The salt-free lifestyle can be a cinch, if you just know what can take its place. Follow our advice here, and you’ll never again complain that everything tastes insipid. It’s estimated that 25% of people with normal blood pressure and about 60% of those with high blood pressure are salt sensitive, which means that as salt intake goes up, so does blood pressure. The sodium in salt can raise your blood pressure in two ways. By causing the body to retain water, sodium increase blood volume and therefore blood pressure. Sodium also causes smooth muscle contraction and constriction of small blood vessels, which is associated with a greater resistance to blood flow. The common “cheat” or splurge day that’s a part of many fitness enthusiasts’ diets can produce an elevated heart rate and blood pressure in response to a sudden increase in sodium ingestion. There’s more: The water retention reduces urine output, stresses out the kidneys and makes you bloat up.
If you’re salt-sensitive, you may be at a much higher risk for strokes and heart attacks, even thought your blood pressure may ordinarily be normal. All of which is reason enough to start cutting back on the chemical, stat.
UNDER THE SODIUM SCANNER You already know that papads, pickles, chutneys, cheese, chips, farsan and dried fish are loaded with salt. Indeed the most important strategy for getting less sodium is avoiding packaged or prepared foods since they account for a major chunk of the average person’s daily salt intake. Reading labels in the grocery store and asking question in restaurants can help you eliminate a fair amount of stealth salt. But what you do at home can make a difference, too.
Don’t assume that cutting down on salt will make your food unappetizing. A recent study compared three versions of the anti-hypertension DASH diet with different sodium levels: High sodium (3,500 milligrams), intermediate (2,300 milligrams, the recommended limit for most people, about a teaspoon of salt), or low (1,200 milligrams). People rated the low-sodium version equally acceptable as the high one, and the intermediate version as best. The more sodium was reduced, the greater the drop in blood pressure. It’s easier to cut down on sodium when you’re on a healthy diet (rich in fruits and vegetables and low-fat/nonfat dairy products) than on one based on processed foods and restaurant meals. “A taste for salt is a learned preference and you can unlearn it,” according to one of the researchers.
You might be surprised at how good food can taste when you knock out the salt and spice things up with herbs and spices.
JUNK THE BADDIES Part of an effort to seriously reduce salt intake involves becoming keenly aware of what you add to foods as you prepare and cook them.
Use less or no salt in cooking or preparing dishes like salads, sauces and dips.
Remove the table salt and any salt seasonings such as lemon pepper, garlic and onion salts.
You’ll also want to set aside masala sachets that come with instant noodles; readymade soups and bouillon cubes, meat tenderizers, sauces (tomato, soy, Worcestershire, teriyaki, oyster, fish) and ketchups and cooking wine (sherry).
Readymade salad dressings.
ATTACK THE SPICE RACK Keep a stock of fresh garlic, onion, ginger, parsley, mint, coriander and other herbs, as well as lemon juice or fresh lemon, vinegar and salt free seasoning blends, i.e. spices like dry garlic and dry onion powders, dry mustard, roasted cumin powder, cardamom, nutmeg black pepper and red chilli powder. In place of cooking sherry, which has added salt, use regular sherry.
A DASH OF COMMON SENSE Now here are some ideas for using these salternatives.
1 Saute neat or vegetable in broth, honey, fruit juice, wine. That means you eliminate the need for salt and oil!
2 Use your ice-cube trays to freeze all kinds of low salt/salt free liquid seasonings and stocks, from fresh lemon juice to homemade chicken broth. When they have set in the trays, trays, transfer the cubes to sealed plastic freezer bags so that you have small amounts on hand for instant use. For example, a few cubes of chicken broth can liven up a salt free peas pulao. Puree and freeze fruit in cubes, they can be used to dress up a green salad.
3 Rinse regular cottage cheese (paneer) by placing it in a strainer under cold running water. This removes a considerable amount of the sodium (as well as some of cheese’s fat.)
4 A bit of grated lemon rind adds zest to steamed vegetables. Grated orange rind perks up flavor, too.
5 Use a flavor oil such as sesame til or olive or walnut to vinaigrette, so you won’t even register the lack of the salt in the salad.
6 Other low sodium ideas for dressings and dips: Substitute sour cream and pureed rinsed cottage cheese, low-fat yoghurt, skim milk or buttermilk as a base. Flavor with herbs and spices like mustard sauce and garlic. For example, you can make a dip for crudités with pureed cucumber, low-fat curd and minced onion with a small amount of oil and vinegar. Or beat in a few tablespoons of chopped spring onions into a cup of yoghurt cheese.
7 Vinegar blended with mustard and apple juice is terrific with cabbage, cauliflower and carrot salads.
8 Sprinkle strung-flavored dill (sua leaves) over a platter of cucumber-and-boiled-kidney-beans.
9 Flavor meats and vegetables by combining herbs with oil, vinegar lemon juice or table wine. (See Make Your Own Seasoning Mix’ alongside for ideas). Or mix-and-match from this smorgasbord of choices: Dry or prepared mustard, minced or crushed garlic; minced onion; herbs such as coriander and parsley; tomato juice or tomato puree, freshly ground pepper; apple juice; cumin seed; pepper. Let the mixture sit for half an hour before brushing it on food as it cooks. Or, brush meat with oil, sprinkle on fresh herbs and refrigerate for an hour before cooking.
10 Barbecue or grill small cubes of skinless chicken that have been rubbed with chopped lemon grass, garlic.
11 One low sodium spice rub for skinless chicken or for fish fillets: Combine and grind 2 tablespoons of peppercorns with 3 tablespoons each of coriander seeds (dhania) and cuminseed (jeera). Then add 3 tablespoons of red chilli powder, 2 tablespoons of ginger powder. Grind till blended, rub on chicken or fish and grill.
12 A mint sauce (mint, vinegar and sugar) is a tangy but sodium and fat free accompaniment for ho mutton roast.
13 Instead sodium rich pasts sauce, add flavor and zest to macaroni/spaghetti with tomatoes, fresh chopped garlic, basil, roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar.
14 One hors d’oeuvres creation to try: kidney beans pureed with garlic, red chilli powder, powdered cuminseed, lime juice, olive oil and salsa; stir in chopped onion and coriander leaves.
The Scoop on Low-or No-sodium Salt Sodium and potassium are in the same chemical family. Their similarities make potassium chloride close enough in size, shape, and chemical configuration to trigger taste buds designed for sodium chloride. Because potassium chloride isn’t a perfect fir, it isn’t quite as salty as table salt. It also has a bitter aftertaste, especially when heated. Some companies mask or neutralize the off taste by adding L-lysine, a common amino acid.
Some potassium-based substitutes are “late” salt. These replace up to half of the table salt with potassium chloride. Sodium free versions contain only potassium chloride.
Potassium based salt substitutes are a double-edged sword. Increasing intake could protect against stroke, high blood pressure, heart-rhythm problems. Kidney trouble, and even osteoporosis. But extra potassium can be dangerous for people who have trouble flushing out any excess or who are taking medications that can increase potassium levels I the bloodstream.
Talk with your doctor before trying a potassium-based salt substitute. Too much potassium in the blood can lead to potentially deadly disturbances of the heart’s rhythm. This can be a special problem if you have diabetes or kidney an ACE inhibitor, angiotensin-receptor blocker, potassium-sparing diuretic, or daily doses of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
GREAT PAIRS
Low sodium cooking will be a cinch if you know in advance which spices/herbs go well with which food. Here are some matches.
MEATS AND EGGS
Poultry chilli powder/paprika, fresh mushrooms, thyme, sage, parsley, dill, fresh coriander, lemon, rosemary Fish dry (yellow) mustard, chilli powder/paprika, bay leaf, lemon juice, fresh mushrooms, fresh coriander, dill (sua saag), tarragon marjoram
Lamb mint, garlic, rosemary, mint Eggs pepper, green pepper, dry mustard, fresh mushrooms, paprika, oregano, tarragon
VEGETABLES
Broccoli lemon juice, oregano
Cabbage dill (sua), caraway seeds (charoli)
Carrots parsley, mint, nutmeg, dill
Cauliflower nutmeg, tarragon
Corn green pepper, tomatoes, chives
Green beans lemon juice, nutmeg, garlic, onion
Dried beans minced chives, onion, parsley
Peas mint, parsley, fresh mushrooms, sweet peppers
Potatoes parsley, onion, chopped green pepper, dill, leek, chives, rosemary, garlic
Squash ginger, honey
Sweet potatoes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, honey
Tomatoes basil, sage, garlic, green pepper, onion, oregano, chives.
Make your own seasoning mix Combine the following ingredients (you can find them at most department stores) to create about ¼ cup of seasoning for use while cooking or when you’re at the table;
Everyday blend
tsp onion powder
T garlic powder
T chilli powder
T dry mustard
tsp thyme
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp celery seeds
Herb & Spice Mixture: Use this in pasta sauces or with stir fried, braised or roasted vegetables.
T dried basil
2T dried marjoram
T dried oregano
2 T dried coriander
2 T dried thyme
2 T dried rosemary
2 T dried savory
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes In a food processor, combine all the ingredients. Process fro 30 seconds until finely ground. Transfer to a tightly sealed container, label, and date. Store in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.
Note: T = Tablespoon
