Are you conscious about Salt in your food?

[pimpthatfood]

Hi there!

As everyone know, access Salt in your food can be a risk... for all of us. Recently in my country a group is promoting to be cautious more of the use of Salt in foods especially to our kids. We have to start teaching them about this from their young age.

Start using Lemon, Spices to give extra flavour to your food instead of adding more salt.

 

[Katie H]

I don't know that I would say I am conscious about the salt in my food, but I have never been one to use much salt. Don't use many commercially-canned or processed foods. Make nearly everything from scratch, including all our bread products, which means I can control the salt content. A container of salt lasts for years in our house.

When preparing a recipe I usually put in half the salt recommended and taste from there, with the exception being baked goods. Usually use the full amount of salt called for.

I'm making chicken stock today and will add no salt to it. Just herbs and vegetables.

I agree that it's important to teach children good eating habits. In the U.S. more and more children are being diagnosed with hypertension, which points out the need for a better diet and lifestyle for us all.

 

[Teri's Therapy]

I use little salt, and find that when other people cook I am sensitive to the taste of it. I have heard that one builds up a tolerance to the taste of salt if they consume it often????

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm very conscious of whether there is enough salt in my food I love salt, especially finishing salts. I'm lucky that I have low blood pressure, so I don't worry about it.

 

[expatgirl]

I was so salt-phobic (I have high blood pressure like most of my family) that when I found out I had low sodium levels in my blood I was happy until my doctor stopped in and said it was nothing to "yoo-hoo" about and he was very concerned......wanted to know if I felt tired, run-down, ........no, I didn't ......but he wanted me to start eating more salt and sure enough a week later my sodium level was normal again........what do you do?????? luckily with medication my blood pressure is normal and I just eat more salt.......hard to do when I've spent so many years cutting it out of my diet.....turns out my 86 year old aunt has the same problem and she says you do feel bad with low sodium blood levels.......I guess mine hadn't gotten to that point yet........

 

[mcnerd]

You don't have to consume table salt. Try increasing your consumption of CELERY. Very high in sodium but of a kind that is good for your body and quickly absorbed. The body needs salt. Life would not be possible without it. It's just that we get it from too many sources at one time, plus adding it at the table, so we over do it. We are doing the same thing now with vitamins, which are being put into everything, and people should be paying attention.

 

[Michael in FtW]

I am conscious of salt in my food - but I'm not phobic about it, either.

I'm a lot like Katie - baked goods get the full amount called for in the recipe, things I'm cooking generally start out at 1/4 - 1/2, or less, than called for in the recipe and then are "adjusted to taste" at the end. If I'm using commercially "canned" ingredients I generally do not add any salt at all until the end of cooking. I never add salt to stocks when I am making them because if I want to use the stock in something where I need to reduce it, it would be too salty.

Acids, herbs and spices are good ways to add flavor without adding sodium, a little red wine also tricks the taste buds into thinking there is more salt than there really is.

I guess that by not using a lot of salt in my cooking over the years I have gotten to where I have problems with some foods that are high in salt. I went to a Waffle House for breakfast a few mornings ago and had the country ham - who knew they actually used country ham and it was not just a menu metaphor for a griddle-fried smoked ham steak? It was all I could do to choke it down - I certainly didn't enjoy it.

Ironically, there are a few things I like salty ... corn on the cob, cut corn, creamed corn - with lots of butter and black pepper; corn chips and nachos.

All things in moderation ....

 

[expatgirl]

I really like McCormick's Mrs. Dash spices esp, the chipotle one as it's spicy.....chips, crackers and cheese are my comfort foods........and so I ate them and made my dr. happy..........

 

[getoutamykitchen]

Salt!

I love salt, I could live on it. But alas I have high bloodpressure and take meds for it every morning. If I consume too much I actually get severe headaches.

 

[jabbur]

I don't add salt when cooking and just recently started looking at the sodium content on things I buy at the grocery. My hubby needs to cut back on his salt so I'm switching brands on somethings. I figure we get enough in other ways that we don't need to add it. I will add it to my eggs but not his. I also add it to corn on the cob but not any other kind. I'd guess it's been 2 years since I bought a container of salt.

 

[Cooper'sMom]

Our bodies need salt. I do not worry about salt or soy sauce or even the salty oyster sauce. Use in moderation, salt is good for you. and so is garlic and lots of herbs. Instead of using salt, sometimes I use bacon or ham, they are salty already without adding more salt to your food. Moderation. Besides there is yogurt with live cultures in it to help absorb excess salt from your body...if you live here in the US there is a product called "Promise".

 

[bullseye]

In hot weather I need to take salt tablets--low blood pressure. I use salt to where it tastes right, and don't worry about it. BTJM.

 

[Toots]

I have high BP and take meds, but I do love my salty snacks (chips, cheese, etc). I try to avoid salty foods and not overdo it. But it is hard. I love salty stuff.

 

[Deathbysoup]

While I love salt in certain foods I am very conscious about the salt content in products I buy and recipes I make. I usually will substitute herbs or use half the salt in recipes and I always buy the reduced sodium or low sodium variety of whatever packaged product I am buying.
Generally I prefer to make it from "scratch" so I know the exact ingredients and how much of them is in , what I am eating , than to buy the packaged version.

 

[BreezyCooking]

While I'm not "phobic" about salt in my food, except for baked goods, I never add it while cooking. Not even to pasta water (that business of the salt flavoring the pasta is a huge crock of bs anyway). If a dish needs salt, everyone can add what they want at the table. No reason to force it on them.

 

[les]

I've never used salt in cooking veggies, but it's on the table if you need it. To be honest nobody has ever remarked "there's no salt in this"
I have started using Himalayan salt though, have a look at the link...let me know what you think.

Himalayan Salts-natural himalayan crystal salt for eating

 

[CasperImproved]

While I'm not "phobic" about salt in my food, except for baked goods, I never add it while cooking. Not even to pasta water (that business of the salt flavoring the pasta is a huge crock of bs anyway). If a dish needs salt, everyone can add what they want at the table. No reason to force it on them.

I bow to your much respected cooking knowledge. But YOU crossed the line on not supporting the rights of your pasta. They deserve to be flavored anyway they want. Mostly, they tell me to add oil to avoid sticking together, and to add salt so they can swim better in the lighter water (well, not really, but they do taste better).

But I do not often add salt to works in progress in general knowing it usually will be tasty only on the plate where everyone can choose for themselves

 

[radhuni]

From my childhood I never take extra salt in my food. ( my mom tell me that I dont have the ability to taste salt because I can eat food without salt and sometime I don't even notice)

 

[Zereh]

Salt is a non-issue for us. I salt as I cook. I add salt at the table after I've cooked if needed. /shrug But we don't eat out of boxes or cans or frozen containers much at all.

I can't imagine not cooking with salt ... it ties every other flavor together! That's why it is part of baking. A food unsalted is a food that's pretty much flavorless to my taste buds.

 

[bethzaring]

I am very conscious about salt and my foods, I add it to virtually everything I cook. It all depends on were your foods come from. Since I raise the majority of the foods we eat, the addition of a bit of salt to most\all foods really enhances the flavors. Today I am making a 3 pound batch of granola and will add 1 t. of salt. Fresh vegetables, like asparagus, green beans, corn on the cob, just taste better with a bit of salt to bring out flavors. I used to can my vegetables in water only, but the past 5 years or so, I add salt to the quart jars. The older a person gets, their taste sensations diminish, requiring greater seasonings to get foods to taste their best.

Salt is good

I mainly use a course flaked salt these days.