Taste preference can be trained
Our taste preference is something that can be changed. A taste for less salty food can be learned by retraining our taste buds to be more sensitive to saltiness of food. So, reducing salt in the food you eat at home need not be viewed as having to eat tasteless food forever! You can learn to enjoy the natural taste of food.
Reduce the amount of salt GRADUALLY so that your taste buds have the chance to adjust. It usually takes about 2 - 3 months. After that, high sodium food may just taste too salty for you! Remember that for this adjustment to happen, you need to reduce the amount of sodium in ALL the food you eat.
Here are some tips for reducing sodium when eating at home:
1. Start by using ¾ the usual amount of salt or sauces, and then reduce to ½ the amount, then to ¼ the amount and finally, a 'no-added salt' cooking style. If you reduce the amount of salt gradually, you will hardly taste the difference!
2. Use either salt or sauce and not both together in one dish.
3. Season food with fresh garlic, ginger, chillies, herbs and spices.
4. Dried herbs and spices are fine. Avoid packet-seasoning mixes, which can be very salty.
5. Whenever possible, use a reduced salt version of sauces such as soy sauce, ketchup. As these still contain a fair amount of salt, you would need to use them sparingly.
6. Squeeze lemon or lime juice over food instead of pouring salty gravies. E.g. lime juice and fresh chilli with grilled fish.
Ask your doctor before using salt-substitutes, as these can be harmful to people with certain health conditions or on certain medications. Please note that salt substitutes will not help 're-train' your taste buds.
7. Use fresh chicken bones, dried ikan bilis, dried mushrooms, soybeans and peanuts to flavour soup instead of artificial seasonings or stock cubes.
8. If dried fish or prawns are used, wash these well to remove excessive salt.
9. Experiment with recipes, e.g. look through a cookbook with lower sodium recipes.
Low Sodium Alternatives
