When babies start introducing solid foods, many moms have questions about whether or not to add salt to their baby's food. How much salt should be added? Let's hear the professional advice from pediatricians.
1. The adverse effects of babies eating salt too early
Baby's body is not yet fully developed and is much more fragile than adults, so eating salt too early is not good. Let's take a look at the adverse effects of babies eating salt too early.
1. Baby's kidney function is not fully developed, so they are not able to handle excessive salt. Consuming too much salt can increase the burden on the kidneys and heart, affecting the baby's growth and development.
2. Consuming too much salt can inhibit the proliferation of epithelial cells in the oral mucosa, reduce saliva secretion, and decrease the amount of lysozyme in saliva. Lysozyme has antibacterial effects, and its reduction can weaken the oral defense against bacteria and viruses, thus compromising the baby's immune function.
3. Baby's taste buds are very sensitive, even a little salt can make them feel flavorful. If they consume too much salt, even if they feel it's salty, they can't express it and can only gradually adapt to the high saltiness, which eventually affects their taste development.
4. Consuming too much salt can affect the absorption of zinc and increase the excretion of calcium and other minerals.
5. Developing a habit of consuming high-salt diet from a young age is difficult to correct when they grow up and can lead to diseases such as hypertension.
2. When can babies start eating salt?
【Babies under six months old should not eat salt】
Babies under six months old need less than 1 gram of salt per day, which can usually be obtained from breast milk or formula milk. Salt should not be added to their complementary foods before the age of one because it may harm their kidneys. The kidney function of babies under three months old is still weak, and consuming salty foods can increase the burden on the kidneys, affecting their normal development. After three months, babies can consume a small amount of salt. After six months, the daily salt intake should be limited to less than 1 gram, and it can gradually increase after one year old, but should not exceed 2 grams per day. If the baby sweats a lot or has diarrhea or vomiting, the salt intake can be increased accordingly. For babies aged 0-6 months, the daily intake of sodium should not exceed 200 milligrams. As the main food for babies under six months is breast milk and formula milk, both of which contain sodium (the main component of salt) and the content is sufficient to meet the baby's needs, there is no need to supplement with additional salt. The same principle applies when adding complementary foods to babies, natural salt content should be taken into account.
【Babies over six months old can start adding a small amount of salt】
Infants and young children are more sensitive to salt than adults. When the salt content in food is 0.25%, adults find it tasteless, but babies find it salty. Over time, the baby's taste will become heavier. At the same time, the body's need for salt is limited. Before six months, the baby's digestion and kidney function are not fully developed, and excessive salt intake can increase the burden on the kidneys. This can also be a cause of frequent upper respiratory tract infections in infants and young children and may hinder the absorption of zinc in the body.
Around six months is a critical period for taste bud development and taste preference formation. At this time, encourage children to accept a variety of foods and experience the original flavors of different foods. According to the recommendations of the Chinese Nutrition Society, infants under six months old should consume about 200 milligrams of sodium (equivalent to 0.5 grams of salt) per day. Breast milk or formula milk, as well as the body's own metabolic storage, can provide sufficient sodium for growth without the need for additional supplementation.
Around one year old, when soft noodles and rice gradually become the main food for babies, a small amount of salt can be added, but it is better to add it later and control it to about 1 gram, not exceeding 2 grams. Children with heart disease, nephritis, and respiratory tract infections should limit their salt intake even more. Before the age of three, monosodium glutamate should not be given to babies. If monosodium glutamate is added, the amount of salt should be reduced. Of course, you can also choose infant soy sauce, where every 15 milliliters of soy sauce is equivalent to 1 gram of salt.
If you want to control the salt intake for your baby, it is best to add salt to the food after it is cooked and served on the table. At this time, the salt will only adhere to the surface of the food, and with just a little salt, you can taste the saltiness.
【One-year-old babies can supplement salt appropriately】
Sodium in salt is essential for babies over one year old. Especially in summer or when sweating a lot, the lack of salt can cause dehydration. Around one year old, when soft noodles and rice gradually become the main food for babies, a small amount of salt can be added, but it is better to add it later. The total amount of salt added should not be compared to that of adults, and it needs to be strictly controlled, around 1 gram, not exceeding 2 grams. Children with heart disease, nephritis, and respiratory tract infections should limit their salt intake even more. Before the age of three, monosodium glutamate should not be given to babies. If monosodium glutamate is added, the amount of salt should be reduced. Of course, you can also choose infant soy sauce, where every 15 milliliters of soy sauce is equivalent to 1 gram of salt.
It should be noted that between 7 and 12 months, babies' salt needs will slightly increase to around 1 gram. Children aged 1 to 3 years need less than 2 grams of salt per day (equivalent to 0.8 grams of sodium). Some moms add less salt when cooking for their children, but overlook the invisible salt. The most common invisible salt is pickles, salted fish, and cured meat. To keep the baby's taste light, try to remove these foods from the recipe.
3. Precautions for adding salt to complementary foods
1. Babies require a very small amount of salt. Adults only need 6 grams of salt per day, while babies should consume much less. A little salty taste in their complementary foods is sufficient. As the baby's age and months increase, the salt content in their food can be moderately increased, but it should still be kept light.
2. Babies under six months old do not need to add salt to their complementary foods.
3. For babies aged 1 to 3 years, try to add as little salt as possible when cooking. Generally, the daily salt intake for children aged 1 to 6 years should not exceed 2 grams. In fact, for the very sensitive taste buds of babies, the natural flavors of vegetables and fruits are already delicious, and these foods also contain enough salt.
4. It is recommended to "add salt during meals" to control the amount of salt intake. This means adding less salt when cooking the dishes or not adding salt until the dishes are cooked and served on the table. This way, the salt will only adhere to the surface of the dishes, and with just a little salt, they will taste flavorful. This can control the amount of salt intake and avoid the loss of iodine during high-temperature cooking.
