70% of Americans salt their food without tasting it first. In France, (and I'd imagine most upscale restaurants and maybe in some homes for that matter), this is considered a major foodie faux pas - have you ever seen that episode of I Love Lucy where she orders ketchup (which is highly salty) with her escargot and the chef comes storming out, cursing at her in French? It suggests that the chef did not properly season the food, and you are being so bold as to correct the error or mask the flavor. Most of us don't mean it as an insult - we are just addicted to the stuff. It's just a staple of our day-to-day dietary intake, usually without us consciously thinking about it.
Salt is mixed into processed food for many reasons and is the biggest source of sodium in the American diet (around 77% overall). But we also add it during cooking, baking, and at the table, and salt occurs naturally in a lot of foods. We are salt-a-holics, and we need to re-think what we're doing to our food, because there are tastier alternatives out there - herbs and spices, and different ways of preparing food - that won't negatively affect our bodies. In fact, adding herbs and spices instead of salt can mean you're sprinkling in antioxidants and minerals, instead of a substance that raises your blood pressure and cause bloat. Let's examine, you and I, some sneaky sodium sources, and how to branch out into the herby & spicy world - for the betterment of both your body systems and your taste buds.
Most people need to keep their sodium intake at or below 2300mg/day, which equals about 1 tsp per day. Those with HBP (aka hypertension) should keep it lower, at or below around 1500mg/day. Some athletes require more sodium in their diets because they may sweat it out during heavy workouts, but this is a narrow slice of the population. (I reiterate: sign up at livestrong.com for an easy way to track your sodium intake!) Many fall into categories of special at-risk populations that need to keep salt intake on the low side. These groups include: African-Americans, middle-aged people and older adults, not to mention those with a familial risk for heart disease. A study by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in 2006 showed that on average, an American takes in about 3500/mg day. That is not ok!
Processed Food
An admission: I used to work for Jenny Craig. I worked there for two years, pumping processed food morning til night to my clients, feeling guiltier all the while as I learned more and more about proper nutrition - hellooo? Why do you think I quit? (Among other reasons.) Processed food may be convenient, but at what price? (Body-wise, not dollar-wise. Unfortunately, a lot of processed food is less expensive than whole foods - think 'The Dollar Menu' here people. Stupid but true. Low quality, less-carefully-cared-for ingredients cost less, in food as in any consumer product.)
Like I said, the majority of sneaky salt (I picture a salt shaker looking sinister in the shadows, with a trenchcoat and a hat shifted asconce) comes from processed food. So how do we fix that? Eat less processed food. Yup, I am on that bandwagon. I'm not saying you have to cook every meal, all the time. But perhaps you should take a look at what your meals consist of. If you're 'dieting,' are you eating 100-calorie packs left and right? Are you grabbing the reduced-fat version of Cheez Its? These types of foods may remove some of the fat or calories, but check out the salt content. (The Eat This Not That
series explains this fabulously.) Chances are, the manufacturer has tossed in some extra sodium to impart some flavor to that nutrition-less bite of fluff. Lean Cuisines, Smart Ones, Healthy Choice? Not so much, when it comes to sodium. Some of these bad boys can rack up 700 mg of salt. Yikes. I'm not belittling your choices, maybe just your daily combinations. For example, I myself love the SmartOnes Breakfast Quesadilla. Not exactly clean eating
(check out the mile-long ingredient label!) but on a lousy morning when I haven't thought ahead, I love to pop that in the m-wave and head out the door. This tasty breakfast packs 710mg of sodium. So, because I care about my body, I will make sure that come lunch and dinner and snack times, I will be eating clean. That way, I have at least controlled the wallop from the morning by countering it with some healthy low-sodium meals later in the day. Another biggie I want to mention: salad dressing. The 'best' light dressings may be low in fat, cals, and sugar but can pack 500mg of sodium - just for 2 tablespoons! I try to stick with Trader Joe's versions or yogurt-based dressings from Wegmans. Even better? Make your own! Then you take the control back completely. Herbs & Spices
I recently had to watch a video for a course about herbs and spices. It was made, from the looks of it, in the early '80's (e-NOR-mous hair.. wow.) and I wanted to poke my eyes out after ten minutes of watching it, just to keep things interesting. I was grumpy, because I really was interested to learn more about what spice/herb goes best with what. Such is the nutrition-nerd's quest. (P.S. An herb is a leaf from a fragrant plant, a spice is a flavorful part of a plant - it may be from the root, seed, or body of the plant itself.) So here's the low-down on the most popular and useful herbs & spices that I think ought to be in your kitchen, in front of the salt shaker. This isn't extensive, but these selections are always popping up in my dishes:
Basil: Fragrant, sweet-peppery herb often used in Italian cooking. 2 Tbsp of the stuff provides 60% of your DV of Vitamin K. Distant second in nutrients are iron and calcium. I love basil - fresh, dried, or sold mashed-up in tubes in the produce section. Add it to omelets, meatball mixes (awesome turkey meatball recipe coming soon), homemade dips and sauces.
Paprika: Friendly member of the pepper family, which all contain capsaicin - the culprit some try to talk up as a fat burner. (It does raise your metabolism a minute amount for a brief amount of time - but only in large doses that people don't usually consume.) It is high in Vitamin C and can range in flavor from sweet to to smoky to spicy. It adds a nice red-orange color to eggs, veggie dishes, stews, quiches, and just about anything that needs a slight kick.
Cilantro: is the leaf of the coriander plant and may also be called Chinese Parsley. It has a very unique flavor and aroma, and is common in Mexican and Caribbean dishes. Chop or snip fresh cilantro leaves for a burst of Latin flavor and Vitamin C in salsas, sauces, stews, curries, burritos, chili, and baked potatoes.
Parsley: Not just a garnish! Parsley instantly freshens the flavor of any dish and 2 Tbsp has 153% of your DV of Vitamin K, and lots of Vitamins A and C. It also has a special health benefit of containing volatile oils, (aromatic oils) that have been shown to fight cancer in rats. Maybe that's why my guinea pigs love it so much. Great on just about every savory dish you come up with, or blended into your favorite fruit-based smoothie recipe.
Garlic Powder: Be sure to buy a brand that is just pure garlic, smashed to powder - some brands add 'flavor-enhancers.' A lot of health claims about heart disease or anti-fungal properties usually come with garlic, but no scientific studies have truly shown a significant connection. Bummer. But! It is a great, strong flavor that may help you to overcome your desire to add salt. Garlic is great in so many dishes - meats, pasta, rice, seafood, etc.
Curry Powder: Used in a lot of Indian dishes for a nice kick and special flavor. Curry powder is always a blend of various spices including varying percentages of: coriander, cumin, garlic, mustard seed, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, fenugreek, and others. I love it when my taste buds need a change - I make a great (but fragrant, according to coworkers - sorry guys!) shrimp + egg salad flavored with curry. (how can that combo NOT smell?)
Dill: If I'm making tuna salad, I am using dried dill weed. Funny name aside, fresh dill weed is awesome baked with lemon on fish, and dried dill is tasty in mixed salads, on salmon, and in omelets.
Crushed Rosemary: When my best friend got married last May, her Dad gave away potted rosemary plants to guests to symbolize matrimony (or something), and I was pumped because I looove rosemary. You must crush it up with a mortar and pestle, else one gets twigs of rosemary stuck in one's teeth. But once it's fine enough, sprinkled in omelets it is deliciously earthy, pine-like, and fragrant. Rachael Ray (still on the fence about liking her or not) has a great Rosemary and Ham Scone(!) recipe that I love. Rosemary also contains up to 20% of camphor, a bioactive compound associated with respiratory health.
Tarragon: I make a healthier version of Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Salad Veronique with fresh tarragon and it is wonderful. (I can't recommend the full-fat version. Ina Garten loves "good" mayo way too much.) Tarragon is fairly sweet, almost licorice-like, and adds a great flavor to fish, chicken, lamb, or stews, and is used a lot in French cuisine. I've been spotting more and more crackers with tarragon baked in - I will definitely try them soon.
Whole Peppercorns + Grinder: Sometimes when you want to salt something, you should try pepper first. Adding a full, spicier flavor with pepper may round out the dish enough. I fully support owning a pepper grinder, so you can grind the peppercorns yourself, so you get access to the fresh pepper oils before they are allowed to sit out and lose flavor to the air. Remember that there are more varieties than black - try pink peppercorns, or the spicier white version. Check out the food wall at the closest Williams & Sonoma for all their crazy peppercorn choices.
I hope this post at least gets you thinking about trying some new herbs & spices instead of salt. Branch out; find your favorites, and report back. Do I predict a kitchen herb garden sprouting up for you soon? I hope so. Happy herb'ing.. in the kitchen I mean.
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