Salt

Whether you are just trying to watch your intake of sodium to be healthier or you have to restrict eat because of health issues, cooking at home is always a great first step.  Everything you eat while eating out is loaded with sodium  But if you are cooking at home there are many simple things you can do to lower the salt and still make your food taste delicious.

Lowering your sodium intake reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.  The average American consumes 3,600 milligrams of sodium each day and 77 percent of that is from processed and restaurant foods. Home cooking accounts for five percent of the daily allotted 2,300 milligrams of sodium for healthy adults.  "Cooking puts you in control of the amount of salt and sodium in food, " says Cooking Light Nutrition Essential Advisory Panel Expert Heather Bauer, RD, CDN.

Bauer and Amy Myrdal Miller MS, RD, of the Culinary Institute of America Greystone (CIA), a premier culinary school., provide tips on how to manage salt and sodium while building flavor with other ingredients and techniques.  The result:  Your body--and your taste buds--can get by with less and never know the difference. 

1.  Use acids and fresh herbs as flavor accents.  Stock the pantry with flavor enhancers to boost taste without added sodium.  Acids like wine, citrus juices, or vinegars brighten flavors while fresh herbs enliven finished dishes.  Miller recommends trying a savory recipe with half the recommended salt, and filling in with other flavors.  "For homemade marinara sauce, add a splash of red wine as the sauce simmers and then sprinkle in some chopped fresh basil at the end," she says.  "The alcohol in the wine heightens the flavors of other ingredients, and the fresh basil adds freshness and great aroma.  These other ingredients contribute so much flavor that diners won't notice smaller amounts of salt."

2. Excite taste buds with spice blends and specialty salts.  At the CIA, chefs are revising seasoning strategies.  Use toasted spice blends, which offer flavor nuances.  The blend is ground, and chefs add a sprinkle during cooking.  If the mixture istn' too fiery or assertive, a final flourish of the blend with a dash of salt is added to round flavors.  Another option is to employ specialty salts.  A dash of flavored or specialty salts, like smoked sea salt or fleur de sel (a finishing salt from France), adds nuanced flavor and texture.  "Using these larger crystal salts at the end of cooking, or finishing with them, puts the salt flavor and great texture up front," says Miller.

3. Be picky about pantry staples. "most people know many canned foods can have a lot of sodium, but they're always surprised at where else it hides," says Bauer. "It's in breakfast cereals, in salad dressings, in jarred marinara sauce, and in breads, too." Compare brands and make the better choice.  "If one energy bar has 20 milligrams of sodium and another has 250 milligrams, choose the one with less sodium." Same goes for pantry staples like chicken brother, canned tomatoes or beans, pasta sauces, breads, and condiments.  Choosing lower-sodium versions of these foods lets you stretch your sodium budget further, so you can add salt to foods that really need it.

4. Let small amounts of salty and high-sodium ingredients shine.  Bauer admits many salt-free foods can be lacking in taste.  That's why she advises clients in her nutrition consulting practice to indulge in some higher-sodium ingredients, but to keep amounts small.  For example, just a little grated or finely shredded full-flavored cheese makes a powerfully tasty pizza or pasta topper without adding excessive sodium.