Low Sodium Alternatives

Why is everyone talking about low sodium alternatives and substitutes to help lower salt intake? Well, sodium is essential for the human body. It helps regulate fluids, plays a pivotal role in kidney health, and even maintains nerve transmissions that help our muscles communicate. Salt has always been an important part of human society dating all the way back to ancient Egypt where it was used as a fundamental part of religious ceremonies. In recent years our body’s natural desire for salt has evolved from playground crush into heated love affair. In this article we will explore some of the negative side effects of a high sodium diet and share with you some of our favorite alternatives to help you eat what you love without all the sodium.

Too Much Sodium

With our body’s natural craving for sodium to perform basic functions it’s no surprise that you will find a dash of salt in pretty much every recipe out there. According to the American Heart Association the high doses of sodium in our diets arn’t from these home cooked creations. Over 75% of sodium consumption comes from restaurants and processed food you will buy in stores. Most have heard how all this salt can play a key role in heart health with excessive amounts of sodium leading to high blood pressure and ultimately a higher risk of stroke or heart failure. In addition, it can lead to excessive calcium excretion in the urine is believed to increase the risk of blood thinning and according to a 2011 Canadian study on older adults high-sodium diets were linked to increased risk of cognitive decline. If that’s not enough to a report by the medical news Today a skin symptom known as edema, swelling of the feet , hands, arms, ankles, is caused by fluid retention and correlates directly with excessive salt diets. So how can you avoid all this sodium and improve your diet while not retreating to boring bland meals? We have found some great products to help you eat what you love that are full of flavor and low in salt.

Low- No Sodium Alternatives

Seasoned Sea Salt by Kissed by the Sun Spices – So I’m a little biased here seeing as this is one of our very own creations but our Seasoned Sea Salt blend has been popular with hungry folks on low sodium diets for over ten years. This low sodium salt replacement allows you to capture that familiar salt flavor but reduces the serving amount significantly by incorporating organic garlic, rosemary, ginger root & parsley into the blend. For those who can’t go cold turkey this is a great alternative and it can be used in place of salt in any recipe.

Flavored Oils & Vinegars – Many store bought marinades for meats and chicken are filled with high doses od sodium, same goes for seemingly “low fat & healthy” salad dressings. Don’t be fooled. Try experimenting with different olive oils and vinegars for your salad dressings, meat, & poultry marinades. We recommend D’Avolio, this mom & pop shop has hundreds of gourmet oils and vinegars along with healthy recipes available on their website.

Herb-Ox Bouillon – For many recipes that call for broths, bouillon, or condensed stock these base ingredients can be high salt killers. Herb-Ox Bouillon offers many low or no sodium stocks for soups, gravies, marinades, stews, rice dishes, pasta, & more.

Avoid Frozen Vegetables – Did you know the average serving of plain frozen broccoli is over 25 milligrams of salt? Many processed foods, even vegetables are packed with salt. Check the label and buy fresh vegetables whenever you can and season with sodium free spices.

Use More Citrus & Lemon – Lemon juice & salt trigger very similar taste receptors. Add some lemon juice or shaved lemon zest to almost any meal and you will capture that familiar salt flavor. One of the most popular seasoning blends we carry for our no sodium

Unsalted butter – Ok, this one may be obvious but none the less we wanted to mention it. Ghee Organic from Purity Farms is our favorite butter substitute.

Kissed by the Sun Salt Free Spices – While the popular Seasoned Salt is a great alternative for those not looking to completely cut salt, there are also four delicious salt free seasonings great for salt free cooking. While many have citrus notes with lemon peel our favorite is the Garlic n Herbs blend.

Sunny Island

Garlic N Herbs

Lemon, Lime, & Orange Peel

Sweet & Hot Peppers