When did you start adding salt to your child’s food?

[Hope54321]

When did you start adding salt to your child’s food?

I started adding salt at about 2 I have a baby now so will try and cut down a bit but I don't understand how people don't use salt in their meals
I would never add it to baked beans or a processed food but I would love someone to show me an actual recipe for a soup or curry that has no salt/stock in it???

Never add. But they had normal crisps etc by age 3/4

@CovidCorvid

The only thing I put salt in is home made bread. I cook quite a bit from scratch and stuff doesn’t taste bland. I can’t think of any curry recipes or pasta recipes I have in my numerous recipe books which have salt in the ingredients. 🤷‍♀️

What cook books are you using??

I can’t think of many recipes in any of my books without salt/stock in them. Every pasta sauce will say add salt/pepper to taste/add a generous amount of salt etc.

Avocado is another one. I always felt a bit meh about avocado till I had a well salted one.

Never. Got used to not having salt added at the cooking stage.

Is this an english thing, not putting salt on food?? (Besides due to severe health problems)

It’s a general health thing. Modern diets generally are very high in salt. It’s not about avoiding salt if you have health problems, it’s about reducing salt intake means you are less likely to get those problems in the first place.

Most people eat more than twice the recommended daily amount of salt. Reducing that will reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart, kidney issues, and stroke.

www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/salt-reduction

Diets high in processed foods are very high in salt @Nomoreusernames1244

If you don't eat a lot of processed food and use salt in cooking (so a couple of pinches in a meal for 4) then it's good for you. Humans need sodium in their diets.

This is like when all those kids became malnourished because their parents fed them low fat diets at the turn of the century.

Other than the bit you put in when you follow a recipe why would you add any more salt?
The result is what it is supposed to taste like.

Any time we have something I didn't make from scratch, which happens every week at some point, it appears to contain a years worth of salt & sugar so it's not like we're salt deprived.

What's wrong with salt? I know it's bad for under ones and people with health conditions like high blood pressure, but I happily add it when cooking. I put salt in pasta water and on frying onion to reduce the cooking time. It's just flavour.
I have low blood pressure and a doctor once told me to use more salt, so I do. You can get ill from too little salt as well, for example if you run a marathon with no electrolytes and only water (yes I do speak from experience on that particular one, it was grim).
I do cook from scratch most days so it's not like we are eating a lot of fast food and takeaways.

f you don't eat a lot of processed food and use salt in cooking (so a couple of pinches in a meal for 4) then it's good for you. Humans need sodium in their diets

Bread, cheese, stock (especially cubes), ham, soy sauce, breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, ketchup, fish/prawns, bacon and smoked meats…

Plenty of foods out there that are “processed” and high in salt that make up staples of the western diet. Even if you cook meals from scratch, most people will eat the above regularly.

I cannot imagine eating a Thai curry, pho or ramen or even a baked potato without salt. I dont want excessive amounts but I do need seasonings. I am genuinely surprised that so many of you dont use salt at all.

Some time between 1-2 years old, when they started eating the same food as us

Lol at those who say they never use any salt. God your food must be bland as fuck.

I've used salt in all of my cooking and have never tailored it. The kids eat what we eat.

I used to put a lot of salt on jacket potatoes from the works canteen as the potatoes they used were tasteless.

The potatoes I buy at home taste nice so don’t need salt.

People eat mashed potato and scrambled eggs without seasoning and think it tastes great?! Find me a chef who agrees.
I don't use convenience food, jarred sauces etc but I will add a little salt and pepper when cooking, even a pinch of sugar if using tinned tomatoes. I worked in kitchens when I was younger, taste is about balance and you can't have that without salt, even if it comes from an ingredient like cheese or soy sauce etc

I don't cook with salt.

We don't use salt in any of our meals, and don't miss it! Plenty of flavour from herbs and spices. I put a little over the dc fries when they have them about once a week, otherwise they're pretty tasteless- but that's it.

I love scrambled eggs and never put salt in.

But I also do not like the taste of cheese or soy sauce or indeed many foods people rave over.

I never did...

Never.

From 2 as I wouldn't need to separate his food from ours before adding seasoning unless it was chilli and dc wouldn't cope. When I cook separately for him for breakfast and lunch as me and dh only eat dinner, then I wouldn't add salt when it's for ds only.

Salt is a vital ingredient that enhances flavours and basically brings your dish together unless you are used to eating bland. I'm a massive foodie and come from a multicultural background and seasoning is very important in the food I prepare or eat with family/relatives and I would literally get bullied for not doing any justice for these amazing meals.

Lol at those who say they never use any salt. God your food must be bland as fuck

Lol at those who use salt all the time. God your food must just taste of salt and nothing else.

I like my food and find it tasty. You can keep your salt and high blood pressure.

@Nomoreusernames1244 it's not just a health thing. Trying to be healthier is like me reducing the amount of salt added. But cutting it off completely (except in cases of severe health issues) would be unthinkable!!! Can't even imagine suggesting to my family or serving them such a thing!!! Veggies I think are perfectly fine without salt but pasta and rice??!!!!

I am boggling at people who don’t use salt and pepper in cooking. Do you think restaurant meals taste awful?

I don’t have any processed foods - apart from bread and cheese I suppose - but I used salt all the time when cooking.

I use stock cubes which contain some salt, in most things. Otherwise no salt added in cooking - my husband will sometimes add some on the plate