• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Low salt and lchf needing salt flavouring alternatives

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,696
Location
Sunderland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies
Hi everyone.
I'm needing ideas for my lchf shopping list which are all low salt.
Some months ago there was a suggestion of 5 chinese herbs.
Any other alternatives?
Is cheese very salty?
 
Some cheese can be very salty - you need to check the packaging for the sodium levels or ask at the counter to get the information you need.
Most foods on my low carb lists are actually low in salt - and many people doing Atkins or other low carb ways of eating have to be reminded to consume salt in the hotter months as it is easy to drop so low that they have cramps.
 
I use Himalayan pink, tiny amounts when I have to. After being low salt for a while, you don't notice its lack and some things will begin to taste over salted like anything except sweet butter or restaurant foods.

Instead of Chinese 5 spice powder, I sometimes ue Turkish Yoruk kofte seasoning, which is similar

https://www.worldspice.com/blends/kofte-spice
Thanks @Contralto . I have to have a low salt diet for my acute hypertention as I'm being tested for heart failure. Gulp!
 
similarly, have had to spend long periods no salt, so there are some tolerable combos, most of which I have tested with my handy Omron 10+ which does triple measurements and also indicates when I've had an irregular heartbeat.

Depending on how things are going, I test with my arm meter like I test for bloodsugars for before and after effects. My (s)hitlist for most deleterious to least deleterious among salts is thus (for me, mind you)

regular iodized table salt
kosher salt
french sea salt
irish sea salt
Greek sea salt
potassium salt (tastes weird)
Himalayan pink salt

in addition to the kofte powder, there is always lemon, orange and lime. I literally make sure I am getting organic fruit with no coatings and wash and dry and get the zest off which I dry loosely on a paper towel and save in jars. I dry under an air vent in my house on top of high furniture near such vent.

lemon and dill go together
coriander and dill go together
orange and anise

I keep around smoked, plain, hot Hungarian, paprika
black, colored peppercorns, white pepper

and some stuff that has some salt content but not as bad as regular per label sodium
mushroom soy
Braggs aminos
a few drops

dried thyme, oregano, savory, lemon verbena, etc. etc. to flavor things with leaves

dried fungi - black fungus, dried porcini, I dry my own cremini and other ordinary mushrooms (cheapie forty buck dehydrator lasts thirty years or so

dried apple, pear, quince, whatever I pick or get cheap and slice thin and leave on peel, take out seeds


Different kinds of vinegars and wines can have an adverse effect on blood pressures and merit their own tests because you may be getting a lot in just a couple tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar or balsamic (also a sugar load)

What lowers blood pressure is hot water from a bath or sitting in a shower. We are talking thirty points lower with the right kind of bath

Eyesight going but feel for you, Vicky

There are Yoga breathing techniques that work a bit I have learned, you can, too but you have to watch someone doing the different ones and you have to test to see effects.

If you have a good meter you can test to see whether bending over, quickly getting up , diff. positions have quick effect on pressures. Good info
I have read, I think when eating more fat you need extra salt.
 
i once read somewhere (no idea where) that salt and lime juice are sensed by the same taste buds, so i use fresh lime quite a lot instead of salt if at all possible.
 
In your situation I would avoid all salts and make sure seasonings do not have any salt listed in the ingredients. Some suggestions for seasoning:-
  • freshly-ground black pepper
  • ground white pepper (different flavour to black)
  • chilli flakes
  • balsamic vinegar (a few drops from a spray bottle)
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds
  • caraway seeds
  • toasted cumin
  • celery seeds
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • various herbs, especially fresh
Some other suggestions here:-
https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/herbs-and-spices

Some (but not all) seaweeds are low sodium but have a salty taste. This condiment is being introduced into the UK but I haven't seen it:-
https://www.salternativeseaweed.com/about/

- Just found it on Amazon:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SALTernative-Kombu-Seaweed-Sodium-Alternative/dp/B01IPQUETM

Also, should add that it's not suitable for people with hyperthyroidism.
 
The seaweed salt tend to be a mixture of sodium and potassium chloride, very similar to the 'lowsalt' products, and need to be used with care as such.
 
Like many processed foods cheese is very high in salt:

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/08August/Pages/Salt-content-in-cheese-too-high-say-campaigners.aspx

To add another to the list @Dark Horse provided. use garlic as it adds a great flavour to dishes and is supposedly very good for you when it comes to cardiovascular health (don't worry about garlic breath :)).
Yes, thank you Noblehead - I should have had garlic on the list!

Following on from your advice about cheese being salty, some of the results in the study you referenced can be found in the video on this page:- http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/8/e005051.full?sid=0620ac2c-29dd-4b41-a3b3-2ce81d546119

Also, this article from Consensus Action on Salt and Health discusses some of the variations between cheeses:- http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/news/surveys/2012/Cheese/86941.html
 
@ickihun I've recently started using Engevita yeast flakes to flavour everything from homemade coleslaw to caulimash and rice, salad, basically anything you want to add flavour and a bit of 'savouriness' to.

Yes it looks like fish food. But trust me - it does add some lovely almost cheesy savouriness to stuff.

image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
 
In your situation I would avoid all salts and make sure seasonings do not have any salt listed in the ingredients. Some suggestions for seasoning:-
  • freshly-ground black pepper
  • ground white pepper (different flavour to black)
  • chilli flakes
  • balsamic vinegar (a few drops from a spray bottle)
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • poppy seeds
  • caraway seeds
  • toasted cumin
  • celery seeds
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • various herbs, especially fresh
Some other suggestions here:-
https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/herbs-and-spices

Some (but not all) seaweeds are low sodium but have a salty taste. This condiment is being introduced into the UK but I haven't seen it:-
https://www.salternativeseaweed.com/about/

- Just found it on Amazon:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SALTernative-Kombu-Seaweed-Sodium-Alternative/dp/B01IPQUETM

Also, should add that it's not suitable for people with hyperthyroidism.
Thanks @Dark Horse . Unfortunately I have hypothyroidism so I do already avoid seaweed/kelp products. I believe its unuseful for any thyroid sufferer, as of some raw veg.
Garlic is an excellent idea with parsley to rid garlic odour. Thanks for your suggestions, they are very very appreciated.
 
Back
Top