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Flavor
Boosters for Low Sodium Cuisine
by Jill
Nussinow
The Michigan Dietetic Association
Shaking
the salt habit can be tough for many people, especially
when used to the taste of processed and "fast" food.
Making the switch involves taste bud adjustment and
learning to heighten food flavors without the salt
shaker.
Try some of these savory solutions for boosting flavor while
slashing sodium:
Go green - Use herbs whenever possible.
Add dried herbs early in the cooking process; add fresh to-wards
the end.
Spice up your food life - Learn which herbs
and spices complement which foods. Try dill with fish or
carrots; tarragon with chicken or asparagus; nutmeg with
spinach or broccoli and cinnamon with lamb or rice.
Do a dash - Choose
a few favorite store-bought salt-free
blends or make your own to use regularly.
Blends are available that complement
fish, poultry, meat, vegetables and more.
Just juice - Lemon,
orange, lime or grapefruit juices all
add a punch of flavor without the excess
sodium. Other juices or juice concentrates
such as apple or cranberry can also boost
flavor, especially in salad dressings,
glazes and marinades.
Zest for the best -
Citrus zest, such as that grated from
oranges, lemons and limes, adds definite
zing to sauces, salad dressings, stews
and rich dishes and may be protective
against certain cancers. Use a fine grater
only on the colored part of the fruit
to add zip to almost anything.
Vital vinegar - Stock
up on vinegar—have at least a few
that you can add to perk up and balance
flavors. Select from rice, white or red
wine, balsamic, apple cider or fruit
vinegar to use in salad dressings or
instead of salt at the end of soup, stew
or sauce preparation.
Peak experience - Think
flavor "peaks". Use items such as bits
of sundried tomatoes, dried mush-rooms,
roasted peppers, minced fresh garlic
or ginger root, or spicy and bitter greens
such as arugula, radicchio or watercress.
Just making one "peak" change can create
a dramatic difference.
Bold bits - When using
higher sodium items such as Parmesan
or other salty cheese, cured olives,
capers, ham or bacon, add them in small
amounts as a garnish. Their flavor will
come through boldly.
Glazes, not gravies - Most
packaged, canned or bottled gravies are
high in sodium. If you don't want to
make your own lowered-sodium gravy, go
for glazes made with reduced juice, wine,
sweeteners, herbs and spices. Additions
such as grated ginger root and garlic
really add pizzazz.
Make marinades - Start
with juice, wine, water or low sodium
broth, add herbs and spices, some vinegar
or lemon juice and marinate your meat,
fish, poultry, tofu or tempeh for at
least a half -hour. Unused marinade can
be used as a sauce or glaze.
Balancing act - Be sure
to taste what you prepare to be sure
there's a flavor balance of sweet, salty,
sour and bitter. Decreasing the salt
will usually require adjustments in the
other components to achieve a satisfactory
balance.
Salt as seasoning - If
you must use salt, add it at the end
of cooking. When it is on top of the
food, you can taste it more. A salt blend
will have less sodium and more flavor.
Try Gomasio, a Japanese salt, sesame
and seaweed combo on noodles or stir-fries.
Pleasurable pain - Splash
hot pepper sauce on savory cuisine to
kick up flavor without extra salt. Sometimes
just a drop or two is all you need to
perform this chef's trick.
Can the cans, watch the bottles
- Steer clear of high sodium
canned foods. Instead, use their unsalted
or lower sodium counterparts. The same
holds true for bottled sauces, such as
Worcestershire, barbecue or soy, salad
dressings, mustard or ketchup. Hunt for
reduced sodium versions, prepare your
own, use alternatives or just use less.
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