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Anything But Bland!

December 5, 2011 by Kenton Delisle | Posted in: Sodium | Tags: flavours, Salt

Comments (7)

I remember learning at an early age that some of the magic in my grandma’s cooking was her fearlessness. Seasonings were her weapons of mass consumption.

It didn’t matter if it was her liberal use of onions and garlic, herbs, pepper or salt, she was never afraid of too much. While this did result in the odd dish being a little heavy in one or more of these ingredients, it also conveyed to us a confidence in shooting for full flavour – taste, first and foremost. However, when I return to my hometown nowadays, I find much of the cooking by my relatives to be quite a bit saltier than what I am now used to.

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Salt and Your Taste Buds

November 29, 2011 by Dean Simmons, Registered Dietitian | Posted in: Sodium | Tags: Healthy Eating, Salt, Sodium

Comments (6)

You may have heard that on average “over 75% of the sodium (a component of salt) that we eat comes from processed foods.” If you are good at math, you might think that this is a rather large proportion and conclude that a pretty direct way to reduce your sodium intake is to eat fewer processed foods. I would agree with you on that point. But what if you are amongst the majority who find processed foods to be pretty convenient, tasty and incorporate them into many of the meals you eat with your family? Wouldn’t it be easier if the food processors just stopped adding salt to their food products, or at least added much less than they do now?

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Taking Stock of Salt

November 22, 2011 by Andrea Godfreyson, Registered Dietitian | Posted in: Sodium | Tags: did you know?, flavours, Salt

Comments (13)

When I was in culinary school, I found the liberal use of salt almost as appalling as the even more liberal use of butter. Instructions to season to taste had nothing to do with fresh herbs or pepper. It really meant add salt. It took me about four months to finally add enough salt to my dishes to appease my instructors.

The sad part is that the only real criticism of my final practicum, the preparation of four courses in 3.5 hours of culinary chaos (picture food flying, pulse pounding and a few near misses with the gas stove), was that my food was a bit "too salty." Bah! Finally I found the line and crossed it. Good to know there is one because I was starting to wonder.

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Having Your Ginger Beef and Eating it Too

September 20, 2011 by Joanna Drake, Registered Dietitian | Posted in: Sodium | Tags: did you know?, low sodium

I believe that the secret to a good life lies in finding balance. For example, I’ve spent my adult life trying to find a balance between saving for retirement and spending some money on things I enjoy. I’ve tried to find a balance between spending time with my husband and children, time with girlfriends, and some time just by myself. I have also tried to find a balance between eating foods to meet my nutrient needs, and sometimes just eating a food because it tastes good.

As a dietitian, my job is to help people eat well. Sometimes I have to provide very specific information such as how to avoid trans fats and reduce sodium (salt).

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Made with Love, Not Sodium Part 2

August 11, 2011 by Joanna Drake, Registered Dietitian | Posted in: Sodium | Tags: did you know?, low sodium

If you've never experimented with different ingredients, making changes to a recipe may seem daunting. To be fair, sometimes simple changes can ruin a recipe. But with some knowledge of the ingredients' functions, you can lower the risk of having to put your creation go right from the oven into the garbage.

In my banana bread recipe (and other "quick breads" like muffins), the role of salt is simply to add flavour. Therefore, removing it should only affect the taste. By comparison, in bread made with yeast, salt also control how quickly bread rises. You cannot remove it without making other changes to the recipe.

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