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From the NYT over the weekend
The Hard Sell on Salt http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/he...pagewanted=all <snip> Case Study: The Cheez-It The power that salt holds over processed foods can be seen in an American snack icon, the Cheez-It. At the company’s laboratories in Battle Creek, Mich., a Kellogg vice president and food scientist, John Kepplinger, ticked off the ways salt makes its little square cracker work. Salt sprinkled on top gives the tongue a quick buzz. More salt in the cheese adds crunch. Still more in the dough blocks the tang that develops during fermentation. In all, a generous cup of Cheez-Its delivers one-third of the daily amount of sodium recommended for most Americans. As a demonstration, Kellogg prepared some of its biggest sellers with most of the salt removed. The Cheez-It fell apart in surprising ways. The golden yellow hue faded. The crackers became sticky when chewed, and the mash packed onto the teeth. The taste was not merely bland but medicinal. “I really get the bitter on that,” the company’s spokeswoman, J. Adaire Putnam, said with a wince as she watched Mr. Kepplinger struggle to swallow. They moved on to Corn Flakes. Without salt the cereal tasted metallic. The Eggo waffles evoked stale straw. The butter flavor in the Keebler Light Buttery Crackers, which have no actual butter, simply disappeared. “Salt really changes the way that your tongue will taste the product,” Mr. Kepplinger said. “You make one little change and something that was a complementary flavor now starts to stand out and become objectionable.” |
on meats like burgers.
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There is so much salt in processed/packaged foods. I rarely add it to anything.
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Due to high blood pressure, I no longer add salt to meals when cooking or table salt when eating.
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Originally Posted by bpo26c
(Post 17008510)
There is so much salt in processed/packaged foods. I rarely add it to anything.
Originally Posted by ByrdluvsAWACO
(Post 17008555)
Due to high blood pressure, I no longer add salt to meals when cooking or table salt when eating.
Plus, just like pepper, some of the salt and pepper shakers have not been changed out for years.. and ingested, can cause complications.. Maybe a bit OCD, but I choose not add anything, unless its like pepper freshly shaken.. |
When I buy any prepared foods, I look for very low or zero salt content.
Salt content can be found in surprising places. A lot of mineral water has salt but Whole Foods has a house brand from Italy which has none. When I cook, I use almost no salt (occasional drop of sea salt, carefully taken out grain by grain) but I do use pepper and other spices. At the table, pepper rules. Why do I care? There´s enough in the literature that demonstrates the harmful effects of too much salt that I don´t want to find out, later in life, that I should not have had any. |
Originally Posted by jspira
(Post 17009496)
When I buy any prepared foods, I look for very low or zero salt content.
Salt content can be found in surprising places. A lot of mineral water has salt but Whole Foods has a house brand from Italy which has none. When I cook, I use almost no salt (occasional drop of sea salt, carefully taken out grain by grain) but I do use pepper and other spices. At the table, pepper rules. Why do I care? There´s enough in the literature that demonstrates the harmful effects of too much salt that I don´t want to find out, later in life, that I should not have had any. The health aspect and high blood pressure, are a few important reasons I and my family refrain from 'pouring it on'.. |
Originally Posted by Ancien Maestro
(Post 17009515)
Agreed..
The health aspect and high blood pressure, are a few important reasons I and my family refrain from 'pouring it on'.. Speaking of pouring it on, what I absolutely do not understand is how some people pour salt onto food before tasting it. |
Originally Posted by jspira
(Post 17009537)
Speaking of pouring it on, what I absolutely do not understand is how some people pour salt onto food before tasting it.
I think its just America getting used to the tastiness and the satisfaction.. without thinking of the consequences to their health.. |
Originally Posted by Ancien Maestro
(Post 17009553)
A habit.. or perhaps it taste better with salt?
I think its just America getting used to the tastiness and the satisfaction.. without thinking of the consequences to their health.. |
Originally Posted by ByrdluvsAWACO
(Post 17009800)
I was surprised how quickly I have become used to a lower salt intake. Now I find some foods I used to eat very salty. It's like coming down from a drug addiction :eek:
and after the fact.. it seems so salty, it makes the food almost repugnant.. The natural taste is where its at.. but I guess with North American consumers, the salt has become an addiction.. |
Originally Posted by Ancien Maestro
(Post 17009814)
The natural taste is where its at.. but I guess with North American consumers, the salt has become an addiction..
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i had a fever all day but went out to dinner and brought it all back. i've only been eating bananas and fluids. i felt better just now and ate my chicken salad, first thought was "man, this is salty!"
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Don't ever, ever, use 'light salt' if you have severe kidney impairment. Potassium accumulation can be extremely dangerous if the kidneys aren't filtering as effectively as normal.
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I salt to taste, preferably during cooking rather than at the table, but there are certain things I'd always salt at the table (e.g. poached eggs). I tend not to eat pre-processed foods, so am confident I'm controlling my salt intake adequately. It's an excess that's bad for you, not "any at all".
I'm noticing more and more people obsessing about salt. Don't get me wrong, it's good that the issue has been raised and is in people's minds, but I do despair at the constant fight and self-denial people manage to get themselves into when it comes to food. It just seems rather sad when the first question is always "how much x does it have in it?" rather than "how does it taste?" |
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