[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Salt is a mineral that comes from the sea and is primarily composed of sodium and chloride. It has played numerous roles throughout history including as currency in civilizations like ancient Rome. It is used as a culinary staple to bring out flavor and in the food industry is still the primary preservative. Sodium is an essential mineral for our bodies, helping us to maintain proper hydration, conduct nerve signals and even plays a key role in muscle contractions.
Nature often holds the key to our health. If you look at the nutritional profile of most whole foods —
whole grains, lean meat, fish and chicken,
beans,
peas, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as
nuts and seeds — you’ll notice something. There is a relatively high amount of potassium compared to sodium. If you take a look at many restaurant meals, fast food and even some processed foods, you’ll see that ratio is flipped upside down with high amounts of sodium and low amounts of potassium.
Salt substitutes can help us season our food, bring out flavors and even help keep our daily sodium intakes at 2300mg per day (about 1 teaspoon) as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends. But too much of anything can be a bad thing, salt being no different, as too much salt has been linked to
chronic diseases such as Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Kidney Disease and even osteoporosis. Try these culinary tips and salt substitutes to flavor your food without going overboard on sodium.
8 Salt Alternatives for Big Flavor Without Sodium
1. Citrus
What is traditionally served with the fanciest piece of fish at a restaurant? A simple slice of lemon! A fresh squeeze of lemon, lime or different types of oranges can go a long way for flavor with their naturally occurring organic acids. You can even try a
lemon pepper seasoning with only 95mg sodium per serving.
2. Herbs
There’s a wide variety of herbs out there with flavor profiles from countries around the world. Technically an herb is from the green leafy part of the plant. Try
oregano,
basil,
dill,
thyme,
rosemary,
marjoram,
sage and more! Dried spices are usually added towards the beginning of cooking while fresh herbs are better added towards the end or as a garnish. A
salt free seasoning blend is a great option for a burst of flavor without the sodium.
3. Spices
Spices can come from the root, stem, seed, fruit, flower or bark of a tree or plant. Again, there is a whole world of
spices from around the world depending on what dish you are making. Try everything from
allspice to
za’atar to learn your flavor preferences.
4. Vinegars
Again organic acids can add a ton of flavor. You can choose from
apple cider, balsamic,
red wine and even
white wine vinegar.
5. Seaweeds
While seaweeds do contain salt, some are much lower in sodium than actual sea salt and come with a unique flavor of their own. Try these
organic kelp granules with only 105mg sodium per serving.
6. Other sauces
Just like herbs and spices there is no shortage of different sauces out there with lower sodium options.
Coconut aminos adds a rich flavor to foods with 40% of the sodium compared to regular soy sauce. Hot sauces like this
Sriracha sauce with only 70mg of sodium per serving can bring the heat with so much less salt.
7. Fat
Many people are afraid of fat, however healthy fats like avocados,
olive oil,
nuts and seeds as well as
nut and seed butters or oils can many times help add that missing component that helps provide satiety as well as a rich, full mouth feel. They can also add an earthy and crunchy texture to the meal. Add
cashews to your next stir fry, or even some
garlic infused olive oil to your next dish.
8. Aromatics & other cooking staples
When in doubt, sauté up some garlic and onions to add some plant-based flavor to your next stir fry, potato or even meat, fish or chicken dish. The magic trio of carrots celery and onions is a culinary staple known as mirepoix, or group of diced vegetables cooked in fat until soft and flavorful.
Switch up your cooking methods
Many times we get stuck in our own routines and maybe we only boil our vegetables or overuse the microwave to heat up a quick main dish. However, roasting and broiling everything from vegetables to meat or even meat alternatives like tofu or tempeh can bring out flavors you never knew existed! Just taste the difference between boiled vs. roasted brussels sprouts!
Whatever you choose remember cooking is a journey and trying new salt substitutes is a great way to add both variety and excitement to your diet. And for more recipes and ideas, go to
Kroger.com/recipes and click on “search all” for thousands of recipes and many different filters. And check out Vitacost for all your favorite salt substitutes! Happy salt substituting![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="177373" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1724105373121{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/selina-naturally-celtic-sea-salt-shaker-light-grey-coarse-8-oz"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="177370" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1724105388106{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/fini-organic-reduction-balsamic-vinegar"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="177371" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1724105433757{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/maine-coast-sea-vegetables-organic-kelp-granules-salt-alternative"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
