A salt shaker is a very common item found on the dining table
and in the kitchen,
usually together with a pepper shaker. That is because salt and pepper add
flavor to a meal, making an originally bland tasting
food quite palatable, and good food even more delicious. While almost anyone can enjoy pepper
without having to be concerned about their health, those with certain
conditions need to watch their salt intake. However, that doesn't mean
they have to do without a salt shaker as you will see later.
Besides running a dairy farm, my dad was a maintenance worker at a large
factory and my mother worked for food services at a local university.
Mom loved her job because she had the summers off and was able to draw
unemployment. This meant she would have more time to tend the huge
vegetable gardens that she planted.
A few years ago she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, and the
doctor told her to reduce her salt intake. This was very difficult for her
because the salt shaker was never far from her plate, since she loves
salt.
It seems that people usually fall into the sweet lovers or salt lovers
category. My mother was never far from a salt shaker. When she was first
placed on the salt restriction diet she began cooking without using salt.
She used different herbs
and spices to make her food taste good. Despite that, our family meals
were much blander since there was no salt seasoning our food during its
preparation.
As a result the rest of us were reaching for the salt
shaker more often at the dinner table. Mom had her own salt shaker filled
with salt substitute. However, that is just not the real thing and mom was
jealous of us who could still enjoy salt. When we ate out, she would always
request the restaurant to prepare her meal without salt.
Unfortunately, despite her efforts, mom was not able to lower her blood
pressure through diet alone. So she was placed on medication. Her doctor
told her that she no longer had to be on a salt free diet, but still had
to limit her salt intake. Besides the salt shaker, there are other food
products containing high amount of sodium, such as ketchup, that she
needed to stay away from. Mom was also advised not to eat processed foods,
cold cuts, and many cheeses.
Due to the period of time of having no salt she was able to cut back on
the amount she used, and after a while she was able to adjust to using
different spices in the foods that she prepared. It was interesting to
hear her comment that she found the food tasted too salty when she ate in
a restaurant. Not having a salt shaker nearby didn't seem to bother her as
much. She said that as long as the pepper shaker was there, she would be
fine :)
Today she's doing fine even with the salt shaker out of her sight.
Although she still loves Chinese food, she often finds it too salty for
her improved taste buds, and would only eat it at places that can cater to
her needs. Because of my mom's condition and her new cooking and eating
habits, I have also learned at a young age to eat less salt. However, I
have to admit that a salt shaker is always fun to have around. So, instead
of eliminating it from our dinner table, I simply cook with less salt so
that we can always add more while we're eating :)
Another alternative for those with a dietary restriction is to just put
something else in their salt shaker such as herbs and other kinds of
spices which will still enhance the taste of food without the bad effects
of sodium. There's just nothing like shaking those pepper and salt shakers
to add more flavor to our meals.
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