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Salt and sugar in baby food: what science says

2026-05-26 12:00 Complementary Feeding
In short: Salt and sugar are not added to the food of children under 12 months: immature kidneys cannot cope with excess sodium, and sugar forms harmful food preferences and destroys the rudiments of teeth. After a year, it is minimized, but not completely prohibited. A child naturally loves natural tastes - do not spoil them ahead of time.

Why you can't give salt to children under one year old

The kidneys of a child in the first year of life have not yet reached the maturity of an adult organ. Their "renal threshold reserve" — the ability to excrete excess sodium — is limited. Excess salt literally overloads the renal tubules and disrupts the water-electrolyte balance. In children, this can manifest itself in increased thirst, edema, in severe cases - hypernatremia (dangerously high levels of sodium in the blood).
The daily sodium requirement for a child under 1 year of age is about 200-400 mg - this amount is already contained in breast milk, formula and natural products. You don't need to add salt on top of it at all. For comparison: one teaspoon of table salt contains about 2300 mg of sodium - 5-10 times more than the daily norm of a child.

Salt and the formation of taste preferences

Studies show that children who get used to salty foods from the first year prefer saltier foods later on and consume more sodium in the long term. It is during this period that the development of the child lays down long-term eating habits month by month . It is a risk factor for hypertension, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Food preferences are formed early, as proven by numerous studies in dietetics and pediatrics.

Why you can't use sugar and sweeteners

The WHO, AAP and ESPGHAN are unanimous: free sugar (including honey, fructose, sweeteners) should not be added to the food of children under 2 years of age - and even more so in the first year of life. Causes:
  • Caries. Sugar is the main factor in the development of caries in baby teeth. Milk teeth are important: their loss affects the bite and speech.
  • Formation of cravings for sweets. The earlier a child is accustomed to sweetened foods, the more difficult it is for him to give preference to unsweetened foods in the future.
  • Risk of obesity. Excess sugar intake at an early age is one of the predictors of overweight in children and adults.
  • Honey up to a year old is a risk of botulism. Spores of Clostridium botulinum in honey can germinate in an infant's intestines, causing life-threatening poisoning.

Hidden sources of salt and sugar in baby food

The problem is not only that parents deliberately add salt or sugar. Many finished products contain them hidden:
  • Industrial fruit purees and juices – often with added sugar or concentrate. Choose products specifically for children from 6 months.
  • Children's cookies and crackers often contain salt and/or sugar.
  • Ready-made porridges with fruit additives - check the composition.
  • Any "adult" products: bread, cheese, meat products, canned food.
Read the ingredients on the labels. Choose specialized children's products without added salt and sugar, or cook at home. Read about the benefits of homemade meals in the article "Canned vs homemade food".

After a year: what changes?

After 12 months, the kidneys become more mature and a small amount of salt is better tolerated. But this does not mean that it is time to cook "adult" food for children according to the same recipes. The WHO recommends minimizing the consumption of free sugar and salt in the children's diet until school age. The daily salt intake for children 1-3 years old is about 500-800 mg of sodium (1.2-2 g of salt).

When to see a doctor

  • A child accidentally ate a dish with a lot of salt, became restless, drinks a lot or has swelling - contact a pediatrician.
  • If you want to assess the child's diet, a pediatrician or nutritionist will help.
  • The child refuses unsalted food – this is a reason to talk to a pediatrician, but not a reason to add salt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to add salt at least a little to make the food "tastier"?

No. The tastes of children and adults are fundamentally different. It works similarly with allergens — about this in the article "Allergy to complementary foods". The child does not perceive unsalted food as tasteless - for him it is a neutral taste, which he willingly accepts. It is the addition of salt that forms the habit of "salty", and not vice versa.

Honey is a natural product, why is it dangerous?

Honey may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic bacterium. In adults, the immune system and mature gut microbiota inhibit their growth. In children under 12 months of age, the intestines are not yet protected: the spores germinate and release a neurotoxin, causing infant botulism, a severe, potentially fatal disease. After a year, the risk is significantly reduced.

Conclusion

Up to a year old - without salt and sugar, period. After a year - minimally and gradually. This is not about "tasteless food", but about the fact that the child from the first months of life falls in love with real, natural tastes - and carries this habit through life. Read the ingredients, cook from natural products (about the effect of products on digestion - in a separate article) and do not add anything "for taste" before necessary.

Bibliography

  1. WHO. Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. WHO, 2015. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028
  2. AAP. Added Sugars and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children. Circulation. 2016; 135(19):e1017–e1034.
  3. ESPGHAN. Complementary Feeding: A Position Paper. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2017; 64(1):119–132.
  4. National program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation. Union of Pediatricians of Russia, 2019.
  5. Mennella JA. Ontogeny of taste preferences: basic biology and implications for health. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014; 99(3):704S–711S.
This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for medical advice. Questions about the child's nutrition can always be discussed with a pediatrician or pediatric nutritionist.