Salt Alternatives?

marlabelle
marlabelle Posts: 55 Member
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
I am working hard at lowering my salt intake. My diet doesn't include many processed foods but I am a trained chef so even my own recipes can be high in salt. I have thought about trying the lower sodium salt but I am not thrilled about it so I thought I would ask you all. Also, I have been using up the forgotten & abandoned bottle of Mrs. Dash to season salads (helps you use less dressing) but I want to accentuate the flavors not mask them. Plus I feel like the spice blends are a waste of money and in the end make everything taste the same. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help!

PS - Always in the mood for new friends. :)

Replies

  • sbwood888
    sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
    Well, I was gonna say Mrs. Dash.......I will be interested to see what people say. I often wonder the same thing. Maybe vinegar on certain things...like greens.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    sea salt but pretty much all salt is going to be high in sodium, the differene with sea salt is that its not iodized. I love salt so its hard for me to kick out of my diet alltogether, I sitll use some but I try to use as little as possible.
  • fitnesspirateninja
    fitnesspirateninja Posts: 667 Member
    I use sea salt. I've never tried lower sodium salt. I also like using fresh herbs when I have them, or dried if I don't. Oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary are my favorites.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    I LOVE sea salt. Try Mrs Dash seasonings-no salt!
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    The American Heart Association says healthy American adults should eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of sodium chloride (salt).

    Alternatively, 1 tsp. of soy sauce has 400 mg of sodium.

    I go for the soy. :)
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
    I find I use a lot less salt if I what I cook is spicier. Ground pepper and crushed chili go into many of my dishes.
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
    Sodium has been the hardest thing to kick for me. I never realized how much sodium I was eating until I started MFP. I'm finding that when you have a salty craving, there really is nothing you can do. Even the low-sodium salt has a LOT.

    As far as recipes, when I go to the grocery store for ingredients, I try to get the lowest-sodium brand of everything. I try to make my own chicken stock and keep it in the freezer, to eliminate the sodium. I don't add salt to any recipes unless it's vital for consistency. I've managed to reduce my sodium intake from over 5000 mg average per day to less than 2000 average. It hasn't been easy, and its a battle that I fight daily, but I'm doing it. Don't get me wrong, I have bad days still (last Sunday I was over 5000), but for the most part I'm winning the sodium battle.
  • marlabelle
    marlabelle Posts: 55 Member
    Thanks for the input. I recently read an article by Jillian - we all know Jillian right? And she mentioned that sea salt and kosher salt - which btw is all I cook with - is not great for you and we actually need iodine in our system to function properly. So since I have been cooking with a blend of kosher and iodized. Sea Salt is intended for finishing foods, like sprinkling on proteins after they are cooked. I guess my 10 years and 2 degrees in cooking can be my downfall.

    Quick crash course in taste & flavor is there are 5 tastes, sweet, salty, sour, bitter & umami and the all act to counter balance each other. In this case vinegar would actually trick you in to thinking something was less salty. The cooking tip here is if you over salt something, add a squeeze of lemon and it tastes less salty. The flip side is if you add a dash of salt to your lemonade, it makes it taste sweeter. But thank you for your comment!
  • improvstitute
    improvstitute Posts: 45
    I recently found a seasoning called spike. It is a blend of sea salt, herbs and other spices and is much lower in sodium. It tastes pretty good. Its not perfect, but I can't just go without salt yet. It is a step down process for me. :-)
  • Ashley_Panda
    Ashley_Panda Posts: 1,404 Member
    I saw an advertisement for some salt free seasonings on TV today...
  • healthyjen342
    healthyjen342 Posts: 1,435 Member
    Very interested in the responses to this :)
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