How to shake the salt habit
Everyone knows that too much sodium isn’t good for you. The problem is that salt makes so many foods taste better. But why is that? And are there healthier ways to flavor our food? Consumer Reports reveals why we like salt so much, what kinds are better for us, and which seasonings you can use instead.
There are a couple of reasons why we crave salt. Salt, or sodium chloride, is a flavor enhancer that can boost the intensity of a dish. It not only can enhance sweetness but also mask tastes, like bitterness. But with so many varieties of salt on the market today, are they all the same when it comes to sodium levels? Not exactly.
The density of the crystals makes a difference. For example, a quarter teaspoon of fine table salt has more sodium than a quarter teaspoon of coarse salt or flaked salt. So cut back on sodium by using the same amount of coarse salt when your recipe calls for fine.
And what about the many alternatives that can add flavor with less sodium? To determine how the products worked as a salt swap, they were put to the test, to see if tasters could tell the difference and if they were better or worse compared with regular salt.
Consumer Reports’ taste-testing team tried six different products on plain foods like rice, scrambled eggs and popcorn, so the difference would stand out. Here are the tastiest of the bunch.
The tasters said Morton Lite Salt 50% Less Sodium (1160 mg per teaspoon) tasted most like the real thing. In rice and eggs, it was hard to tell the difference, but it gave popcorn a slightly bitter taste. Because low-sodium salts contain added potassium, people with kidney disease should talk with their doctor before trying them.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) products add a savory flavor to foods. Tasters said Accent seasoning (480 mg of sodium per teaspoon) tasted more brothy than salty, and liked it on popcorn. But it gave a slightly metallic flavor to rice and eggs.
Nutritional yeast can be used as a sodium swap with veggies, soups and salads. Tasters tried Bob’s Red Mill Large Flake Nutritional Yeast (2 mg of sodium per teaspoon) and found it had a cheesy umami flavor. On eggs, tasters preferred it to MSG.
Any way you shake it, when it comes to sodium, less is always more. Check labels when you shop and go for low-sodium versions of the foods you like. Try these substitutes, or control your salt intake by adding a little at a time.
Files from Consumer Reports
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.