Why is too much salt bad for kids?

The recommended salt intake for children is between 3g to 5g per day.   There is a lot of scientific evidence that has shown that the sodium from salt is bad for our health.  For kids, there are two big reasons why a high salt is bad for their future:

  1. It predisposes them to a number of diseases in later life such as, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, asthma, cancers and obesity.
  2. They develop a taste preference for salty foods into adulthood

The good news is….Seaweed

To combat the effects of a high salt diet, we decided to utilise a nutritious and sustainable ingredient which we have in abundance in our Scottish waters, yes it’s seaweed, which the kids can’t see or taste!  So here’s two big reasons why seaweed is good for our kid’s health:

  1. Seaweed contains ten times less sodium than your kitchen salt, so it doesn’t have the same harmful effects
  2. Seaweed is a good source of minerals like iodine, potassium, calcium and magnesium

Seaweed is a natural rich source of iodine, which, according to the research statistics, 76% of UK girls have a diet with insufficient levels of iodine. Iodine is important for us, because it contributes to thyroid function, metabolism and cognitive function.

Our Pizza Power Kids range includes 215mg of iodine per 100g, so caterers and parents can be reassured that kids are not only consuming less salt, but they also getting essential minerals.

EU approved health claims

  • normal growth in children
  • normal yielding-energy metabolism
  • normal cognitive function
  • normal functioning of the nervous system
  • the maintenance of normal skin
  • the normal production of thyroid hormones and normal thyroid function

For more information on all things seaweed – check out our friend Dr Seaweed at Seaweed & Co