Breaking the salt addiction

Recent reader comments have criticized my use of salt. Yes, I admit to being addicted to salt. Salt, also known as sodium chloride, enhances flavor more than any other compound I can think of. It was used as currency by the Romans and is necessary for many bodily functions such as absorption of nutrients, the conduction of the heart, and nervous system function. Besides making food tasty, salt also functions as a preservative.

Too much salt, though, is a bad thing. Our diets are inundated in salt, especially if we eat out a lot or eat processed foods. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension), which may cause atherosclerosis, the hardening and thickening of the arteries, increasing one's risk for heart attack and stroke.

I've been pondering for a while how to reduce my salt intake. One step that I've taken is not using the complete flavoring package when making a processed item such as yellow rice pilaf, a trick I learned from my mother. The second step I've taken is reading the sodium label when buying food in addition to the calorie, fat, fiber, and protein labels. This has opened my eyes to the astronomical amount of salt in some packaged ramen, and the salt hiding in many sweets. I've bought reduced-sodium soy sauce, which tastes like regular soy sauce to me, and noticed the many flavorings I add to make food saltier, such as hot sauce, salsa, soy sauce, fish sauce, pickled peppers, ketchup and parmesan cheese. Finally, I'm using a little more reserve with my salt shaker. So while I still can't live without salt, I may be able to handle a little less of it with dinner.