Elevate Your Health Colorado Tips to shake your salt habit

If variety is the spice of life, why are we so stuck on salt?

With a plentiful herb and spice palette, the foods we prepare should be exploding with flavor.

Yet, we settle for salt.

Salt can add flavor to your food, but too much salt also can add up to health risks such as high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. In fact, a recent study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion estimated there would be 11 million fewer cases of high blood pressure each year if Americans cut their salt intake to the recommended 2,300 milligrams a day — about one teaspoon.

Add some herbs

If you’re ready to shake the salt, Debi Lemke, MS, RD, Working Well coordinator for Kaiser Permanente, has a few suggestions. From the conventional to the unusual, she recommends these salt-substituting herbs and spices for depth of flavor:

Basil is a great addition to potatoes and tomato-based dishes.

Rosemary can season chicken, potatoes, and fresh bread recipes.

Black pepper adds flavor to poultry, fish, chicken, vegetables, and salads.

Dill or chives are delicious in potatoes, meats, and sauces.

Cocoa powder can add rich flavor to chili or spaghetti sauce recipes (add natural cocoa powder, which is high in heart-healthy flavanols, not the high-sugar variety).

Lime juice and cumin add a “flavor you’ve never experienced” to corn on the cob or other vegetables, Lemke says.

Coriander also has hints of lime and can accent rice, chicken, or fish dishes.

Cumin can add no-salt flavor to Mexican, Mediterranean, or Middle Eastern dishes.

Oregano is a trusty standby that adds flavor to beans, chili, pasta, pizza, and salads.

Not sure what to try? Lemke suggests growing your own indoor herb garden — parsley, chives, thyme, basil, and mint grow well in her kitchen window — and experiment. “You can figure out how an herb will taste by smelling it. Is it minty? Lemony? Woodsy?”

Herb how-to

With herbs and spices, it’s not all about the “what.” Sometimes, the “how” can help create amazing flavors, too. Here are a few quick tips:

Choose fresh herbs over dry. “Dry herbs are convenient, but lose their flavor over time. Fresh herbs have a pure flavor,” Lemke says.

In recipes, use a 3-to-1 ratio of fresh herbs to dry herbs.

Add herbs into recipes last. “Heat breaks down the taste, flavor, and fragrance of herbs, so toss them in at the end,” Lemke says.

Know your quantities. A little sage and tarragon go a long way, while garlic, oregano, and black pepper can be used more liberally.

Find more healthy ways to cut salt from your diet at kp.org.