HeySolids
Choking risk
Salt is a low choking risk. It dissolves into food and is used in tiny amounts, so there's nothing to cut, mash or shape.
The reason to keep it out of your baby's food is not the texture - it's how much salt they take in overall. That's covered in Food safety below.
Nothing to cut or shape here, so prep is about flavoring without salt. See how to serve for how to season food at each age.
Allergens
Salt is not a food allergen, so there is no allergic reaction to watch for. The reason to keep it out of baby's food is its effect on their kidneys, not allergy.[1]
Food safety
Don't add salt to your baby's food, the cooking water, or the family meals they share. Their kidneys can't handle much of it yet, and the CDC links a high-salt diet in early childhood to higher blood pressure later on.[2]
Most of what babies get doesn't come from the shaker. It comes from everyday foods - cheese, bread, broth, cured meats, packaged snacks. Check labels and pick the lower-salt version where there is one.
No added salt in the first 12 months, and keep it low after that. For ages 1 to 3, the daily limit is 1,200 mg of sodium.[3]
How to serve
Up to 2 years old
No added salt
Don't add salt to your baby's food, the cooking water, or the family meals they share. Under 12 months, US guidance is no added salt at all - babies get the sodium they need from breast milk, formula, and food itself. After the first birthday, keep it low.
Flavor without salt
Salt isn't the only thing that makes food taste of something, and there's no reason a baby's portion has to be bland.
Start with a pinch - about ⅛ teaspoon of dried spice or herb in a baby-sized portion - and build from there.
Mild warm spices work well: cinnamon, cumin, sweet paprika, turmeric, coriander, mild curry powder.
So do soft herbs: basil, dill, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano. Leave out hot chili - it isn't dangerous, just uncomfortable.
When you add it changes how much you taste. Dried spices go in early, with the oil or at the start of cooking, so they lose their raw edge. Fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon or lime go in at the end, off the heat. Garlic and onion turn sweet if you cook them slowly first.
Watch the seasonings that are mostly salt: stock cubes, bouillon, soy sauce, gravy granules and anything sold as "seasoning." Use unsalted stock or plain water, and check labels on bread, cheese and ready-made foods - that's where most of a young child's salt comes from, not the shaker.
2+ years old
Keep sodium low
After age 2, a light hand is fine. Cook with less than you'd use for yourself, taste before adding more, and let herbs and spices carry most of the flavor. The daily limit is 1,200 mg of sodium through age 3.
Tips
- Cook the whole meal unsalted and salt your own plate at the table. It's less work than making a separate portion, and everyone eats the same food.
- Stock cubes, soy sauce and anything labelled "seasoning" are mostly salt. Swap to unsalted stock or plain water and season with herbs instead.
- Bread and cheese are the two big ones. A slice of bread and a small piece of cheddar can use up a large share of a toddler's day before you've added anything.