Please 

 don't 

 pass 

 the salt 



BY NANCY DAVIS 



Joyce Taylor is shaking the salt habit. 

 When the Sea Grant seafood education 

 specialist is in the kitchen, she thinks twice before 

 she reaches for the shaker. 



And more often than not, she's cooking 

 seafood without a grain of salt. 



Instead, she tosses in a few well-selected herbs 

 and spices to serve as substitutes. 



"Salt is a habit. And I've always been a 

 saltaholic," Taylor confesses. "But when I cut 

 back on it, I was amazed at how good food 

 tasted." 



Taylor became convinced that salt could be 

 eliminated from most seafood recipes without a 

 loss of flavor after a year of experimenting in the 

 kitchen. 



She began the work because of the emphasis 

 on reducing sodium in our diets. Contrary to pop- 

 ular belief, seafoods are actually low in sodium. 

 But it's the salt we often add in the preparation 

 that turns a food that's good for us into one that's 

 not so healthy anymore. 



And because she always touted seafood as the 

 health food, Taylor wanted to be sure her recipes 

 could withstand the scrutiny of health-conscious 

 consumers. 



Table salt is a combination of sodium and 

 chloride. And it's the sodium that is actually the 

 health concern. 



We all need some sodium to live, but because 

 it occurs naturally in so many foods, there's really 

 no need to add it to our diet. 



But most of us do. 



In fact, much of the sodium we eat comes from 

 ordinary table salt we use in cooking or sprinkle 

 on at the table. 



All the evidence isn't in yet, but most medical 

 experts agree that we could all do with a lot less 

 sodium. 



The American Medical Association estimates 

 that more than 19 million adults in this country 

 have high blood pressure, a condition that in- 

 creases the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney 

 failure. 



Salt may not cause high blood pressure, but it 

 can make the condition worse. That's why physi- 

 cians often recommend their patients with high 

 blood pressure and those with a family history of 

 the disease restrict their sodium intake. 



The American Heart Association goes a step 

 further, recommending that everyone restrict salt 

 consumption. 



The Food and Nutrition Board of the National 

 Academy of Sciences has established a daily in- 

 take of 1,100 to 3,300 milligrams of sodium as "a 

 safe and adequate" range. Many experts suggest 

 reducing this to 1,000 milligrams or less a day. 



That's where Taylor figured she could help 

 make a difference. "It may not do you any good 

 to reduce your salt intake, but it certainly couldn't 

 hurt," she says. 



She began experimenting with low-salt seafood 

 recipes a year ago. For help, she called on a 

 group of health, food and nutrition leaders in 

 Carteret County to serve as an expert taste panel. 



The nutrition leaders represent extension 

 homemaker clubs in the county. Taylor conducts 

 monthly workshops with the leaders, who then 

 pass on what they've learned to their clubs. 



Taylor began by pulling seafood recipes from 

 books, magazines and newspapers. Then she 

 tried to adapt low-salt versions of the recipes. 



"We weren't out to create new recipes," she 

 says. "We just wanted to find a substitute for the 

 salt." 



At first, reaction to the healthier versions of the 

 recipes was less than enthusiastic. 



But, after a year of testing and retesting, Taylor 

 is confident the recipes they ended up with are 

 good— even if you're usually liberal with the salt 

 shaker. 



The first step in making the recipes healthier 

 was to eliminate all table salt from the list of ingre- 

 dients, Taylor says. 



In the place of salt, Taylor substituted herbs, 

 spices, citrus juices and table wines. Cooking 

 wines weren't acceptable because they con- 

 tained added salt. 



Herb Chart 



There are no rules for 

 substituting herbs for salt 

 in recipes. Here are a 

 few suggestions. Don't be 

 afraid to experiment. 



BASIL 



BAY LEAVES 



CHERVIL 



DILL 



Crab 



Mackerel 



Salmon 



Shrimp 



Snapper 



Trout 



Tuna 



Court Bouillon Garnish or 



Flounder Seasoning for 



Salmon all Seafoods 

 Snapper 



Flounder 



Grouper 



Salmon 



Scallops 



Shrimp 



FENNEL 



Bass 

 Flounder 

 Grouper 

 Shrimp 



MARJORAM 



Clams 

 Crab 



Mackerel 



Salmon 



Tuna 



