Salt free cooking; any tips/hints?

[catnipcoffee]

Per my doc, I'm trying to follow a no salt (< 2,300 mg/day aka less than 1 tsp). Also avoiding sugar (< 5g/day).

I'm not much of a cook and never learned beyond basics involving common comfort foods: mac & cheese, pasta, pizza, etc.

So I'm having to learn how to cook without oil, button, saturated fats, cholesterol, etc, etc, and so on.

I'm looking for practical advice on using spice to effectively flavor things so they're tasty. I know about black pepper, garlic, and powdered onions. But those only go so far.

I've looked over the 'Net pretty extensively and there isn't a lot of relevant info for my particular diet.

Does anyone have an y practical advice/tips they're willing to share? Please and thank you.

[onecaliberal]

1. That will require zero boxes or cans.

Even at that. It will take planning. Fresh meat, veggies and fruit.

[catnipcoffee]

3. Yep. Got to that part.

(My original post got clipped in transit. Tried to edit, but that didn't seem to work.)

Yeah, I found a few "no salt added" things, but they're bland (and waay too expensive). I've been mixing them together to create a sort of stew, but it's pretty bland.

And there's only so much you can do with black pepper, powdered onions, and garlic powder. (Even those are hard to find salt-free.)

So any practical tips on spices would be greatly appreciated.

[onecaliberal]

4. Dash - makes a lot of flavors.

Salt substitute. No salt. Check it out.

[catnipcoffee]

7. Problem with Dash and some of the other alternatives...

...is that they use potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride (salt).

Per my doc, the chloride is the problematic bit of chemistry, so Mrs Dash (and many other alternatives) aren't options for me.

[onecaliberal]

16. Got it. Do you live near a farm market?

Sometimes they have no salt rubs for meat.

[Easterncedar]

2. Try ground sumac. It goes with almost everything.

It adds a bright lemony zing. Available from Penzey’s, which is a great company.

Do check out Penzey’s spices. Lots of great ways to make food delicious.

[Phoenix61]

5. The good news is after a couple of weeks you won't miss the taste of salt.

The bad news is restaurant food tastes like a salt lick. I gave up salt years ago. About the only thing I put salt on is eggs.

[catnipcoffee]

6. Sadly, it's been more than a couple of weeks...

...and my taste buds are still craving the old things that got me into this mess in the first place.

(It's actually been three years now. I have noticed a bit of the change you mentioned, but it's getting harder and harder to stay on the diet. That's why I'm asking for help.)

[Phoenix61]

8. I guess I'm more a sweet than savory type.

Penzy’s, as another poster noted, has great spices. I like that you can get sample packages of their blends for less than $3.

[catnipcoffee]

9. Penzey's is a help...

I finally broke down and placed an order. That's been helpful, but I'm still not sure when to use some of the different things.

(And I sure wish they had a self-free version of taco seasoning.)

I've been able to recreate some dishes along the same lines of the Bad Things (tm), but they're all pretty bland, even if they have very little sodium.

(Bugs the heck out of me that our food system has been hijacked so completely. They're even adding salt to bottled water.)

[Phoenix61]

10. I make my own taco seasoning, chili powder etc..

There’s lots of recipes online. Plus, you can tweak them to get the exact flavor you want and they make nice gifts at Christmas.

[Tetrachloride]

11. quick blanching of veggies

and washing veggies or fruit with vinegar or salt water , then rinse

dates smoothies. ( dates in milk)

coffee no sugar

dry popcorn

Neil Diamond

[bamagal62]

12. Trader Joe's has a seasoning called

21 seasoning salute.
It’s fantastic and no sodium in it at all. Can use it on almost anything.
Also, I made a sodium free taco seasoning for my mom. Did a google search to find it.
Herbox makes a sodium free chicken bouillon and a sodium free beef bouillon. There is a sodium free peanut butter called “Teddie” that is good and not oily. No need to stir like most of the others. We found the cheaper ice cream has less sodium in it.
My mother writes down everything she eats so she’s aware of how much sodium is in her snacks and meals. She found it really hard at first. But, it has become easier.

[Retrograde]

13. Can't help with no salt, but

I have some suggestions for reduced sodium. Use kosher salt (larger grains means fewer of them in a 1/4 teaspoon which means less sodium) and add a small amount to the surface of the food just before you eat - the taste may trick you into thinking that you're getting a lot more than you are.

Otherwise, cut down drastically on canned or prepared foods and make most of your meals at home. Ramping up flavor via other spices and herbs may help - but check labels for hidden salt! I like ground red peppers for a kick.

Some salt in the diet is actually essential for humans. The problem in the US is that we tend to consume too much of it as it's in just about everything.

[mitch96]

14. Traditional salt is Sodium Chloride. Ask the doc if Potassium Chloride is ok. I've been using it for a while now

and it works for me. .I also measure out 1500-2000 mg of salt and put it in a small dish. That's all the salt I will use for that day. Any left over gets tossed over my shoulder!!
m

[no_hypocrisy]

15. Make your own herb/spice mixtures

Italian Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning
Herbes de Province
Curry
Adobo Seasoning
Indian Spice Blend
Garam Masala

Mix and keep in glass jars

There are much more.

[Trueblue1968]

17. I am Low sodium too. I have conjestive heart failure. I love MRS DASH !!! No salt at all

Great herb mixtures !!!!!!!