Food Tricks to Avoid Using Salt in Our Food
In recent years, scientists have begun to discover that too much consumption of salt may be linked with serious health problems. People who eat high amounts of salt are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke, increase the risk of osteoporosis caused by excessive loss of calcium and can significantly increase the risk of stomach cancer. High salt diet could also contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, asthma and kidney stones. It is also speculated that high salt intake can affect our memory and intelligence. Here are some tips to avoid or reduce the intake of salt in our diet.
We love the salty flavor in our food but excess salt is not good for our health. Salt do provide us with the much needed sodium for our body but the problem is too much of it. Most people are not aware that foods such as bread and cereals contain quantities of salt. We can also find salt in soups, fast food meals, sausages, hamburgers and snacks. These are food most people enjoy.
Here are some tips on how to create dishes without using salt.
We can marinate meats, poultry and fish overnight in a mixture of calamansi juice, garlic, onions, sugar and crushed peppercorn.
To flavor soups without using salt, use spice and pepper.
Use lots of garlic, onions, tomatoes and pepper for sautéed vegetables.
Vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, green pepper, fresh mushroom and parsley can add flavor to dishes.
For regular recipes, you can experiment with spices and herbs.
For pork, we can use applesauce, garlic, onions, sage and basil leaves.
To flavor beef, we can try onions, tomato, green pepper, fresh mushroom, pepper, nut meg, sage, thyme, marjoram, basil leaves, bay leaf and dry mustard.
For chicken, use calamansi, ginger, parsley, fresh mushroom, paprika, curry, pepper, bay leaf, sage and thyme.
Fishes can be flavored with calamansi or lemon juice, tomato, green pepper, fresh mushroom, bay leaf, curry, paprika, marjoram and dry mustard.
Other ways to reduce salt intake is to watch out for foods that are obviously heavy in salt. Most processed foods are high in salt. Read their labels and get ready for a surprise. Our favorite foods like popcorn, pickles, chips, processed luncheon meats, salted nuts, and bacon contain large amount of salt.
There are salt substitutes available in the supermarkets. They have half-less sodium than salt.
Be aware of what you order in restaurants. Most of the foods prepared in the restaurants are incredibly high in sodium. Almost all restaurants rely solely on salt to flavor their dishes. But we can try fresh items such as salads and grilled meats with no salty seasonings.
Let’s promote healthy eating habits in ourselves and in our families. Let’s enjoy life more by being fit, healthy and happy.
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PARAM | Aug 3, 2010 | Reply
Well Written………….Thanks for sharing.
maranatha | Aug 3, 2010 | Reply
Excellent advice. There are also several types of pepper that can be used, from regular black to white to cayenne, dried chili, and many varieties of fresh hot peppers. All add distinctive flavors.
FaceOff | Aug 4, 2010 | Reply
very nice
Rhodora Bande | Aug 4, 2010 | Reply
Yes, the spices do the trick.
Dee Gold | Aug 7, 2010 | Reply
thanks,it helps to have reminders like this
gaby7 | Aug 8, 2010 | Reply
I dont like too much salt! With this information, I have good cause to hate it!
janet Trieschman | Oct 5, 2010 | Reply
I need this article, if only I never started using salt.
Heather Dawn | Oct 18, 2010 | Reply
What a great list of salt alternatives for cooking. We really need this in our house, as we are trying to cut back the salt, but it seems to be everywhere and in every recipe. Hubby complains “no flavour” if I don’t use salt, so will try some of your ideas and see if that works. Great post.