Skip the Salt

Skip the Salt

Many Americans eat two to three times as much salt as is recommended. Here are some tips for getting the flavor benefits of salt without going overboard.

- Only a quarter of your sodium intake comes from the salt you add to food. The rest comes from processed foods. When doing food preparation, start with whole unprocessed foods like fresh vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, and beans whenever possible.

- Bring out the natural sweetness in vegetables by roasting or grilling them. For great flavor, season with olive oil.

- Read labels. Information provided on the Nutrition Facts labels printed on most foods can be extremely helpful. You can determine the milligrams of sodium per serving of the food for the label you are reading. It is recommended that sodium intake should be around 2,300 milligrams per day.

- Keep track by measuring salt when cooking. Begin with 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon salt and add more if needed.

- Read recipes before preparing. In some recipes, salt is not really needed even if called for in the recipe. Salt does not need to be added to water to boil pasta or potatoes. Instead add a little salt when the food is finished cooking.
- Try other flavors. Spices, herbs, balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar, and lemon juice all add a punch of flavor.