We don’t see it, but it’s there. Whether it’s the chicken salad you had for lunch, or your favourite 3am instant ramen, that sneaky little thing we call salt is always there. Do you know that salt plays a major role in the amount of sodium we get from our food? Over 90% of us in Singapore consume more than the WHO’s daily recommended amount of salt intake. On average, adults in Singapore consume about 9g of salt each day, almost twice the recommended amount of 5g.
Salt (sodium chloride) consists of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Our bodies need sodium for important tasks like sending signals to nerves, moving muscles, and maintaining the right balance of water and minerals. Adding a pinch of salt makes our food tastier. But you can’t trust your tongue to taste excess salt. We are so accustomed to the enhanced flavours brought about by the addition of salt that we lose track of the amount of sodium we are consuming; excessive salt intake has adverse effects on our bodies, especially for children.
Here’s the general advice on sodium limits:
- Adults and teens aged 14 years and older: aim for no more than 2,300 mg/day
- Children aged 9 to 13 years: avoid more than 1,800 mg/day
- Children aged 4 to 8 years: Less than 1,500 mg/day
- Children aged 1 to 3 years: Not more than 1,200 mg/day.
Salt & Babies
Babies only need very small amounts of salt, or none. Their kidneys are too immature to cope with salt. Your weaning child doesn’t need salt from anywhere and inappropriate salt intake can be harmful in ways such as:
· Early introduction of salty foods tend to lead to food rejection, and/or fussy eating patterns as the child may choose processed or heavily flavoured foods which are higher in salt over whole foods with naturally lower salt content such as vegetables and fruits.
· Increasing the risk of blood pressure over time, and in rare cases, a baby with prolonged high salt intake may end up in the emergency room.
· Consistent addition of salt may promote lifelong dependency and/preference for salty foods.
· Too much salt can damage a young child’s kidneys and bring about long-term health issues.
When introducing solid foods to a baby it’s essential not to add any extra salt to their meals. Having a child with sensory issues, I totally understand how hard it can be to introduce solid foods to your baby while ensuring that his/her nutritional needs are met. Shane’s Kitchen is here for you, supporting your baby’s weaning journey. Our home-made soups and broths not only keep your baby full and hydrated but also meet their nutritional requirements.
What Is a Low-Sodium Diet?
Please do not cut all ties with sodium just because salt is bad. As mentioned, our body needs sodium for various bodily functions. Good to know, most of the sodium our body requires, need not necessarily come from the salt shaker.
Sodium is naturally present in most food ingredients, including vegetables, fruits, poultry, meat, and dairy. Fresh produce and other plant-based foods typically contain lower amounts of sodium compared to animal-based foods like meat and dairy products. When we sprinkle salt in our cooking or use it as a seasoning, it increases our sodium intake. By reducing the amount of salt for seasoning and consuming foods with low sodium, we can better control (or reduce) our sodium intake.
Cooking food with less salt and more flavour
With Shane’s Kitchen variety of stocks and broths in Singapore, you can know cook with ease. With our flavourful options of stocks and broths, there is no need to add salt or seasoning to your home cooked dishes. Cooking at home gives you more flexibility to control your salt intake and the amount of salt you feed your child. Salt is not a requirement to make food tasty. A good stock and/broth is a must for a fuss free, healthy yet delicious meal. In addition, for enhanced flavour, replace or reduce the amount of salt you use with more vegetables, fruits, salt-free seasonings, and other herbs and spices.
Eating good foods like fruits and veggies rich with dietary fibres improve your gut health, keep your heart healthy. At Shane’s Kitchen, we deliver the best soups and broths in Singapore for your little fussy eaters in their different weaning stages. Our stocks and broths contain no added salt, sugar, preservations and additives, using only the freshest ingredients to bring out the most delicious flavours in every ingredient.
