Pass on the Salt: Shaking the Habit

Gr 7 Up—Most Americans consume too much salt, often unknowingly. That fact is the focus of this informative production. A female narrator provides a brief introduction explaining what salt is, how it breaks down in the body, and why we need it. The body needs about 500 mg. of salt per day, but the average teenager consumes 3800 mg. Because salt is used as a preservative and when combined with sugar tastes much less salty, it's easy for people to consume more than they need. Most prepared and packaged foods contain high amounts of salt that our bodies adapt to and begin to crave. The greatest danger in consuming too much salt is high blood pressure. Strategies for avoiding too much salt in your diet are presented. There's a lot of visual variety, such as charts and graphs interspersed with live footage of teens engaged in numerous activities. The online teacher's guide offers review material; links to websites; and many ideas for extension activities, including having a low sodium food fair, tracking daily salt intake, and remaining salt-free for a week and then checking how food tastes.—Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH