Adding Salt to Baby/Toddler Food

[FattyDumplin]

My son is 14 months and we home-make his food. Some of the ingredients (cheese, tomato sauce) have salt and I add lots of herbs / spices, but so far have avoided adding salt. When did other home food makers add salt / soy sauce to their kids food?

[cheesehead in recovery]

I have 13 mo. old twins, and make my own for them... I rarely cook with salt, and when i do i use kosher salt.. I generally avoid it, but sometimes, when I want the food to have a bit more flavor, I add it. I don't put salt on veggies or anything I mix with cheese,

[paulj]

Is it normal at that age to be making something different, as opposed to small portions (possibly pureed) of what everyone else is eating? It's been a long time since our son was that age, but we were traveling quite a bit around that age, and didn't have facilities to do anything special.

[goodhealthgourmet]

please don't season your son's food with salt. for one thing, it puts unnecessary strain on the kidneys. it also has the potential to alter his preferences, and most kids today already consume too much sodium - you don't want him to develop a taste for even more. as long as he has a healthy appetite and he's eating what you make him without complaint, keep doing what you're doing.

[FattyDumplin]

seems to be a consensus. i haven't wanted to add salt, but thought i'd poll the CH folks to see what others have done.

[FattyDumplin]

Thanks to both for your insight!

[LJS]

When she was old enough to ask for it to be passed or, failing that, arm-wrestle the darn salt-shaker out of her father's briney mitts.

No, seriously, your 14-month old will not suffer an iodine deficiency and that would be the only reason to add salt to a toddlers food.