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Most of us dislike low salt diets. Saltiness is a learned
habit, and eating salty foods further fuels the craving. To begin a low salt diet, you must
replace the salt with seasonings using herbs and spices. After 3 weeks on a low salt diet, you
will notice that normal foods will begin to taste salty.
The consequences of not adhering to a low salt diet
are high blood pressure, or
hypertension, strokes, congestive heart
failure, and heart disease. A low salt diet must
exclude baking soda, baking powder, MSG, salty snacks, and pickled items. Low salt diets means
you eat less processed foods, baked goods, meats, dairy products, and certain pre-sweetened cereals.
TIP: Shun canned vegetables unless they are labeled as "no salt added". One tablespoon
of canned peas contains as much salt as 5 pounds of fresh peas! And be careful when eating
out! Restaurants usually super-salt!
Low salt diets follow much of the
healthy eating suggestions
mentioned on other pages. In addition:
- undercook vegetables slightly, and eat them a bit crispier.
- toast bread and cereals for added flavor.
- learn to flavor foods with lemon juice, fresh herbs, parsley,
taragon, garlic and onions instead of salt.
- take advantage of the excellent salt free or low salt diet
cookbooks available in today's market. (Visit our
online cookbooks
section and select one of our great cookbooks).
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