Low Sodium Cooking Tips

Low sodium recipes are almost unheard of these days, as American taste is very accustomed to salty foods. The majority of our food is processed and always has sodium added. The Food and Drug administration says that 77% of sodium intake by the average American is through packaged foods or restaurants.

What should this mean to you? Cook fresh prepared low sodium recipes in your own home if you are watching your salt intake. There are a couple of key ways you can cut down on sodium use while cooking. You can use natural herbs and spices, add other complimenting foods to enhance flavor, and preserving food.

First the most obvious way to cut down on sodium use is by not using salt, but our perception is that foods that aren’t salty taste bland. We can spice things up with spices. There are many manufacturers of spices who package spices with no sodium added. They come in an assortment of flavorings like Barbecue, Chipotle, or Lemon Pepper. You want to find yourself using natural occurring herbs like thyme, paprika, cumin, or sage for more bodied full flavors. These herbs have bolder flavors, that when added to the right foods can really bring out natural flavors.

The second is to use other foods to enhance low sodium recipes. The most common food combination which comes to mind is pork and apple, or steak and baked potato. These meals are American cuisine at its finest. The sweeter apple really brings out the own natural saltiness of the pork. Pork chops combined with some sliced apples and cinnamon or apple sauce is a very tasty meal that is low in natural occurring sodium. How about the steak and baked potato? Some might argue the potato will taste bland without salt, but if we use the right seasonings or sodium free marinades, you can have a really tasty combination which is a suitable meal for any.

And finally, the most common use of salt is to preserve our food. It is no mystery that salt will prolong the shelf life of food. However you shouldn’t focus on the shelf life of the food but rather on the shelf life of health. One’s health can be harshly impacted by the use of salt. It would be in one’s best interest to limit salt, as salt is a precursor to high blood pressure. Overall if salt is consumed in moderation we don’t see a real impact on one’s health.

If you plan to begin cooking low sodium recipes, keep in mind that food doesn’t have to last for three weeks. Challenge yourself to eat in moderation and then eat the leftovers in a timely manner so they don’t spoil before you have the chance to eat them. Load up your favorite foods with all the fixings that really compliment the natural enhanced flavors. Finely use those bold spices to throw a curve ball at your taste buds.

Low sodium recipes can sometimes be a little difficult, but it is well worth the health benefits.