Easiest Way to Slash Salt from Food

Salt is an essential Ingredients of life itself, because not only does it flavour and protect foods, but the sodium it contains is indispensable to our bodies: it help to maintain blood volume, regulate water balance and transmit nerve impulse, among other vital functions.

But many of us consume far too much salt. Salt consists of 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride. One teaspoon has 2 grams of sodium: the adequate and safe level of sodium each day has been pegged at 1.1 to 3.3 grams.

The main reason for caution in the use of salt is that excess intake of sodium is associated with high blood pressure.

The easiest way to cut back is to change a few eating habits which will reduce the level of sodium without greatly changing the diet.

• First, learn which foods in general contain less sodium. Fresh foods usually have less sodium than processed ones.
  
• Thus fresh meat is lower in sodium than luncheon meat, bacon, sausage, and ham- all of which have sodium added to flavour and preserve them.
  
• Most fresh vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Canned vegetables and vegetable juices usually have salt added. (Plain, frozen vegetables, such as green peas, are generally lower in sodium).
  
• Fruits and fruits juices, on the other hand, whether fresh, frozen or canned, are usually low in sodium.
  
• Commercially-prepared, ready-to-cook foods, such as soups, or ready-to-eat preparation (such as peanut butter) have salt added in their preparation.
  
  
• Go easy to ketchup, sauces, salted dressing, brines and dips, which contains sodium. Pickles and farsan are also prepared with a good amount of salt. And, so, of course, are potato chips and salted nuts.
  
• Switch to low sodium snacking. Avoid Potato chips, corn chips, popcorn, salted nuts or farsan.
  
• Use spices and herbs creatively to add zip to your dishes when you cut back on sodium. Mint or thyme with lamb; pepper thyme with chicken and beef. Garlic. Powdered mustard. Small amount of sugar. Lemon, onion and red chilly powder. Experiment with
  flavouring you haven’t used before.
  
• Try cooking rice or pasta with out salt, adding unsalted broth or tomato juice to add flavour.
  
• At the table, taste the food before adding salt. If you think it needs salt, add only a small amount. The taste for salt is learned- you can unlearn it.

CAUTION: Salt substitutes are not for everyone. These preparations usually contain potassium and can be harmful to people with some medical conditions such as a kidney problems. Before suing a salt substitute, check it out with your doctor.