Recently, the news has included talk about the excessive amount of sodium that Americans consume in restaurant meals and processed foods. This has lead me to think about the amount of salt I use in my kitchen. I do use salt and pepper but I also rely on other ingredients in my cooking to provide flavor -- a few include onion, garlic, green peppers, salsa, and spices.
I've been known to reach for the salt shaker before taking a bite of my food. Especially when it comes to vegetables. I think I need salt on my potatoes, corn, green beans, asparagus, etc. I can do without adding salt to my entree but I don't seem to eat the veggies without a little shake, shake, shake. Why is that? Simple in my mind...salt enhances the flavor.
Considering that a large percentage of the population eat out on a daily basis and/or consume processed foods, I imagine folks would be surprised to learn the amount of sodium they consume in a day if they were to track it. It's in more than just the salt shaker. It's in canned vegetables, seasoning packets such as those used for taco and chili, pickles, mayonnaise, and yes, even my beloved Diet Coke.
I've been thinking about challenging myself to eliminate the shake, shake, shake for a week. I'd still use it in cooking but not at the table. Think I could do it? Could you?
3 comments:
when I make soup - it seems i put a lot of salt into it but i bet it pales in comparison to what would be in a can of soup. yes, i could do this. so, can you : )
I rarely salt any of my food at the table. In fact, I can't remember the last time I did. I am a pepper girl more than salt. You can do it!
I haven't used salt in cooking since my kids were babies and the only time I shake, shake is on hot chips (fries), although I'm sure my salt intake is high because of the "hidden" salts I unaware of.
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