Get the Salt Out (30 page)

189
Enjoy fresh lettuce salads
to your heart’s content. Whether you eat a plain mixed green salad or one chock full of a variety of crunchy vegetables, salads are naturally low in sodium, not to mention rich in nutrients like beta-carotene, vitamin C, and potassium.
One Salt Shaker.

BONUS TIP:
Choose darker green lettuce like romaine or red or green leaf over iceberg lettuce whenever possible. Although iceberg lettuce is more familiar to many people than its darker green cousins, it is nutritionally inferior (especially in potassium and folic acid). If you can’t forgo iceberg lettuce right away, gradually mix more dark green lettuce leaves into your regular mix to increase your salad’s nutritional content.

190
Don’t be afraid to eat spinach salad,
even though spinach is higher in sodium than lettuce. One cup of raw, chopped spinach still contains only 44 milligrams of sodium, which is well within this book’s
One Salt Shaker
definition. (Besides, spinach is beneficial in other important ways: it is the richest source of hard-to-get lutein’, a nutrient that can prevent age-related eye diseases as we get older.)

191
Before adding salad greens to your bowl,
rub the bowl with half a garlic clove. The garlic essence that is rubbed in will heighten the taste of your greens.
One Salt Shaker.

192
Top salad greens with minced fresh herbs
ranging from familiar basil and oregano to unusual herbs like chervil. Each one gives salad a refreshingly different flavor.
One Salt Shaker.

193
Experiment with pesticide-free, edible flowers on salad.
They add aroma and flavor to food, and their bright colors are beautiful and springlike against a “field” of greens. Good flowers to try on salads are any herbs that have bloomed; they have peppery, herbal flavors that are nice additions. Leave small blossoms whole, but cut large flowers into small pieces. Here are some that are especially tasty or pretty: hyssop and anise hyssop; borage; rosemary; thyme; sage; lavender; oregano; scented geraniums; chive, onion, and garlic blossoms; cilantro (coriander); citrus flowers; and nasturtiums.
One Salt Shaker.

194
Add pungent “bite” to your salad
with fiery radish, chopped red onion, or a garnish of jalapeno pepper. Any of these tastes will keep your taste buds electrified.
One Salt Shaker.

195
Become a peppercorn connoisseur:
change the taste of salads by cracking different varieties of peppercorns in your pepper mill. From traditional black Malabar peppercorns to green, pink, or white peppercorns, these zesty seasonings are fun to experiment with on salads, especially when you’re reducing the salt in your diet.
One Salt Shaker.

196
Like croutons on your salad?
Few people realize a tremendous amount of salt lurks in those tasty morsels. Fortunately, you still can enjoy seasoned croutons on your salad as long as you make them at home without the salt. They’re pretty simple to make: lightly toast low-sodium, whole-grain bread, then rub it with a garlic clove while it’s still warm. (The garlic will “melt” into the bread.) Sprinkle with any herbs or herbal
blends of your choice, then cut into cubes and toast on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until crisp.
One Salt Shaker.