Reaching for the saltshaker at every meal is not only a bad habit, it can be downright dangerous to your health. According to a December 1, 2008 online report by Consumer Reports magazine, a healthy adult should consume about 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day, or the equivalent of about 1 teaspoon of salt.
However, as the report goes on to say, the average American actually takes in more like 2,900 – 4,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Such high sodium diets can lead to increased risk of high blood pressure, asthma, kidney stones, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and other health concerns.
Replacing Salt with Herbs
Although not all the sodium we consume comes from salt added to food during cooking or eating, using other seasonings such as fresh or dried herbs to flavor food is a good way to start reducing your sodium consumption. With such a wide variety of herbs available for culinary use, the possibilities are endless and you can experiment with many combinations until you find an herbal seasoning blend that suits your taste or a particular dish.
Cooking with Fresh or Dried Herbs
For starters, you might try the recipes below for herbal seasoning blends.
Although the recipes included in this article require dried herbs, many times dried and fresh herbs can be used interchangeably. Simply use 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of crumbled dried herbs or 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh herbs for every ¼ teaspoon of ground dried herbs.
If you buy or cut your own fresh herbs for seasoning, you can store them in the refrigerator by first wrapping the herbs in slightly damp paper towels, then putting them in resealable plastic storage bags. You can also freeze the leaves of fresh herbs with water in ice cube trays, then place the frozen cubes in freezer-safe plastic storage bags or containers. These herbal ice cubes are a quick and easy way to flavor soups or stews.
Salt-Free Herbal Blend
- 3 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons celery seed
- 2 tablespoons dried savory
- 1-1/2 tablespoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon powdered kelp
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Powder the herbs in a spice grinder or blender. Blend well and transfer to a shaker. The yield is about ¾ of a cup.
Herbes de Provence
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried savory
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- ½ teaspoon dried lavender flowers
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. The yield is about ¼ of a cup. This blend is good to use in seasoning soups, stews, chicken dishes, tomatoes and sauces, or Mediterranean dishes.
Sources
- “Consumer Reports Identifies Foods with Surprisingly High Levels of Sodium.” Consumer Reports 1 Dec. 2008
- Rombauer, Irma S., et al. The Joy of Cooking. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1997
- Storey, Martha. 500 Treasured Country Recipes. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, Inc., 2000
