Baby and salt

There is no need to add salt to your child's food.

Babies need only a very small amount of salt - less than 1g a day up to 12 months. Their kidneys can't cope with larger amounts of salt.

Babies who are breastfed will get the right amount of salt through breast milk. Infant formula contains a similar amount.

The daily recommended maximum for children depends on their age:

1 to 3 years - 2 g salt a day (0.8g sodium)
4 to 6 years - 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium)
7 to 10 years - 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
11 and over - 6g salt a day (2.5g sodium)

These are the recommended maximums for children. It is better for them to have less.

If you're buying processed foods, even those aimed at children, remember to check the information given on the labels so you can choose those with less salt.

So there is no need to add salt to food you give to your baby. And be careful not to give him/her processed foods that aren't made specifically for babies, such as breakfast cereals and pasta sauces, because these can be high in salt.

Here is a quick way to tell if a food is high in salt by looking at the nutritional information on the label.

This is A LOT of salt
1.25g salt or more per 100g
(0.5g sodium or more per 100g)

This is A LITTLE salt
0.25g salt or less per 100g
(0.1g sodium or less per 100g)