Salt-free cooking

[Corzhens]

Since I have kidney stones, our food is preferred to be salt-free. Like the simple fried rice which ingredients are crushed garlic and salt, we do away with salt. The taste is a bit bland but we got used to it. When boiling meat, it is usual to add a dash of salt to the water but we don't do that anymore. Again, we are used to that salt-free taste.

And in dishes that we cannot do without salt, we use salt although sparingly. But when there's an occasion, that is an exception to the rule. It's not good to serve bland food to the guests so the recipe is back to the original with the salt.

 

[L_B]

It is good to cut back on your salt taste for not only kidney stones but for your blood pressure too. I have problems with my BP so I have to cut down on salt. I do have it on occasion but I usually use other spices for flavor. It takes a little getting use to when you like salt but overall its not too bad.

 

[cupcakechef]

I actually don't cook with salt much at all! I just use lots of herbs and spices and honestly I don't even notice that salt is missing. A lot of the time if I eat at a restaurant I can really notice the salt in a dish - I think it just comes down to what you're used to.

 

[welsh dragon]

We dont cook with salt anymore. MR WD has high blood pressure as well as high cholesterol. As a result, we no longer use salt either in the cooking process or on our meals once they are on the table. If we do have to use a small amount of salt then we use Lo-salt.

I was never bothered about salt, but Mr WD used to put loads in the cooking and on his food. It is also a good way to stay away from processed foods which tend to be very high in fats, sugars, and salt. We also tend to eat lots of rice, have stir frys, and we grill everything. Things like bacon is off the menu. It doesn't bother me not to have salt.

 

[winterybella]

I would love to reach this stage-salt free. Sometimes I have a heavy hand with 'salt' and salt and hypertension don't go well together. It's mostly the substitutes that create the problems for me.

 

[L_B]

We dont cook with salt anymore. MR WD has high blood pressure as well as high cholesterol. As a result, we no longer use salt either in the cooking process or on our meals once they are on the table. If we do have to use a small amount of salt then we use Lo-salt.

I was never bothered about salt, but Mr WD used to put loads in the cooking and on his food. It is also a good way to stay away from processed foods which tend to be very high in fats, sugars, and salt. We also tend to eat lots of rice, have stir frys, and we grill everything. Things like bacon is off the menu. It doesn't bother me not to have salt.

You definitely have a great way of eating. I try to follow eating this way also but I do have bacon every now and then. I know it isn't good for you but it is one of those things that I have a problem with giving it up. I don't have it very often though but when I do I enjoy it!

 

[welsh dragon]

You definitely have a great way of eating. I try to follow eating this way also but I do have bacon every now and then. I know it isn't good for you but it is one of those things that I have a problem with giving it up. I don't have it very often though but when I do I enjoy it!

I think generally the term eat everything in moderation is the way to go. Its surprising how quickly you can get used to less or no sugar and less or no salt.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

When my father was diagnosed with kidney stones all of the us in the family had got aware of this and our family doctor said that not only my father but all of us must changed our diet and we should result to restrict the use of salt and other processed foods in our daily diet. Up to now we are following this and we only use minimal salt in our cooking. The key here is to use salt in moderation.

 

[Morning Glory]

There is a growing amount of evidence that a very low salt diet can be dangerous for some people and that the universal acceptance that too much salt is bad, may be a myth. One article here, although I'm rather dubious about the credentials of the author - but there are other more scientific papers (this was just the easiest to read!):
http://chriskresser.com/shaking-up-the-salt-myth-the-dangers-of-salt-restriction/

 

[Morning Glory]

Here is a more reputable article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/

 

[kgord]

It is hard to do salt free cooking as just about everything contains salt. I also crave salt. However, not using as much processed food is the best thing you can do to avoid salt. It is not so much salt used in the cooking process which is minimal but the use of processed food that causes salt issues.

 

[Bakemehappy]

I am not sure if salt is the reason for the kidney stones. I am guessing the dairy you take in and other metabolic wastes cause the stones to develop. If personally love salty food and I could not make a compromise with it. I am aware of the potential risk of too much salt intake on my blood pressure that is why I learned about one substitute for salt. I use ginger or celery to replace salt in my cooking should I prefer to abstain from salt

 

[purplepen88]

My mother has high blood pressure and has cut most salt out of her diet. Instead of using salt she adds flavour by using herbs and spices. I don't think you need too much salt to make food tasty. She uses garlic, ginger, cilantro to make food flavourful. I think it's quite easy to cook without salt and still make food flavourful. Since I've grown up with a salt free diet I don't need food to be salty in fact I am so much in tune with food if there is a lot of salt on food I find it very strong and offensive, whereas someone else may find it just right. My palate has just gotten used to little salt on my food.

 

[Corzhens]

My mother has high blood pressure and has cut most salt out of her diet. Instead of using salt she adds flavour by using herbs and spices. I don't think you need too much salt to make food tasty. She uses garlic, ginger, cilantro to make food flavourful. I think it's quite easy to cook without salt and still make food flavourful. Since I've grown up with a salt free diet I don't need food to be salty in fact I am so much in tune with food if there is a lot of salt on food I find it very strong and offensive, whereas someone else may find it just right. My palate has just gotten used to little salt on my food.

This makes me realize - I am susceptible to kidney stones since I had twice undergone removal and I still have stones now for the 3rd time. And I have high blood pressure so that's double jeopardy for salt. My husband is the one who actually want a salt-free style of cooking because he is conscious of my kidney stones. But it did not occur to me that my salt intake is also causing a bad effect on my blood pressure. In place of ginger, we use lemon grass for now since it is a good remedy for cholesterol that is also a contributory factor to high blood pressure.

 

[lexinonomous]

I would love to eat salt-free, but I just don't have it in me. I love flavor, but it's so hard for me to taste anything without salt or sugar to enhance it. It's a bummer because I have been trying to live a healthier lifestyle. You mentioned boiling meat; I don't know how you do it. I cannot for the life of me sink my teeth into boiled meat.