbing

veg is actually tastier without salt in MY opinion (aside from corn on the cob!)

How did the salty veg go down OP?!

Too young for added salt, but I add garlic, oregano, ginger etc in my DS food in small amounts depending on the dish. I never had salt on veg growing up and don’t now, but eat plenty of veg; I think it’s about what you’re used to. Veg roasted in olive oil can be a nice treat, and stir fry veg adds a different taste too, could try that? Some of the nutrients in certain veg become more bio-available after cooking such as in tomato and spinach. Also, mixing veg in with the meal so it can’t be picked out (tomato purée, spinach pasta etc)!

Agree - vegetables with salt is delicious! Bland otherwise!

Used to drive me mad that the people giving out meals on my ward. (Children's hospital) used to automatically give out salt sachets with every meal. Fortunately I managed to get it stopped and if they want them they have to ask.

Oh, for god's sake, people die without salt! All the angst about it is because of people who have bacon every morning, a Ginster's pie every lunchtime, crisps on the way home and a pepperoni pizza for dinner.

Also - forget about designer salt unless it's an aesthetic thing for you. The UK is one of the few countries that no longer iodises salt, and over half the population is deficient. Mild iodine deficiency is proven to restrict cognitive development. I use Cerebos salt (French, from Sainsbury's). The sea salt you can buy loses its iodine during the cleaning process.

@amidsummernightsdream, yours sound like delicious meals and your DS is lucky to have the benefit of your cookery!

Of course you can season your child's food. Most kids would probably not be picky eaters if their vegetables were properly seasoned and cooked.

There is a massive difference in taste between a boiled courgette and the same courgette cut into thin slices, brushed with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with a bit of salt, and roasted in the oven high heat with branches of rosemary and garlic cloves.
The combination of fat, salt and heat makes food ultra delicious. A piece of boiled cod is a bit yucky , a sole cooked in butter with the tiniest amount of salt will melt in your mouth.
It is far healthier to use a bit of salt instead of all the processed toddler junk food.

@GaryLurcher19 of course, just using it as an example
I think some people are wary because of memories of parents pouring saxa into over boiled veg! A little sprinkling is different

You are correct. It enhances flavour.

Go ahead and season your child's food.

Contrary to opinion here, you need salt in your diet. Not a huge amount, but you do need it.

Yes cook sensibly and they don't need a tonn of tomato ketchup to add to food for flavour which is what kids want as they have boring food!

It makes no difference if it's in grains or flakes. It's the same sodium chloride.

I think it's fine to lightly salt some of her food as long as she's not eating a load of processed food containing salt as well! She's 3, not a baby. Lots of 3 year olds eat crisps, cheese etc and they're fine

No, too young to be adding salt to stuff.
Why not try herbs and spices to dishes? Will add flavour

I don't salt anything other than potatoes which are pretty bland without, and poached egg. My mum overstated everything and still to this day put salt on things without even tasting them. When I first tasted veg without I was blown away. Not mushy or salty (sorry mum!).

DS has grown up without salt too.

I would cook it just like you cook your own. Why expect kids to like something bland? I'm assuming you don't use a crazy amount of salt on your own food.

I think that's pretty normal
It's only on here I've come across curry etc made without salt. Pepper I don't even really count as I put that in everything

I'm not talking pouring table salt into everything or making things taste salty but a few flakes of sea salt make a big difference to some foods

The meal sounds really flavoursome anyway. I personally like salty foods, and I don't think it was restricted by my parents when I was young. But back then salt wasn't publicised as unhealthy so do keep it to a minimum. I think it's one of those things your palate gets used to and then you kind of are addicted?

I'm so completely confused.

All my children except the 5 month old have ate seasoned food from the age of 1. Meaning my cultural foods, rice, biryani, curries, kebabs etc that have all been cooked with salt and many different seasonings :/

All fine athletic and healthy :/

I season our food ever since DD started eating, I used salt-free stock cubes and didn't add salt but otherwise herbs, pepper, spices, everything.

Unseasoned food just taste awful.

I bake my own bread and it contains a lot less salt than shop bought and I make most of my pastes, sauces etc on my own so if I really add salt to my veggies than it's still a lot less than the NHS recommends.

Ive just used salt from weaning for dc2 and 3 tbh, they just started on bits of our food and we eat salt. I was pissed odd that dh gave dc3 a sausage for one of her first tastes at 6m though! I try not to overdo it, but she eats salted pasta, rice, any stew or bolognese or sauce or gravy or soup. They have salt in when cooking, I don't add salt. She also eats chips.
I don't tend to salt veg anyway if it's 'plain' e.g. just Broccoli, peas, carrots - they have their own flavour that's enough. But if I'm stirfrying veg or making braised red cabbage or something I cook with salt.
Me and the dc always add vinegar to cabbage and they go mad for it on other veg too - particularly peas for some reason. You could try that? Adds a lot of flavour!

I think salted butter is a good compromise...

Rubbish - old wives tale - salt makes things taste like salty versions of themselves. You wouldn't season a raw carrot which is already delicious. It would only occur to you to put salt on a cooked one because you'd cooked lots of the flavour out of it

I wouldn’t put salt on vegetables at all, even for adults, as I don’t think they really need them. Maybe I’m a bit odd but I love the taste of vegetables just by themselves! I do think when people get used to that salty flavour they need it on everything so maybe best not to get her into that habit if possible.
Butter fine, other seasonings like pepper, paprika etc fine but not pure salt. Like others have said there’s enough salt in foods like bread, ketchup, cheese etc without adding more onto veg!

Salt is a flavour enhancer

I think if two medical experts are ok with it you can calm down with the judgement.

people still cook separate foods for their 3yo? Mine just ate what we ate.