Salt and sugar- how much and when???

[HyperMama]

Do you give your children sweets? Salty snacks? Does anyone out there know from a scientific point of view what the effects of these are on the babies and toddlers? At the moment I don't put salt in my cooking for dd1 9 months and dd2 27months. They both get salt only through bread (that is the only thing that has salt among the things they eat.) Sugar is easy cause they get it from fruit... but I am worried a little bit just in case I depriving dd2 of salt which may be something her body needs..

How important is salt for a toddlers diet?

they don't need salt... it is bad for them as their kidneys can't cope with it

in fact, i don't put salt in anything i make for myself either (uless it's from stock)...

Oh and cheese of course- they get salt from that!

Thank you startingtobehalloweenylover- thats what I think as well

btw- nice name..

God I love salt and sugar- I am downright addicted I can say.. what a shame though isn't it? I want my chidlren to grow with unadulturated taste buds- as much as I can help it.

haha yeah i am a sugar addict too!

Toddlers will get enough (probably more than enough) from a balanced diet. I wouldn't add salt when you are cooking and only add it to your own food once on the plate. Salty sncks are not necesary but the odd packet off crisps won't do any harm.
The recommended amount of salt per day for adults is 6g. 2-3 yrs is 2g. Have a look here Food Standards agency

Everyone needs salt in their diets but as a nation we consume far too much salt (on the whole) and babies get enough salt from the natural sodium levels in food without it being added.

My little boy has a treat sized packet of Buttons in the car on the way home from pre-school and biscuits at playgroup sometimes. He obviously has party food (complete crap) when the occasion arises as well. He doe snot have that many salty snacks other than cheese because I do not buy crisps and the like that often.

oh and bear in mind that the 6 AND 2g thingy is MAXIMUM recommendation... so it doesn't mean they should have that mucjh

Thanks ScaryS!
WIll have a look-
better get myself a good pair of specs to start reading all the ingredients!

Don't get to worried about or you'll get all anal and start feeding him organic, free range, salt free, sugar free, gluton free whole grain rice cakes all the time .

ScaryS- that is pretty much the diet here at home!!!

Oh well perhaps a few swigs from the salt shaker then, if thats all he gets .

For salt a rough guide is

NOTHING at all for the 1st 6 months
then 0.5g per day per year

bascally a child over 6 months COULD consume something with a stock cube in as an ingradiant for example! low salt = the best of course

ie 1 year old 0.5g MAX
2 year old 1g
3 year old 1.5g etc

until 12 year olds are roughly and adult 6g

these are MAXIMUM tho, and only a rough guide but as a rule of thumb i find it quite helpful!

NannyL where did you get your figures, I got mine from the food standards agency? I am interested in what other experts recommend.

Up to 6 months - less than 1g a day
6-12 months max 1g a day
1-3 years max 2g a day

according to food standards agency

People worry too much about salt and sugar.

I would rather my daughter have a small amount of sugar (a natural ingredient) than a ton of artificial chemical sweetners!

As for salt, don't have too much over proccessed food.

Everything in moderation is common sense!

Yet what do the HV's tell you to give as finger foods - Marmite!!!! Salt is one of the top ingredients!!!

so I'd take it all "with a pinch of salt" ;)