Skipping Salt

Salt is an often overlooked culprit in the land of lifestyle disease, and something that definitely deserves more attention and consideration. I constantly hear in my practice, “I don’t eat salt”. The reality however is, that if you eat anything from a packet you are most likely eating more than the recommended daily amount. Bread, cereals, sauces, almost anything that has been processed, will contain added salt. Check out the labels, and you will be surprised!

So why is salt such a problem? Many people tell me, “Oh, but you need some salt”, and yes indeed that’s true. As stated above, however, we often overdo it without even touching the salt shaker!

Salt can be said to cause, or worsen, a number of serious health problems. From the obvious, high blood pressure, to not so obvious, such as congestive cardiac failure, osteoporosis, asthma, diabetic retinitis and many more! Over 6 million Australians (half the adult population) have one or more of these nasty salted related health concerns.

I see many clients over and over who believe they cannot live without salt, and food without it tastes bland and is not enjoyable. I then proceed to propose a 3week challenge to them as a minimum. If after the 3 weeks they are struggling, we will re-evaluate. Never have I had anyone tell me after this period they couldn’t do it. In fact, most tell me they tried something they used to eat and couldn’t stand it as it was too salty!

This is because our taste-buds are forever turning over and renewing. Each taste bud has a lifespan of about 3 weeks, and as they turn over at different rates, your tastes change over time, according to what you are presenting to your mouth. More salty foods encourage a taste for salty foods, more fresh, untainted flavours promote a taste for natural, fresh flavours, and so on.

I challenge you all: put aside the salt shaker for at least 3 weeks, get creative using alternative flavours, and see what happens.

You will also need to omit highly salted foods for this period too, such as olives, anchovies, bacon, corned beef, tinned fish in brine/sauce, pickled onions, other foods that have been preserved using salt, and all asian sauces. Take this as an exciting challenge- one in which you will discover a world of amazing new tastes you didn’t know existed!

There are some suggestions below for how to substitute salt and things to look out for.

HERBS

Fresh or dried, herbs are incredible at instilling amazing, fresh tastes in food. There are an overwhelming number, variety and flavour of herbs- it’s just a matter of experimenting, learning which ones you like, which go with what foods, and whether they are more suited fresh or dried, to a particular dish.

Basil- the perfect partner for tomatoes! For those who cannot fathom the thought of a tomato without salt, give basil a go! You can use it fresh or dried and it is one of the few herbs that increases in flavour as it is cooked. It can be used in soups (especially beef or vegetable), stews (beef), sauces (tomato) and is the feature of many Italian dishes. Try halved cherry tomatoes with a fresh basil leaf each.

Fennel & Dill- try on fish! Amazing marriage! Dill is also wonderful on beans, cabbage, cauliflower and potatoes. Fennel is lovely with stewed tomato and onion.

Oregano- a powerful herb when fresh, so use with care. Try on a chicken and salad sandwich, or sardines in springwater. Also great in tomato juice or soups, meat sauces and meat balls, and pizza.

Marjoram- this, coupled with oregano, instills a truly authentic flavour in pizza’s- regardless of salt content. Also wonderful when added during final hour of cooking a soup, or to liquid in which chicken, veal or lamb are being cooked. Fantastic over grilled or baked fish, great in meat based salads (think warm lamb salad), and finally in scone and bread doughs. Yummy! So versatile.

Sage- perfect partner for poultry or pork. Great with beans.

Rosemary- in chicken, spinach or pea soups, on chicken, veal, or baked fish, and in salad dressings.

SPICES

There is also a whole new world of flavours waiting to be discovered in the huge array of spices available. Try some of the following ideas:

Ginger- a pinch in bean soup- yum! On chicken, beetroot, carrots or squash. Or, in fruit salad!

Mustard- in casseroles, meat loves, roast beef- incredible! In celery, mushroom, bean or lentil soups. In salad dressings.

Nutmeg- with chicken soup, in meat loaf, on chicken, in fish cakes, on carrots, beans, spinach, pumpkin, peas, potato. Amazing on custards!

Allspice- wonderous with tomato and pea soups or in fruit dishes.

Cinnamon- over oranges, bananas, berries, apples.


There are so, so many others available and I could go on forever!
The moral is, get in and give it a go!

Be aware of some “mixed” varieties such as seasonings, mixed spices (e.g. Five Spice), meat tenderizes, lemon pepper and other types of salt (e.g. rock/sea).

Don’t forget PEPPER- it can be added to all savoury dishes.

Also, onion, shallots, chives, parsley, garlic, lemon juice go very well with almost any savoury dish.

Using juices (lime, lemon, orange) for marinades and dressings is a great idea, and don’t forget vinegars!

Worcestershire sauce is also not a bad choice, with 1 teaspoon of the original brand (Lea & Perrins) giving 49mg sodium per 100ml- one-tenth of that of soy sauce.

Be aware of stock cubes- these are SALT! There are currently no low salt stock cubes but you can get low salt/ no salt stock powders. See www.saltmatters.org

Ok, so we’ll leave it there!

I strongly recommend a visit to the above mentioned website as it is a great resource for anyone committed to minimising their salt intake. There is also a book available, “Salt matters- the killer condiment”, from all book retailers, or on-line.
Australian salt expert, Dr Trevor Beard has compiled both of these fantastic resources.

The idea and some of the information in this blog has been sourced from the April edition of “Australian Healthy Food Guide”. I have mentioned this brilliant magazine before. If you have not seen it before, check it out in the supermarket, news agency or on-line at www.healthyfoodguide.com.au

A subscription is well worth it!!