Children's meals in some pubs and fast food chains remain far too high in salt

The Independent reports on new survey findings by CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health). "Children's meals at some of the UK's leading pub and fast food chains contain more salt than they should eat in an entire day, a study has found." Perhaps surprisingly, "Nando's and Wetherspoons both had children's meals containing three times as much salt as a McDonald's Happy Meal of a hamburger and fries. " I recommend that parents read the whole article.

There are healthier options available, but parents are hampered if they are looking for the healthier low salt options for their children because menus lack nutritional information. - Even now! - After years of warnings about the harm that high salt intake does to children and the dangers to their long-term health when they become addicted to salt in childhood. - Even now! - Even now parts of the Food Industry are continuing to ladle vast amounts of salt into children's meals, without providing the necessary information that these levels of salt are dangerous to health. - Heightened risk of high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, asthma and kidney disease: these are the free accompaniments to highly salted children's meals...

Beware! That pub meal is likely to be very high in salt!

Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) has been surveying the salt content of 526 pie, mash and gravy products from large pub chains, cafes, takeaways and supermarkets, as reported by hc2d.co.uk.

It's good that Consensus Action on Salt and Health keeps drawing attention to continuing high concentrations of salt in prepared meals, but after so many years of attention being drawn to this, retailers who sell meals to the public must know that for the sake of the health of their customers they should be lowering the amount of salt in those meals.

It seems then, that Wetherspoons and Punch Taverns don't care that their high salt meals are damaging their customers' health. It would seem that by making their meals salty, they hope to increase the thirst of the customers who eat them, and therefore to sell more drinks to them to quench that thirst. If you are one of those customers, I suggest you try telling the manager you would prefer the meals to be less salty. Failing that, you may like to consider taking your custom elsewhere for the sake of your health. If you cut down on salt and salty food, you will feel better and have more energy, and you'll lower your risk of stroke, heart attack, diabetes, cancer and dementia, as well as lowering high blood pressure and losing excess weight/fluid retention.