My toddler is developing a taste for salty foods, e.g., mac and cheese, spaghetti sauce, miso soup, etc. I've tried to substiute to low sodium stocks, use Mrs. Dash, and spices instead of salt but he's resistant. Any suggestions on changing his salty taste preference?
He's a toddler. How resistant can he really be? Since you are the only one feeding him and providing food to him you determine what he eats. He will eat what you feed him.
If you start coddling him now and catering to his eating habits you will be stuck in that pattern.
By not keeping any processed foods in the house. We cook everything, with the exception of spaghetti sauce. The kind we get, doesn't have added salt. Stop keeping those things in the house, and he won't be able to eat it. Mac and cheese, is very easy too cook at home!
Della's point is right on.
Who's in charge here? Don't buy those things. We have not owned a salt shaker in 25 years!
Since you are the 1 supplying food for your child you are in control of what you provide. Don't keep processed food in the house (high sodium) and start making stuff from scratch. It's cheaper and healthier.
A love for salt is acquired, and while he may be resistant, you are his mother, you love him and want what's best for him so keep it up!
With high blood pressure becoming more prevalent even among school-age children it's important to provide your son a lower sodium diet. High blood pressure in turn can lead to heart attacks and strokes later in life, and too much salt can also affect one's kidneys, very dangerous in children because they are smaller Take a look at these articles from various countries, it is a recognized health threat doctors are very concerned about:
http://www.awash.org.au/cons_saltandchildren.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2008-03-16-sa...
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/the_danger...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-98813/Have-got-...
http://www.childrenshospital.org/views/june07/pediatric_k... ~ this last link talks about the rise in pediatric kidney stones in children due to too much salt in their diets
So, toss your salt shakers, don't add salt to foods you prepare, and serve fresh foods rather than processed foods like lunch meats, hot dogs, sliced cheeses, and all the foods you mentioned, there is so much "hidden" salt in everyday foods. Continue to serve him lower sodium foods, and make it a family affair, extra salt in anyone's diet is not good. Use herbs, spices and lemon to add flavor to foods.
Salads are a good fresh option for everyone, you can offer fruits, veggies, and protein in them. Also make your son's foods fun and interesting to eat by arranging his food into faces or shapes so he's into eating it and not looking for the salty tastes.
Make your own spaghetti sauce, mac & cheese, etc., so YOU can limit the salt in them. It's not that difficult, I've always done it. I took over cooking for my dad 6 years ago when he developed kidney failure, after having diabetes for over 20 years, and then having a stroke. He developed a love for salt as a child, so I had to totally revamp his diet, eliminate the sodium packed foods, and cook for him the way i do my family.
And, here's a recipe for Emeril Lagasse's Baby Bam that I make with mine, I put VERY little salt in this, about 3/4 tsp, even though it calls for more. We've even made it and packaged it in plastic storage containers for gifts, and use it to season most everything:
http://www.emerils.com/recipe/6559/
Hang in there<3
Is there a medical concern you have regarding your son's salt intake?
Did you know that recent medical studies completely debunked the long advertised notion that low salt diets would help reduce high blood pressure?
Here's a quote: "The European study, published in the current issue of the Journal of the Medical Association, found that low-salt diets don't prevent high blood pressure and may even increase the risk of heart disease. Dr. Peter Briss, a medical director at the CDC, said the study is flawed and that its findings contradict much of what's already known about salt and heart disease. " This is from May 2011.
My concerns about a toddler developing a specific taste for salty foods is that his current diet does not provide enough sodium...or...there is a processing and digestive issue causing him to want more sodium to offset a mineral that might be lacking. Does that make sense?
As long as your son drinks and pees normally, the salt in the food you mention should not cause harm. Another possibility, is that because it is extra hot this time of year, seeing that you are from Florida, the extra sodium will help replace lost minerals from sweat and heat.
My husbands sees lots of nearly comatose, dehydrated kids during the summer months form parents pushing water, when they actually need a gatorade type drink to replenish what was lost.
Basically if you reduce the amount of processed foods your child eats, you will reduce the sodium intake. Not all high sodium foods "taste salty" either.
Example: Mac & Cheese: O. container of Kraft Easy mac 520 mg sodium
But if you make your own with a pound of pasta and grated half pound of shredded cheddar, the per serving sodium will be about 200 mg.
Put kelp powder into his food rather than salt - it has a salty taste but offers balanced minerals and other benefits and doesn't upset the mineral ratios the way table salt does. Then stop consuming foods with salt yourself, set an example for him. Avoiding processed foods is best for anyone since they are unhealthy and addictive.
You could try substitutuing sea salt for table salt. They have it in those little grinder bottles right by the pepper at the store. It is way lower in sodium but tastes like salt.
I agree too with moms who say making things from scratch will lower the sodium because prepacked and processed food have tons. (They are just so darned handy sometimes though!)
It sounds like you are trying to train his palate to enjoy other flavors. I guess I never thought of spaghetti sauce as being salty. I think I notice the herbs more and the sweetness. I would just try giving him as many foods in their natural form as possible and help him learn to enjoy the taste of the actual food. Try to get a variety of tastes that hit different zones on the tongue. (Bitter, sweet, umami, salty, etc.) That will help him enjoy foods in different ways.
Good luck!
Everyone needs a little salt, but too much of anything is no good for you.
Have him drink lots of water and increase his potassium intake (bananas, coconut water, etc).
Kids seem to go through phases where they craves sweets or salty things.
I wouldn't worry about it too much unless it becomes something constant or the doctor says there is something to worry about.
Begin to read labels on what you are buying; there is sodium in so much stuff that we buy today there really is no need to add salt. When you cook do not add salt. Since the child is a toddler if they get hungry they will eat what you prepare if it does or does not have salt in it. Begin planting the seeds on the dangers of too much salt what the repercussions are and planting seeds on what we are to eat. Vegetables and fruits. Make the food you feed him healthy but with lots of fun so he will learn as he grows... He will thank you for it when he is grown; plus he will pass the food along to his children.
Don't add salt to anything you cook - just add extra seasonings.
Limit processed foods
Of the food you mentioned that only thing that is salty is miso soup - mac and cheese and spaghetti sauce made from scratch can be made without added salt. It is the boxed and bottled products that have so much sodium. I have easy recipes for both is you are interested.
processed chicken nuggets can be substituted with panneed chicken cooked at home - pound chicken breasts flats, dip in egg, then seasoned bread crumbs and fry. Easy to make and much lower sodium than processed.
I use flavored olive oils instead of butter and salt on most veggies.
Read labels -sodium is hidden in everything.
Basically, you change the way you feed your toddler - he will eat. If you do not present the salty foods to him, he will learn to eat other things. Learn to cook in different low sodium ways.
He may always like salty foods - but you can feed him other things.
Good Luck
God Bless
Cook from scratch and reduce the amount of salt you use over time.
Make everything from scratch. Watch which cereals he eats, it's unbelieveable how much salt they put in cereal.
Does he drink a lot of water? That will help with high sodium.
But drinking lots of water while you reduce sodium can be bad: I tried a low-sodium diet, and sometime later, started trying to drink more water, following the recommended eight 8-oz glasses/day recommendation.
And ended up in the ICU for three days with a blood sodium count that was too low. (We've since learned my sodium numbers hover around the bottom of the body's acceptable range, anyway. I produce low levels of the hormone that causes the body to retain sodium - I CAN'T go on a low-sodium diet.)
As you reduce his sodium intake, keep an eye on him - if he gets dizzy or light-headed, that is the first sign of too-low sodium (hyponatremia).
I agree with Mum4ever's comment; if he is suddenly seeming to crave sodium, it might be because he needs it. It is exceptionally hot this year; sweating a lot will cause anyone to need more sodium.
