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MyFitnessPal Community

How to make food taste better?

Millie4195

How do i make food taste better without adding too much salt, as i have a very high salt intake but love the flavour it gives food

Replies

Rickster1967

Youtube is your friend in this matter

that and recipe websites, there are loads

but things like spices, herbs, garlic, ginger, soy sauce all add flavour

motivatedmartha

Reduce salt intake slowly and let your taste buds adjust over time (well mine did). Now I enjoy same food flavours with much less salt - crisps (potato chips) are now almost always too salty - as is a lot of bacon. I do like to add pepper though

cargotrailer

You could try Mrs. Dash and/or Nutritional Yeast.

lemurcat12

Try other herbs and spices, vinegar, peppers or chilis (if you like spicy).

I use a bit of salt in cooking (along with pepper and other spices or herbs), but never add salt after. I think just a little salt in cooking makes a huge difference, you don't need much. Salt is something people get accustomed to, so reducing it gradually is also a good idea. You will adjust.

lucys1225

Penzey's makes a lot of salt free seasonings.

kommodevaran

Taste is individual, subjective, situational and habitual. Good food prepared correctly will generally taste good. Many foods need salt, sugar and or fat to taste good, but too much salt, sugar and fat can overpower the food's own flavors. You have to reduce salt slowly and get in a good variety of foods, have an open mind, and give yourself time to get used to the new range of flavors.

laur357

I second Penzeys. They have some great seasoning blends.

Aromatics like ginger, garlic, onion, leek, shallots.

Fresh herbs - dried too, but they tend to be less pungent.

Cook with reduced sodium soy sauce, ketchup, low sodium broth. Small amounts of saltier or pungent cheeses to finish a meal instead of added salt (Parm, Feta, Bleu).

rainbowbow

herbs and spices...

SuzySunshine99

Citrus juice and zest. Lemon, lime, or orange juice/zest punches up the flavor of a variety of dishes.

LilFoxtrot

Spice blends! You can get low sodium versions of most spice blends, or check the sodium on the package to find something that suits you. Lemon and lime juice + zest can act similarly to salt in brightening foods flavor.

kfischer1018

Learning to cook with herbs and spices is the best way to cut back on salt intake. When I actually learned how to use herbs and spices to their fullest I found I hardly ever needed to add salt to anything. Once you discover how good food actually tastes on it's own when prepared correctly you'll find your palate will stop "craving" salt on everything.

lemurcat12

A couple of articles in defense of salt in cooking (which does not have to be a lot, and IMO is preferable for taste than salt at the end):

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/28/experts-use-salt-in-cooking-why

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/02/how-to-salt-and-season-food-properly.html

Clearly using other seasonings as well is a good idea too (and lemon or lime juice are ones I should have mentioned above), but you don't have to totally avoid salt unless you have some specific medical issue.

cbohling1987

As others have said: Garlic, onions, ginger, lemon zest, pepper, cumin, cilantro, basil, etc.

HoneyBadger302

Lots of suggestions on spices and herbs, for garlic, I like to get the chopped garlic in a jar and use it generously.

If you're doing most of your own cooking, and only manually adding salt (as opposed to packaged/processed foods) that typically does a LOT to reduce one's salt intake.

I also prefer to add my salt (fan of the Himalayan salt) while cooking rather than sprinkling on top.

If I do sprinkle on top, I use a garlic salt blend of some variety so it adds a bit more flavor as well.

JackRussellTerrierMom

I keep sauce and dressing recipes in Pinterest for taste purposes so I can stick to basic vegetables with beans or whole grains but make a the same basic dish taste completely different with sauce or dressing. This way I don't get bored eating whole unprocessed foods. Like another reader mentioned, YouTube is awesome for ideas on sauces, dressings, herbs, condiments.

JackieMarie1989jgw

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Try other herbs and spices, vinegar, peppers or chilis (if you like spicy).

I use a bit of salt in cooking (along with pepper and other spices or herbs), but never add salt after. I think just a little salt in cooking makes a huge difference, you don't need much. Salt is something people get accustomed to, so reducing it gradually is also a good idea. You will adjust.

Agree. When and how you use salt in the cooking process makes a bigger difference than how much you use.
For example, if you put a bit of salt on meat several hours before you cook, it will be more evenly seasoned and tender, versus having to put a lot on after its cooked. You dont need a lot if you time it right.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

crazyravr wrote: »

HoneyBadger155 wrote: »

Lots of suggestions on spices and herbs, for garlic, I like to get the chopped garlic in a jar and use it generously.

If you're doing most of your own cooking, and only manually adding salt (as opposed to packaged/processed foods) that typically does a LOT to reduce one's salt intake.

I also prefer to add my salt (fan of the Himalayan salt) while cooking rather than sprinkling on top.

If I do sprinkle on top, I use a garlic salt blend of some variety so it adds a bit more flavor as well.

That jarred garlic has all kinds of stuff mixed in. Much better to buy the pealed garlic in bags, toss into your blender and let her rip. After just simply place into ice cubes and freeze. Add to dishes as required.

Off topic I realise but I've never seen peeled frozen garlic in the UK. Or even peeled fresh, I'd love that

WilmaValley

An old fashioned dose of salt and pepper

gothoats

I recommend seasonings and extracts. That's what I use and like it. There are even some mixes of seasonings that are cool.

callsitlikeiseeit

i dont use or add much salt to anything.

experiment with different seasonings. learn how to cook.

garlic, fresh ground pepper (from a mill) and italian seasonings are my best friends in the kitchen lol

Laruto

Millie4195 wrote: »

How do i make food taste better without adding too much salt, as i have a very high salt intake but love the flavour it gives food

Fresh spices n herbs yum! The aroma and colours *drool*. Nutritional yeast too gives savoury n cheesy flavour.

AnvilHead

Sriracha. It makes a lot of things taste better.

alicebhsia

have you tried some stuff called No Salt? It's not as great as salt, (I love salty.) but it's not horrible and in place of like half the salt in stuff like soups it's pretty good. I've been using it on my scrambled eggs too. it's not good on popcorn though.