Cooking Without Salt: That’s How It’s Still Spicy

Cooking without salt: You have these alternatives

Too much salt is unhealthy and promotes cardiovascular diseases, as reported by the German Nutrition Society. According to the German Consumer Advice Center, adults should not take more than six grams of salt per day. For children and adolescents, the amount should be lower. Alternatives can help you reduce the amount of salt in food and replace some or all of the salt.

• Salt is found in large quantities in ready meals and low-fat foods. Here the seasoning fulfills the role of a flavor enhancer. The more salty foods you consume, the more accustomed you become to salt. Less salted foods lose their taste as a result. That’s why it’s important to reduce salt in your diet.
• For starters, it is enough to gradually reduce the amount of salt. This will get your taste buds used to less salty foods. Also, remove the salt shaker from the table so you’re not tempted to add more salt while eating.
  Season your food with fresh herbs such as basil, dill, wild garlic, chives, parsley, and rosemary. Fresh herbs in particular have a strong taste of their own and flavor your dishes.
• Spices such as paprika, turmeric, cumin, and pepper can also be used in place of salt when cooking. The spicier your dish, the less salt you need.
• Replace some or all of the salt with apple cider vinegar. The acid in the vinegar gives your dishes a fresh kick and tastes a bit salty. Lemon juice can also have the same effect.
• Attention: Spice mixtures already contain salt. You should keep this in mind when cooking if you do not mix the spices yourself. Ready-made spice mixtures also contain substitutes and flavor enhancers such as glutamate, which are suspected of promoting various diseases and obesity. It is, therefore, better to make your own spice mixes.

Replace salt: Food already contains salt

Gradually eliminate salt from your foods. This is how you get used to the low-salt taste. If you boil pasta or potatoes, leave out the salt altogether. You won’t notice the difference after a while. Many foods naturally contain salt or need to be salted to preserve it.

• For example, if you cook with canned tomato sauce, pay attention to the contents. Most of the time, salt is already included. Accordingly, you no longer need to add additional salt to the dish. If you still want to salt your dish, reduce the amount or season with other spices.
• Anchovies and other preserves also contain a lot of salt. If you cook with it, you can reduce the amount of salt.
• Cheese and sausage contain a high amount of salt. Try to eat less of it.
• Choose foods that have an intense taste of their own. The aroma and the spicy ingredients already replace the salt. Grab fresh, good-quality food and prepare it carefully. This way the aroma is preserved.