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Original poster

AIBU to think that, if you sell porridge, you should supply salt?

170 replies

Sausagenbacon · 20/03/2026 09:01

Starbucks sell really good porridge, with nuts and seeds.
But don't have salt sachets.
And the staff look at you as though you have 2 heads when you ask.
AIBU to find this irritating?

OP posts:
2026Y · 20/03/2026 21:56

Farewelltothatid · 20/03/2026 21:42

Of course.

I think the problem with salt though is a lot of people, probably most, have absolutely no idea how much salt they are actually consuming. It isn't just processed food that contains salt. It is also present in lots of other foods - vegetables, dairy produce etc etc

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Yeah, maybe that’s the case for some people. I remember talking to a guy at work about how many calories there ware in nuts and he literally had no idea. Funny thing was, he was eating them because he was trying to lose weight (he’d heard they were healthy) so he was munching through a 200g bag of cashews 😂 so yeah, maybe you’re right about the salt awareness point.

Farewelltothatid · 20/03/2026 21:42

2026Y · 20/03/2026 21:35

Some salt is fine (required in fact) so unless we know how much salt the OP is eating overall, it’s really not possible to say it’s bad for her.

Show quote history

Of course.

I think the problem with salt though is a lot of people, probably most, have absolutely no idea how much salt they are actually consuming. It isn't just processed food that contains salt. It is also present in lots of other foods - vegetables, dairy produce etc etc

2026Y · 20/03/2026 21:35

Farewelltothatid · 20/03/2026 09:51

Don't you know the adverse health affects of salt?

I live in Scotland and eat porridge every day and would never dream of putting salt on it - a handful of raisins and a bit of cinnamon is what I add to porridge.

I don't add salt to anything actually. And use very little in cooking.

Some salt is fine (required in fact) so unless we know how much salt the OP is eating overall, it’s really not possible to say it’s bad for her.

FamingolosForDays · 20/03/2026 21:24

My first question seeing this thread was "are you scottish"
I remember being horrified when my (very Scottish) nanny served me porridge with salt on top.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 20/03/2026 21:01

Noshowlomo · 20/03/2026 09:47

Salt on porridge? Is this a thing?

YES

watchingthishtread · 20/03/2026 21:01

People put salt in porridge? You learn something new every day.

DarkForces · 20/03/2026 20:56

Strawberry jam on porridge and a dash of vanilla with oats and milk is the law in my house.

corblimeyguvnr · 20/03/2026 20:32

Barleycat · 20/03/2026 17:11

Salt on porridge sounds positively Dickensian!

Och no lassie! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Allseeingallknowing · 20/03/2026 17:35

A container of salt is cheap!

ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 20/03/2026 17:20

Scottish.
Live in Scotland.
Eat porridge.
With 1 measure of oats and 2 of full fat milk, seeds, berries, and maple syrup.
Other than that, I love savoury food, except for the porridge with salt that my mother made when I was a child, though I think the texture had more to do with it then! Now I'm an adult and can make it to my own taste.

likelysuspect · 20/03/2026 17:13

Nobody, but nobody understands the savoury palate in this country anymore

Look at the shock on this very thread about salt in porridge.

We have such a poor food culture in this country and lack of knowledge, experience but also experimentation.

Barleycat · 20/03/2026 17:11

Salt on porridge sounds positively Dickensian!

Floatlikeafeather2 · 20/03/2026 16:57

Farewelltothatid · 20/03/2026 09:51

Don't you know the adverse health affects of salt?

I live in Scotland and eat porridge every day and would never dream of putting salt on it - a handful of raisins and a bit of cinnamon is what I add to porridge.

I don't add salt to anything actually. And use very little in cooking.

Bully for you.

What you do to your porridge is a horrible idea to me (disgusting actually) but obviously I wouldn't dream of telling you you shouldn't eat it that way because that would be wrong.

Weeelokthen · 20/03/2026 16:54

Arregaithel · 20/03/2026 16:09

Not scottish then hen? 😋 😄

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Travelled the world but never knew this ancient Scottish porridge rule. Maybe she disnae like mingling wi the citizens of the many countries she has visited😂

Weeelokthen · 20/03/2026 16:46

Noshowlomo · 20/03/2026 09:47

Salt on porridge? Is this a thing?

😮

IrregularMo0n · 20/03/2026 16:45

InterestedDad37 · 20/03/2026 16:42

Yeah, I know, I had it when I was a kid, but never liked it.

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Probably too much. You shouldn't be able to actually taste the salt itself

DeathNote11 · 20/03/2026 16:45

Noshowlomo · 20/03/2026 09:47

Salt on porridge? Is this a thing?

Yes. I eat it with a side of cottage cheese (I'll get my coat).

ICanLiveWithIt · 20/03/2026 16:43

I prefer whisky on porridge. Do Starbucks stock a single malt?

InterestedDad37 · 20/03/2026 16:42

IrregularMo0n · 20/03/2026 16:41

It's not a topping. It is there to enhance the flavour, same as chocolate, cakes and biscuits are correctly seasoned to improve the flavour.

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Yeah, I know, I had it when I was a kid, but never liked it.

IrregularMo0n · 20/03/2026 16:42

RampantIvy · 20/03/2026 16:30

I thought it was common knowledge that Scots like salty porridge.

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I wish people would stop saying on, it's in the porridge

IrregularMo0n · 20/03/2026 16:41

InterestedDad37 · 20/03/2026 09:46

Salt has no place on porridge. I don't care what the Scots/purists say 😉

It's not a topping. It is there to enhance the flavour, same as chocolate, cakes and biscuits are correctly seasoned to improve the flavour.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 20/03/2026 16:38

My Dad used to fulminate about people who travelled abroad but didn't know their own country. Admittedly, this was used to justify why we only ever had holidays in the UK when we were growing up, largely from lack of cash, but he had a point.

ThreadneedleRoad · 20/03/2026 16:36

RampantIvy · 20/03/2026 16:30

I thought it was common knowledge that Scots like salty porridge.

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Well, I certainly knew it, and I’ve probably spent less than a week of my life in Scotland, and none of that observing Scottish breakfast practices…

RampantIvy · 20/03/2026 16:30

LoudPlumDog · 20/03/2026 14:51

Salt on porridge!!! Yuck!! I have never ever heard of this in my life and I’m mid fifties and have traveled the world. Why would you?

I thought it was common knowledge that Scots like salty porridge.

Enko · 20/03/2026 16:26

StationJack · 20/03/2026 14:04

@Enko , Salt in your diet - NHS
Salt can be unhealthy if you eat too much - the amount you need is actually quite a bit (a level teaspoon is quite a lot to me).
What's unhealthy is the salt that's already in prepared food because you don't see it unless you check the ingredients.

Perfect Porridge

The key word in my response was "can"

Additionally my response was in response to someone stating salt was not unhealthy. It CAN be.

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