6 ways to stop cooking with seasoning salt

Seasoning salt is a popular spice blend often used to flavor food. However, seasoning salt can also be high in sodium, which can be a problem for people trying to reduce their salt intake.

Following a no-salt diet is challenging, but there are ways to avoid salt that won’t deprive your tastebud of delicious-tasting food. Many challenges can be associated with money, time, and accessibility to healthy foods.

Seasoning Salt was created to add flavor to our dishes, to add the “oomph” without spending time mixing different types of herbs and spices. But do our dishes taste better with seasoning salt?

Here are 6 ways to stop cooking with seasoning salt

• Read food labels carefully. One of the best ways to avoid seasoning salt is to read food labels carefully. Many processed foods, such as soups, frozen dinners, and salad dressings, contain seasoning salt. This includes canned and frozen foods.
• Cook from scratch. When you cook from scratch, you have more control over the ingredients that go into your food. This means that you can avoid adding seasoning salt to your meals.
• Use fresh herbs and spices. Fresh herbs and spices are a great way to flavor food without adding sodium. Many different herbs and spices can be used, so you can experiment to find the ones you like best.
• Flavor your food with other ingredients. There are many other ways to flavor food besides using salt. For example, you can flavor your food with lemon juice, vinegar, or herbs. Many vegetables also contain sodium, and celery is one.
• Limit your intake of processed foods. Processed foods are often high in sodium, so limiting your intake is best. Again, this includes canned and frozen foods.
• Talk to your doctor. If you are concerned about your sodium intake, talk to your doctor. They can help you create a plan to reduce your sodium intake safely.

Additional Information

• There are many no-salt seasonings and spices. One place you can find essential spices is NouBess.com.
• You can also make your own herbs and spices blend. Try making Epis or Green Seasoning. It is the perfect seasoning blend to marinate meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Avoid store-bought sauces. They save time, and many add flavor to food, but most contain a lot of sodium. If you want to cook with store-bought sauces, consider buying ones with low or no sodium.
• You can use numerous spices and herbs to add flavor to your food.  The spices and herbs are available in many supermarkets. They are bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme, curry powder, garlic, rosemary, mint, oregano, ginger, marjoram, tarragon, thyme, Cinnamon, cloves, marjoram, parsley, dill,  green onions, pepper, and cumin.

There are many versions of Green Seasoning or Epis. The most common fresh herbs in green seasoning are parsley, thyme, and Garlic. These herbs add tons of flavor to food.

Most packaged foods contain an abundant amount of sodium. By avoiding and gradually eliminating sodium excess, we can keep our blood pressure low and our bones, heart, and kidneys healthy.

Salt is considered a killer if not controlled properly. We know that our body needs salt. The right amount of salt is recommended to avoid illnesses such as high blood pressure associated with too much sodium.

Lastly, act now! It is not too late to start eating healthier.

Originally published July 26, 2017. Updated