Down with salt! Down with salt! Down with salt!
I know, such a bold statement from a potato chip lovin gal like myself. (Forgive me Miss Vicky’s Original … I know not what I type.)
I’m talking about adding salt to food, either while cooking or to the finished product. Yes salt tastes good. But …
What if you could add flavour to your meals without it? What if you could train your taste buds to actually taste your food instead of just craving the salt? Wouldn’t that be a great decision for your health?
Nod in unison.
I’m obsessed with fresh herbs. Obsessed. I stalk them (pun INTENDED). I walk up to their pots and I just sniff em like Mary Katherine Gallagher.
Currently I’m hot and heavy on monsieur basil.
(It’s mine and you can’t have any … back away and no one gets hurt.)
Last night I stirred fresh basil and oregano into my spaghetti and it was to die for. Seriously mouth watering. (Side note: I accidently wrote moth watering which I’ve decided is a pretty funny typo.)
There ya have it folks. Cut out salt from your diet and add in fresh herbs. I’ll assume I didn’t blow your mind. I’ll also assume that basil will be getting a restraining order from me soon. See ya in court 
Edited to add: Oops! I don’t actually mean remove salt completely from your diet, because I agree (as Sue and Claire pointed out) that you need some salt. This post is meant to promote CUTTING BACK because the average North American consumes double the amount of salt needed in a healthy diet.
Favourite fresh herb? Ever consciously cut back on salt before?
Mmmm, I need to put fresh basil in with my whole wheat noodles – love it! WHY am I using dried?!
Good question!
**tiptoes away
she loves her some salt**
Pssst meet me at Bex’s. I heard she got a salt lick to attract deers.
I’m following Miz…salt & caffeine: two must haves in my life.
I love basil and oregano in pasta! Mmm Mmm MOTH watering!
Add some Sundried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese to the mix….oh my Mmmm
I agree- herbs are a total delight, especially when you just have to walk into your backyard/ onto your balcony to get some fresh off the plant! However, I don’t agree completely with your salt ban. Salt is a flavour enhancer. It brings out the best in foods and multiple ingredients work together in harmony. Pre-packaged and fast foods have given salt a bad name- they are jammed packed with sodium. As long as it’s sea salt (which has minerals and elements that are removed from iodized salt) and it’s not in heaping spoonfuls it’s fine. Salty is one of our four basic taste sensations, after all. Don’t hate on the salt too bad, my friend;)
Basil is one of my faves too (I also like oregano). Problem though – I have my own little basil plant but I can’t seem to bring myself to pluck off the leaves! I’m such a sissy…
RIP IT’S HEAD OFF!!!!!! Actually my friend explained to me how it grows better if you keep taking the top growth off
I also have a signore basilico living on my window sill! It’s the only fresh herb in my house at the moment. Let’s see if the perilla on my balcony will grow back this summer.
I still can’t get behind all that salt hating. One of my friends once cut out salt completely for a few weeks, and subsequently passed out, due to lack of minerals.
Our bodies need salt! In moderation, of course. (Says the woman who drowns her food in soy sauce.)
COMPLETELY?!?!?! Okay that’s going pretty far, I definitely didn’t mean that, perhaps I need a quick edit to my post
and what’s perilla?
Perilla leaves are used in Korean cuisine. They are about palm-sized and have a very strong, distinct flavor. They are usually eaten raw or pickled. Japanese call them shiso, maybe you’ve heard about that?
I do so need to cut salt from my diet. I love it way too much. I also love fresh herbs, though I tend to kill the poor things when I try to grow them myself.
oh no! well there’s always the market
love, love, love basil! It’s my favourite.
In the summer, I like to eat it with watermelon and a bit of coarse sea salt. YUM!
Salt is something I’ve never really consciously thought about cutting back on. I try to keep my processed/preservative-filled food to a minimum, so I don’t really think that it’s a concern for me. I usually do add it to my meals, but in minimal amounts to enhance the flavours a little bit.
Big fan of…cilantro!! I love the stuff, I don’t use it nearly enough though. I’m always hesitant to use it when I’m cooking for others, because I know some people can’t stand the stuff (blasphemy)!
ummmm consider me blasphemous … I despise cilantro ewwwwwww
haha acquired taste I suppose!
I’ve noticed lately that I add way too much salt to everything. Luckily I’m a huge fan of fresh herbs, too! Cilantro and dill are two of my favorites – though basil ranks pretty high up there, too.
my dill plant isn’t so happy … not sure why
Yep, I’m all about the fresh basil, too. There’s nothing better. Got a pot growing out back!
That picture of the basil was enough to make my mouth water! Nothing beats fresh herbs, they are so versatile. It is also an especially good feeling when you grow them yourself.