Does low sodium salt taste much different?

SteveMFP123

I want to lower my sodium intake and I noticed I'm using regular Saxa salt in my recipes instead of the low sodium alternative and I was just wondering how different the taste will be? I do a lot of dough making and baking and I don't want to ruin the taste.

feisty_bucket

Hm. Morton's Lite Salt is half sodium, and half potassium. I've been using it for years and like it fine. Never tried baking with it though.

rbfdac

I don't bake with it, but I use it to season and I can't tell a difference.

jgnatca

Low sodium is higher in potassium. I don't like the slightly bitter taste so I have just stopped using salt altogether. In soups and stews I use stronger tasting vegetables like parsnips, spices, mustard, garlic and onion for flavor.

jim180155

I use No Salt salt alternative which is potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride (salt). Salt tastes better, but potassium chloride has a similar flavor and allows you to reduce sodium while increasing potassium. From a health/dietary standpoint, potassium chloride is a clear winner. And the taste doesn't bother me. My suggestion would be to give it a try.

Note: the stuff I use has no sodium at all in it.

mxmkenney

Just use less regular salt. Low sodium SALT is an oxy-moron.

FredDoyle

mxmkenney wrote: »

Just use less regular salt. Low sodium SALT is an oxy-moron.

No it isn't. There are all kinds of salts. Potassium chloride is a salt. You are thinking of "table salt", which is the common name for sodium chloride.

shadow2soul

feisty_bucket wrote: »

Hm. Morton's Lite Salt is half sodium, and half potassium. I've been using it for years and like it fine. Never tried baking with it though.

I picked up Morton's Lite a month or two ago (I don't use salt much). I just grabbed it off the shelf, and didn't even realize it was the "Lite Salt" until I got home. I personally can't tell the difference.

ana3067

I've never noticed a difference in taste myself. But I also don't use salt a lot anyways.

davidbur

I average 1500 mgs of sodium a day. I use regular salt and eat mostly whole foods. I seldom fix processed foods and as a result, have very little difficulty maintaining this level of sodium.

simplydelish2

I use very little salt - I bought a canister of Trader Joe's sea salt in about 2003 - it's almost 1/2 gone...lol. Because baking is such a science - you may need to experiment.

FredDoyle

davidbur wrote: »

I average 1500 mgs of sodium a day. I use regular salt and eat mostly whole foods. I seldom fix processed foods and as a result, have very little difficulty maintaining this level of sodium.

This is what I do. I find I can use table salt in baking/cooking if I stick to eating whole foods. Some doctors advise against KCl as it can be rough on the stomach in the salt form. I try to get my potassium from foods to balance sodium intake.

ljmorgi

I find potassium-based salt substitute to be horribly bitter, but I think that might be my own quirk--potassium acesulfame (sweetener) tastes awful to me too. Just gradually reduce the amount of salt you put in/on food, and eliminate packaged foods that contain excessive sodium, and your tastebuds will adjust.

tycho_mx

mxmkenney wrote: »

Just use less regular salt. Low sodium SALT is an oxy-moron.

No, it's not. A salt is a compound formed by the reaction of an acid and a base. So bicarbonate, acetate, iodate, fulminate, etc. are all salts. TABLE salt is mostly NaCl.

With regard to the original question - potassium chloride, commonly used as substitute definitely tastes different but it's hard to distinguish in elaborate plates. I've found that for baking it makes no different, and for stew and soups you can easily compensate with other flavours such as spices, vinegar, or whatever else you're adding.