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How to improve the taste of food on a low sodium diet

2021-12-05T17:10:53.609Z


With these six tips, reducing the amount of sodium in your food will be so easy that you will not miss the salt.


Making vegetables the center of your meals instead of meat is a good way to reduce your salt intake.

(CNN) -

Serious cooks may quibble about the best way to grill a steak or bake a cake.

But up to a point, there is virtually unanimous agreement: for food to taste good, you have to add salt.


Without salt, we would be "adrift in a sea of ​​tasteless food," wrote Samin Nosrat in his seminal book, "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat", noting that "salt has a greater impact on flavor than any other ingredient. "

Salt "brings the flavors out of a pan and awakens the taste of almost everything it touches," says Steven Satterfield, the chef at the Miller Union restaurant in Atlanta, recipient of the James Beard award and who is dedicated to the cuisine of the farm to table.

In addition to amplifying the natural flavors of foods, he said, salt can suppress bitter compounds, such as the spiciness of a raw radish, and expose the hidden sweetness of vegetables.

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In recent weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reminded us of another truth about sodium, which many of us get from salt: The average American consumes too much, a few 3,400 milligrams a day. (For healthy adults, the daily limit for sodium recommended by federal nutritional guidelines is 2,300 milligrams, the equivalent of one teaspoon of table salt.) The excess has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other chronic diseases, adding to the burden of healthcare costs in the United States.

However, salt and sodium are not the same.

The salt we consume, a crystal-like compound whose chemical name is sodium chloride, is an important source of sodium in our body, a mineral necessary for the proper functioning of muscles and nerves, hydration, regulation of blood blood pressure and other biological processes.

In other words, we need a certain amount of salt to survive.

Determining the amount is the tricky part.

The American Heart Association advises that people at high risk for hypertension take 1,500 milligrams.

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However, the biggest culprit is not the salt shaker.

About 70% of the sodium in Americans' diet is hidden in commercially processed foods and restaurant meals, according to the FDA.

To help people better control their consumption, the agency on Oct. 13 called on the food industry to voluntarily reduce sodium in 163 categories of its products.

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The goal is to achieve a 12% reduction in sodium in the general population over the next two and a half years.

That will still be above the 2,300 milligram limit, but registered dietitians like Carly Knowles recognize the wisdom of this approach.

"Most of my patients are very busy professionals or parents of young children who don't have time to cook or don't like to cook," says Knowles, who is also a private cook, licensed doula, and author of "The Nutritionist's Kitchen" cookbook. .

"Since most of the sodium comes from highly processed, commercially prepared foods such as frozen pizza, canned soups, hamburgers, and flavored snacks, my biggest challenge is helping you find healthy alternatives that don't take too long to prepare. and that they continue to taste good. "

Cooking foods at home, reading labels, and trying new flavors are effective strategies for reducing salt intake, she says.

Salt-free seasoning mixes made with herbs and spices can also help, he added.

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Fat naturally carries flavor, and Knowles suggests adding a small amount of a healthy fat source to food just before serving, such as a tablespoon of nut butter on oatmeal or a drizzle of olive oil on chicken.

However, the most important thing is to develop a diet based on unprocessed or minimally processed whole foods.

Although some of these foods such as cow's milk and beets naturally contain sodium, the amount is usually very small, especially compared to processed foods such as commercial bread and deli meats.

And they're great sources of potassium, too, as are other natural foods, like bananas, legumes, roasted potatoes, avocados, and shellfish.

Potassium lowers blood pressure along with other electrolytes, such as sodium, Knowles said.

And most people don't get enough of it.

Therefore, increasing your intake of potassium, while reducing sodium, can help to lower your blood pressure twice.

But be careful with commercial salt substitutes that switch from sodium chloride to potassium.

As the Cleveland Clinic website notes, in addition to having a slightly metallic taste that some find unpleasant, they can raise blood potassium to dangerous levels in people with kidney disease and other medical conditions.

Nik Sharma, author of the cookbook "The Flavor Equation," suggests adding a dash of lemon, a tablespoon of tamarind paste, or a shiitake broth instead of salt.

No ingredient can truly mimic the taste of salt, says Nik Sharma, a molecular biologist turned food writer who dedicates a chapter to exploring how salinity works in his acclaimed 2020 cookbook, "The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained ".

"But there are ingredients that can be added to take the mind off the search for salt."

A dash of lemon, a dash of interesting vinegar, a tablespoon of tamarind paste, or a broth made with dried umami-rich shiitake mushrooms are among her favorites.

Cooking techniques such as broiling, broiling, sealing, and smoking can also add layers of complex flavor.

Sharma found that even some dishes that normally require salt taste better without it.

Making vegetables the center of your meals instead of meat is a good way to reduce your salt intake.

Here are other easy changes to consider to reduce sodium, without reducing taste:

1. Don't go overboard with the bread

Breads and muffins are one of the main culprits for sodium overload.

A large bun or two slices of bread can contain more than 300 milligrams.

There are healthier ways to satisfy your starch cravings.

A simple baked potato is low in sodium and one of the best sources of potassium.

Knowles recommends exploring the myriad varieties of nutrient-packed whole grains with appealing textures and flavors that are increasingly available to consumers, such as organic barley and quinoa.

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2. Make vegetables the center of your plate

Sodium levels in meats, poultry, and seafood vary widely: some are relatively low if they are fresh and natural;

others are outrageously high if they were injected with a sodium-containing solution, as is often the case with supermarket chicken.

Read the label or ask the butcher.

Most fruits and vegetables, however, have little or no sodium, few calories, and many other nutrients.

Satterfield finds creative ways to maximize its flavor with herbs, spices, acids, and cooking techniques that make it easy to reduce salt.

And if you add some nuts for protein, you probably won't miss the meat either.

Add some brown rice or another healthy grain and it's a complete meal.

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Chef Steven Satterfield of Miller Union in Atlanta prepares colorful vegetables for a crisp, fresh salad.

3. Swap your canned or bottled tomatoes for fresh ones

Ketchup, tomato paste, tomato sauce, canned tomato soup, commercial pasta sauce, and bottled hot sauce are all handy shortcuts to tasty meals.

They're also typically loaded with sodium, unless you choose a low-salt or no-salt variety.

But a large fresh tomato, or a cup of cherry tomatoes, contains less than 10 milligrams, not to mention a ton of other nutrients, and it doesn't contain corn syrup or other additives to make up for the sodium loss.

4. Make a better salad

Bottled salad dressings can instantly drown a bowl of nutritional goodies in salt and other not-so-good-for-you stuff.

Try dressing your vegetables with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar (or a dash of lemon) directly in the bowl.

You don't have to measure, just think about a 3 to 1 ratio of oil to acid.

The tastier the vegetables and olive oil, the less salt you will need to use.

Adding fresh herbs, citrus zest, roasted nuts, or fresh or dried fruit to the mix will also enhance the flavor without the need for salt.

5. Start the day with oatmeal or another hot cereal instead of a sugary boxed cereal.

While instant oatmeal flakes are high in sodium, regular or quick-cooker flakes are not.

Boost flavor and nutrients by adding fresh or dried fruit, roasted nuts, brown sugar or honey, or roasted nuts.

6. Make your own spice mixes

There are many commercial herb mixes on the market now, but it's simple and cheaper to make your own from what you have in your grocery store.

Susan Puckett is the former food editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and author of "Eat Drink Delta: A Hungry Traveler's Journey Through the Soul of the South."

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Source: cnnespanol

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