AIBU not to let my children have salt on their chips?

[Nospringflower]

They have asked me to post on here to find out as they think I am . I don't like salt, don't have it on anything (including chips) and don't use it in my cooking ever. They are age 10, 8 and 7 and I don't think they need it but am not sure if I am doing the right thing - I could be making them really want it. What do you think? Thanks

And olive oil and herbs Mrsj.

I don't like salt on my salad.

Are you sure your children are getting enough salt? If you never cook with it and they eat mainly unprocessed foods, they could end up deficient. Of course they only need a teensy, tiny bit but they still need some.

They do get it on their popcorn as well - we buy these bags you shove in the microwave and they like salted.

I thought the health advice says that you get enough in your diet naturally and don't need to add more so they are unlikely to be salt deficient.

You can't have much salt on chips, otherwise it ruins the taste of the vinegar. .

I could survive with unsalted chips, but not unvinegared.

I'm with Sue, chips NEED salt, IMO. I don't use salt for the children usually, and only very limited amounts for grownups, but I have to have salt on chips.

DS1 (8) discovered salt a few months ago, and he says chips are soooo much nicer now. I sprinkle about two grains on DS2's (5).

I am a very strict mum with everything else, btw.

I don't put salt on any food prefer other stuff. Chips are different though. Would never let my 4 year old sprinkle it on herself. Same with sugar.

Humphrey - do you really mean you put salt on your salad . I put dressings e.g. balsamic, mustard, olive oil, garlic etc but didn't realise anyone would put it on salad.

Yes, I'm a firm believer in 'a little bit of what you fancy'

Salt isn't the anti-christ and like anything else, is fine in moderation.

I couldn't eat chips without salt so I wouldn't insist my kids did either.

YABU to let them have chips. My DC only eat raw, organic food.

I dont add salt to anything except chips and to melted cheese on toast.

I would get around this by not cooking chips (you cant have chips without salt), and do, as chips only ever taste nice cooked in a deep fat fryer and I refuse to have one in the house as it stinks the place out. Oven chips are the devils work and chip pans are dangerous (dontcha know?).

Therefore, we dont eat chips in this house. However, I order them from McDs or on a pub meal so do get my fair share.

Chips without salt are not great. Unless you are covering them in gravy or curry sauce.

I make dressings as you describe and put salt and pepper in them. They taste delicious. It is not a crime to not use salt, but neither is it life limiting to do so either!

sorry, too many eithers

You have to have salt on chips, tomatoes and egg. It is the law

To be honest, I love salt.

I think the only UK children who are at any risk of being salt deficient are the ones who are gluten intolerant - all the others will probably eat enough bread in an average week to meet their salt needs.

Bue - oops - think I have given a wrong impression if you don't think they eat many processed foods. They have things like bacon, beans (low salt and sugar but probably still quite a bit), cereals which I think all have salt in them etc. Fish fingers, pasta pesto etc. I have recently read something saying that to count as cooking it has to have ingredients that are chopped etc so am trying to do more of that as even if its meat, frozen veg and potatoes it doesnt count as cooking in this research project one of my children is involved in

They will come to no harm whatsoever having some salt on their chips if they are not having everything else steeped in salt all day long.

Our bodies need salt, quite a lot if sweating due to excercise or heat. We are well geared up to excrete it - just make sure they have water to drink on demand.

Sorry Humphrey - I just thought you had a salad and sprinkled it with salt!!

Fish fingers don't have salt, do they?

Isn't the origin of the word salad something about salted ie dressed?

A little salt isn't something I think I'd make an issue of tbh.

Your DC definitely win this one. YABU. Chips need salt.

I'm with the OP - I don't like salt so don't add it to anything. It wouldn't occur to me to add salt to chips.

I think we get more than enough 'stealth' salt, anyway.

But surely you just say no when your children ask for something else you don't want them to have, rather than never let them have it? The floodgates will only open as far as you let them, and anyway I think you're being a little silly worrying about it this much. Really, it's just salt. It's nice on chips. Doesn't mean your children will start wanting it on everything; presumably they like the other food you cook them? So why would they suddenly want to drown it in salt?

I don't eat bread either, and hardly any processed food, so I may need it more than many other people. I really dislike food prepared without any salt.

None of us add salt routinely to our food and I don't use it in cooking. But chips are definitely an exception, kids included. They are 6 and 9 and they don't "need" salt, but boy do the chips taste better!