Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <substitutions><salt><sodium>
Title: What are some good substitutes for salt for those on low sodium diets?
Question: I try to keep my sodium intake fairly low to ensure that my blood pressure doesn't get too high.  Salt is such a common part of cooking, and it's especially difficult to cook Asian-style food without a lot of salt due to its reliance on salty sauces such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, etc.  I have tried salt substitutes such as potassium chloride but that can be particularly nasty on the palate, giving the food a chemical taste.  What are some good substitutes for salt in food?

Answers:
sents: text: There is no substitute for salt.
text: Sorry.
text: It has effects on the tastebuds and the body that cannot be replicated.
text: However!
text: They can be approached to a degree that most people will find interchangeable.
text: Acids can mimic the flavour-enhancing qualities of salt in a big way.
text: The more acid you have in a dish, the less salt you will need.
text: Beware of going too far, of course, as too much acid is just unpleasant and will need salt to counterbalance.
text: Heat--as in capsaicin, chili peppers--can produce much the same effect.
text: Echoing papin's information above; NA and K (sodium and potassium) exist in balance in the body.
text: Too far in one direction
text: and you have a heart attack (too much K), too much in the other and
text: (if memory serves; I could be wrong)
text: you essentially drown (or is it edema?
text: I can't remember).
text: If avoiding sodium is related to a health concern, please speak to your primary healthcare provider before adjusting your diet in this way.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 20
sents: text: Our taste buds are tuned for salt (NaCl), but potassium chloride (KCl) comes pretty close in reproducing the sensation.
text: There are a few commercial salt substitutes that incorporate KCl ( Nu-salt , Morton Salt Substitute in the US).
text: As sodium is an essential mineral and potassium may be hard to get out of the body, make sure you ask a doctor before completely eliminating salt.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/183/papin
score: 18
sents: text: When my doctor told me to start cutting my salt intake, I headed to the spice aisle at the grocery store and bought every "salt-free" blend they had and started trying them.
text: It was one of the best things I did, because I discovered how much I'd been relying on salt for flavor and how inadequate that was.
text: I now buy my spices from The Spice House (much fresher than the grocery store) and really like quite a few of their salt free blends .
text: Most spice suppliers have a similar category available.
text: Buy a bunch and start substituting when you would otherwise use salt.
text: Some of the experiments will be fabulous, some not as much, but rarely are they actually bad.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/104/J Wynia
score: 9
sents: text: I use lemon juice and vinegars to approximate saltiness in foods.
text: Lemon juice works particularly well in soups.
text: I use 1/4 cup of lemon juice as a flavor enhancer in pots of soup of eight to 12 cups.
text: Obviously, this is a subjective measure, and I'd recommend adding the juice by the tablespoonful, tasting the soup, and then adding more juice until you achieve the level of "saltiness" you want.
text: Vinegars take experimentation because they tend to be stronger and there are so many different kinds, but I like to use them with sautéed vegetables.
text: Malt vinegar is particularly good on roasted potatoes and french fries (I also add it to my baked potatoes before adding other toppings).
text: Oh, and because broth is so common in cooking as a flavoring component (and store-bought broth is so high in sodium), I recommend Herb-Ox Low Sodium Bouillon in packets because, while it's not as tasty as homemade broth, it's convenient to use when one only needs a little bit of broth.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/403/Iuls
score: 7
sents: text: Most of the time you use salt for making the food taste better.
text: If this is the purpose, you can substitute lots of different spices and herbs.
text: I cook Asian-style food without the usage of any salt.
text: Instead I use a lot of garlic and onions.
text: Ginger powder is quite good enhancing other existing flavours what salt is sometimes used for.
text: Otherwise, it depends on the particular flavour you want to create.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/62/txwikinger
score: 6
sents: text: If you have high blood pressure, then you may be looking for low-sodium salt.
text: LoSalt is the only brand I've ever sampled and there is no obvious taste difference.
text: If, on the other hand, you are looking to add a little taste variety to dishes, then you might try fish sauce, soy sauce or anchovies.
text: Using parmigiano-reggiano or dashi will also give you the umami flavour.
text: All of these however have a high salt content.
text: Avoiding salt altogether
text: , you might try various herbs and spices.
text: Really anything will add flavour, but sage has a certain saltiness, as does vanilla for sweet dishes.
text: You might also try a little lemon juice or vinegar in sauces.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1549/Chris Steinbach
score: 6
sents: text: If you are used to eating a lot of salt, you may first need to accustom your palate to enjoying the natural, un-salt-enhanced flavours.
text: Lemon juice, spices, or other pungent/aromatic ingredients are a good way to keep your dishes flavourful without salt.
text: You may initially find that you're missing the "salty" taste itself.
text: The cure for this is just to wait for your palate to re-adjust.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4504/Allison
score: 5
sents: text: Lime juice, tamarind paste, vinegars, mango powder, sour yogarts are what I use with a little as possible of table salt.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/29519/gill
score: 5

Summary of the answers:
Our tastebuds are tuned for sodium chloride, so substitutes will often taste wrong. Potassium chloride is a common substitute, which may taste acceptable. If you are used to a lot of salt, try accustomising yourself to more natural flavours. Acids like lime juice, tamarind paste, vinegars, sour yoghurt and mango powder can also mimic the flavour-enhancing properties.
While you cannot fully substitute for salt, acidic foods can be a good replacement. You can also try low-sodium salt.