Children’s meals at some of the leading fast food chains contain more salt than they should eat in an entire day, a survey found.
Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) found on testing over 160 meals that they exceeded the limit of salt amount, BBC health reported.
Some of the 11 chains highlighted in the study said they would be reviewing their menus.Two famous fast food chains had children’s meals containing three times as much salt as of a big size burger and fries. A veggie burger with creamy mash contained 5.3g of salt, while a cheese sandwich with chips had 4.8g.
The survey found significant variations in the amount of salt in meals even at the same restaurants. But Cash said it was impossible for parents to make healthy choices because of a lack of nutritional information on menus. It is an outrage that when families go out for a lunch, they may be unknowingly putting their children’s health at risk.
For example, that particular food chain also offered an Annabel Karmel spaghetti bolognese containing just 0.1g of salt. Other low-salt options included four-piece chicken nuggets and fruit bag, containing 0.4g of salt, while fish bites with salad had 0.5g. Side dishes were also found to contain high levels of salt with some containing nearly twice as much as main meals. Mash and beans were typically found to be the combination containing the highest amount of salt, while a jacket potato, vegetables or salad contained the lowest amount.
