We have seen it in popular reports that show us people who decide to feed exclusively on fast food for a while. Short time, because they cannot extend it much if they do not want to turn the experiment into suicide. But, What about the children's menus of fast food chains?
Surely the children would not endure a long time feeding continuously in these places. A study has analyzed salt levels in children's menus in several countries and concludes that they are worrisome and may pose risks to children's health.
Fats, sugars, cholesterol ... are the elements that are commonly associated with junk foods and fast food chains, but Salt is also present in these foods and is harmful. Salt increases the risk of childhood obesity and hypertension, cardiovascular accidents, osteoporosis ...
However, remember that salt itself is not bad, sodium is essential for life, but it can also be harmful to health if consumed in excess. The body of people only needs small amounts of salt to function properly and throughout the day we are exposed to many foods that carry salt by themselves, it is not usually necessary to dress them with a lot of salt (and no salt in babies' food ).
The study, prepared by World Action on Salt and Health, analyzed the salt levels of chains of different children's fast food menus (MacDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Subway) in 37 countries and found that eight out of ten menus contained more than one gram of salt (even the extreme case of more than two grams in some country like Turkey, Costa Rica ...).
The study analyzed a total of 387 children's menus, including the typical hamburger with potatoes or nuggets with potatoes. A child between four and six years does not need to take more than three grams of salt a day, so, considering that this menu is one of the five daily meals, it will give us a total of salt more than excessive.
To highlight the no less than 5'3 grams of salt that a child will drink if he asks for some Popcorn Nuggets and chips in Costa Rica. Seen what we have seen, we can thank that in Spain the Burger King hamburger with potatoes is at the lowest level of those analyzed, with 0'83 grams of salt (compared to 2.5 grams if we ask for same in Finland).
It is often said that in some restaurants they put more salt than they should in the food so that the staff is more thirsty and drinks more (that is, consume and leave more money), which in the case of fast food places can lead to more sodas added to the children's menu, which also do no good in excess.
So, on the one hand it is good that the big fast food chains strive to make the children's menus healthier (and the same should happen with the older ones!), And it is appreciated that they add fruits and vegetables as I have observed the last times we have come, for hamburger accompaniment and for dessert.
But also they should check those salt levels in children's menus of fast food chains For the good of the little ones. Meanwhile, it is increasingly clear that eating in these places must be the exception and not the norm, it is not bad from time to time. And it should be borne in mind that, for the rest of the day, it is better to make healthy food if we do not want to add too much fat, sugar and salt to your small organisms.
