According to the Blood Pressure Association, consuming too much salt can raise the levels of sodium in your blood, affecting your kidneys' ability to process fluids. If you have kidney disease, you can be especially susceptible to the effect of excess dietary salt; your physician may advise you to maintain a low-sodium diet. In addition to reading food labels and choosing fresh, salt-free food, you need to learn to prepare and enjoy your food with salt alternatives.
Step 1
Use fresh herbs to flavor salads, pastas and meats. You can use herbs such as basil, oregano, mint and sage either separately or in combination to add flavor to your entrees. You can buy herbs fresh or minced for the freshest flavor, and you also can buy dried herbs and create a variety of mixes.
Step 2
Combine citrus juices and citrus zest with limited quantities of olive oil or sunflower oil to create tasty marinades and dressings. Marinate meat such as fish, chicken and pork prior to cooking, or use the dressing on a variety of vegetables.
Step 3
Add hot sauces and salsas to spice up foods. A variety of hot sauces made from peppers such as habernero, jalapeno, ancho or pablano pepper can add spicy flavors to pasta, rice, bean and meat dishes. Or add Asian spices such as curry powder to a variety of meat and rice dishes for low-salt flavoring. Use fresh garlic, garlic powders, cumin, cinnamon and ground pepper to create a variety of spicy flavors in your entrees and side dishes.
References
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Flavor That Food, National Institutes of Health
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Flavor Your Foods Without Salt, USDA
- Blood Pressure Association: Salt's Effects on Your Body, Blood Pressure Association, 2008
- Cleveland Clinic: Salt Substitutes, Cleveland Clinic, 2011
