How do you reduce salt in the kitchen?

The biggest obstacle to reducing salt is not health but taste: in the first days food tastes flat and the change is usually dropped in the first week. Yet the palate adjusts within a few weeks and the same dish starts to taste good again. The real matter is managing the transition period.

Below we look at where the salt comes from, how gradual reduction is done, the role of spices, where salt appears on the label, and the salt shaker habit.

Where the salt comes from

The salt added in the kitchen is only one part of the daily total. Bread, cheese, tomato paste, pickles, ready soups and processed products carry their own share too.

So focusing on the salt shaker alone falls short. The share of the ready products at the table is often greater than the salt thrown into the pot.

That is also why the first step is not to measure but to see: looking at which items come to the table over a week shows where to start.

Reducing gradually

Cutting salt all at once leaves food flat and ends the change before long. Reducing it a little each week gives the palate time to adjust.

The adjustment really does happen: after a few weeks a dish that used to taste normal starts to feel too salty. That is the sign that the palate has recalibrated.

One advantage of the gradual approach is that there is little going back. Changes made without being noticed last longer.

How much spices help

Spices do not take the place of salt but they reduce the need for it. Cumin, oregano, black pepper and pul biber, the Turkish red pepper flakes, are the items that carry the taste in a dish where salt has been reduced.

Acidic items do the same job. Lemon, vinegar and nar ekşisi, pomegranate molasses, noticeably fill the gap salt leaves behind.

We covered the subject in detail in this tip, and gathered the spice shelf in this guide.

Where it appears on the label

In packaged products salt appears both in the nutrition table and in the ingredient list. You have to pay attention to which heading the line in the table is written under; the two headings do not describe the same amount, and we covered the distinction in the how to read a nutrition table guide.

In the ingredient list, the order gives information: Article 21 of the Türk Gıda Kodeksi Gıda Etiketleme ve Tüketicileri Bilgilendirme Yönetmeliği (the Turkish Food Codex regulation on food labelling and consumer information) requires ingredients to be written in decreasing order of weight.

Comparing two products within the same group is a fast route too. In ready soups, tomato paste and processed products the difference between brands is sometimes marked.

Should the salt shaker stay on the table

A salt shaker on the table keeps up the habit of adding salt without tasting. Taking the shaker off the table means having to think about the decision once more.

Adding salt without tasting is a common habit and usually goes unnoticed. Tasting first brings a noticeable reduction on its own.

Taking the shaker off the table gives the same result for everyone in the house. This arrangement, made without laying down a rule, produces no argument at the table either.

What to do while cooking

Adding the salt at the end of cooking rather than at the start gives a stronger taste from the same amount. Salt that stays on the surface is felt more clearly on the palate.

The salt in the cooking water is counted too. Some of the salt thrown into the water for pasta and vegetables passes into the dish.

With pickles, olives and brined products, draining the liquid reduces the amount to some extent. Serving those same products in a separate bowl at the table also makes how much is eaten visible.

Home cooking and ready products

In a dish cooked at home the amount of salt is entirely your decision. In a ready product that decision has been made by the manufacturer and can only be read off the label.

So raising the share of home cooking is one of the most indirect but most effective ways of reducing salt.

That does not mean giving up ready products entirely. Reducing the frequency and choosing by looking at the label gives the same result with far less effort.

What to do away from home

In meals eaten out the salt decision belongs to the kitchen. Asking for the sauce on the side and not using the shaker on the table are two simple corrections you can make at those meals.

Items like pickles, brined foods and processed meat build up at the same table. Making their portions smaller is a change made without touching the main dish.

At places you go often, a decision made once makes the later visits easier. There is no need to weigh up the menu from scratch every time.

Who needs to be more careful

In some health conditions the amount of salt is set by a physician, and general recommendations do not take the place of that decision.

This content is prepared to support general nutrition literacy; it does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment and is not personal nutrition advice. A personalized plan is prepared only by a licensed dietitian; if there is pregnancy, chronic illness, regular medication use, child nutrition or a clinical condition, examination by a physician and a dietitian is required before starting a plan.