| Before refrigeration, salt served as a valuable way to preserve food. Unfortunately, in some people, high-sodium diets are linked to high blood pressure, stroke, and an accumulation of fluid, called edema. (Salt is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.)
The taste for salt is acquired, not inborn. So it's possible to wean yourself off salt with no ill effects. We've already suggested you make salt-free soups. Here are some other ideas.
- Put away your salt shaker, and forget about using it while cooking or at the table.
- Use less seasoned salt, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, or other salty condiments.
- Buy only unsalted varieties of snack foods.
- Avoid foods prepared with salt brine, like pickles, olives, or sauerkraut.
- Limit foods like smoked fish, kippered herring, anchovies, sardines, and caviar.
- Prepare meals from fresh ingredients instead of relying heavily on commercial products that contain salt or other sodium compounds.
- When dining out, ask that foods be made to order, with no salt.
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