Salt. (ingredients, substitute, grilled, diet)

[jtur88]

Do you pay attention to how much salt you consume? Do you have a medical need to? Are you aware of the health risk of too much salt? Do you try to minimize your salt intake? Do you adjust your cooking style or choices to account for salt?

[AKgirlinCA]

I do not add salt to anything I cook. There is enough hidden salt in our foods and meats that we shouldn't be adding any. I do have salt on my hard boiled eggs though.

[nan5623]

unfortunately, I'm a salt freak. SO, I try to use herbs instead. But there ARE somethings you just GOTTA have salt on.

[CMichele]

I'm also a salt freak. I know this is just horrible to admit but I sometimes sprinkle a little in my hand and dip my finger into it.

Oh the shame!

Luckily, I don't have any known health issues. My blood pressure was 130/82 back in Feb. and my doctor wants to check it again in the near future. I'm sure it was an isolated incidence as it hasn't read high since.

[MAtheBanker]

I've never had high blood pressure, but I've also never been told it's perfect. I am making a valiant effort to not only reduce salt intake, but also sugar. I can't believe how much crap has JUST those two things added! Boneless skinless chicken breast has added salt. Bottled water has added salt. Seriously?! Why does water need salt?!?!?!

You would not BELIEVE how much crap you cut out of your diet when you cut out processed foods Every recipe I make, I always omit the salt--bread, homemade taco seasoning, etc.

[Miaiam]

I think it is not really people's "fault" they like salt so much, or find food pretty tasteless without it. Usually when a question regarding salt comes up, people think about a salt shaker. That is not really the issue... Almost everything has an absurd amount of salt in it, much more than a person's necessary intake, per serving. Look at the nutri facts and you will be very surprised. E.g., if you are going to make a grilled cheese sandwich, or a ham and cheese one, why does the bread have to contain salt?! Everything else you are using already has a bunch of salt in it! As I said, in my opinion it is not really people's fault for 2 reasons, basically: 1. they don't realize most things contain salt that builds up to their total intake bringing it to ridiculously high levels. Even if you don't have any health issues, excessive salt is not a good thing at all; 2. depending on your/your family's lifestyle, you were raised eating a lot of processed stuff - thus a lot of salt - and were used to that amount of salt your whole life. So when you try something with less salt, food tastes bland. It is something you have to learn, appreciate food taste, not salt taste. Of course removing salt completely would be bad for you and food would lose a lot of "flavor" , but we could all live with less salt and still appreciate it.

[AnonChick]

I like pretzels with salt. Potato chips too. Anchovies, of course - without salt they're just strips of slimy bony fish </joke>

I'm really not all that gung-ho about adding salt to anything though, or eating things that have "sodium" hidden in the processed ingredients. On the other hand, I don't like "low-sodium" stuff because they always put some kind of really funky crap in it to "substitute" the salt.

I like things that _are_ salty, like bacon, and those lovely anchovies...things that would just be very strange if they weren't salty. But I don't eat a lot of them, or often. My blood pressure is around 100/75, and I've never really made any serious attempt to curb my salt intake.

[TexasHorseLady]

The high blood pressure issue with salt is (though they don't mention this when they're talking about the dangers of it) limited to a small segment of the population that is reactive to it. I eat a lot of salt, always have (had to learn to cook with a lot less in order to accommodate other people). My "white coat" blood pressure pretty standardly comes in at the 100 over 60 range.

It matters, too, of course, when you put the salt in. Not salting a food while cooking it and then putting salt on at the table results in a VERY different flavor (not as good) than applying a judicious amount of salt at the appropriate time in the cooking process. I can change the flavor of a dish simply by when in the cooking process I put a little salt in.

All of which is to say, the "health issues" surrounding salt are not as black and white, cut and dried as those who need to publish books or fund studies or have something to legislate in order to keep their jobs would have us think. We need to research for ourselves, eat appropriately for our own health, and not legislate health issues in a "one-size-fits-all" manner, because, frankly, one size doesn't fit all.

[joey2000]

If you're a male esp if 40+, I STRONGLY suggest you curb you salt intake. This is after experience a kidney stone, which is by far the most pain I've ever been in...and salt/not enough fluids is a prime contributor. I love salt as much as anyone but have cut way way back. It's not like I'll never have another potato chip in my life, but I don't chow down on stuff like that nearly like I used to.

Unless you're a masochist; then never mind, eat up.

[Rickers]

I'm not too sure that salt in your system contributes to kidney stones, those are generally caused by to much uric acid or oxalate acid in your system. Much excess salt in your system you can sweat out in a hot tub or sauna.