Bread consumed in recommended portions does not provide excessive amounts of sodium and salt in children's diet.

Bread is a common component of the human diet worldwide. Owing to its prevalence in the diet, it significantly contributes to meeting the daily recommended salt intake, and may even exceed it. The study aimed to determine whether bread is an important source of salt in children's diets. This was achieved through three analyses: (1) analysis of sodium (Na) and salt content in seven types of bread purchased in Poland, (2) assessment of whether the consumption of the recommended daily servings of bread exceeds the Adequate Intake (AI) of Na in children's diets, (3) estimation of the contribution of bread to salt intake in children's diets across four age groups: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 years. The study showed the highest Na and salt content in rye bread and the lowest in spelt bread. The daily consumption of recommended bread in all age groups did not exceed the recommended daily salt intake. However, bread consumption often exceeds the recommended amount and bread is consumed along with other foods that provide significant amounts of salt. Additionally, other cereal products containing considerable amounts of salt frequently appear in children's diets. Effective nutrition education programs are needed to raise consumer awareness about the health impact of excessive salt consumption through bread, as well as legal regulations that require bread producers to reduce salt content during production to mitigate the risk of health complications.