Sea Salt.. Help please!

berta · 08-15-2004, 03:29 AM

I have Hypertension and I'm wondering if Sea Salt has sodium or not.

I buy mine at Sprouts (organic farm store) and the nutrition label there, says No Sodium. I have been using is sparingly though, because it really seems to good to be true.

I've looked it up on the internet, but no luck, just advertisements for different brands.

Please let me know if you have knowledge on this subject.

Thanks girls!!

tinkchen · 08-17-2004, 05:30 PM

Sea Salt, in it's true form is harvested from the sea and yes it does have sodium. The main difference between sea salt and table salt is that sea salt is 2% minerals that are normally found in the sea. I would check further, but I think your salt is to good to be true. Be wary in health food stores for one reason- the FDA does not have to check up on health food claims. All natural is not always all healthy. (Said by someone that believes in natural healing and eating...)

anglewormm · 08-17-2004, 07:49 PM

Salt is salt is salt, no matter where you get it from. However, did you know that in 1/4 tsp of salt, which you rarely would ever use as a serving, has 575 mg of sodium in it. While salting items when cooking isn't a horrible thing, those items that you buy prepared or heat and eat have a ton of sodium in them.

This table will help you when cooking, as to how much sodium you are really getting.

Sodium Amount per Serving Number of Servings in Recipe
Amount of Salt..............1............. 2............ 4.......... 6.......... 8
1/4 tsp......................575......... 288........ 144........ 96........ 72
1/2 tsp....................1150......... 575........ 288...... 192...... 144
1 tsp.......................2300......... 1150...... 575...... 383...... 288
1 1/2 tsp.................3450......... 1725...... 863...... 575...... 431
2 tsp.......................4600......... 2300.... 1150...... 767...... 575

I find that if I stick to cooking just about everything myself, my sodium intake is low to normal. But even a can of tuna is high in sodium. We don't eat canned chili or ravioli very often as in one serving of either is a complete days worth of sodium. As a general rule of thumb, you should intake 2400 mg daily or 1000 mg per 1000 calories you eat each day. So, if you are eating 1500 calories, then 1500 mg of sodium is just right. You need sodium!!!! It is important that you have the amount you need everyday. If not, you will lose calcium. Remeber most foods have sodium in them naturally, so you will need to do some research to find out just how much is in them.

As for flavor, there are many salt-free seasonings on the market.

As tinkchen said, the difference is the minerals or where the salt comes from. Personally, I find that we use less salt when we use Kosher or Sea Salt. The flavor is much better.

tinkchen · 08-18-2004, 11:47 AM

As anglewormm said, there is definitely more flavor in sea salt or kosher salt. Some alternatives that I like (I don't have hypertension, but I am not a big salt fan) include-

dulse flakes- dulse is seaweed, and does have sodium, but not too much

Mrs. Dash- the more spice you add, the more flavor, the less salt you need

Check out this site:

http://1stholistic.com/Recipes/liv_h...in-cooking.htm

Also on that site is a recipe for a salt substitute:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon onion powder
21/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
11/2 teaspoons garlic powder
11/2 teaspoons powdered orange peel
11/2 teaspoons arrowroot
11/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon sour salt (powdered citric acid)
l/2 teaspoon white pepper
l/2 teaspoon dill weed
l/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon plus pinch powdered lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions
1. Place all the ingredients in a small electric coffee grinder, spice grinder, or blender. Grind for 10 seconds or until the mixture is fine.

2. Insert a funnel in the top of a glass salt shaker, pour the mixture into it, and tap the funnel lightly to fill the shaker. Cover the rest of the mixture tightly and store it in a cool, dark, dry place.

Makes about l/2 cup.
Preparation Time: 8 min

Nutrition Information:
Per One Teaspoon
Calories - 6
Total Fat - 0
Saturated Fat - 0
Cholesterol - 0
Protein - 0
Carbohydrates - 1g
Sodium - 1 mg
Added Sugar - 1 Cal
Fiber - 0

Here's another from About.com

Herb Salt Substitute Recipe
Ingredients
1 Tbsp ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried savory
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp ground dried grated lemon peel

Instructions
Combine dried herbs and spices and mix well. Place in a glass airtight container and store in a cool, dark place up to four months. Use on all types of savory foods.

Yield: about 1/3 cup

And a third from- somewhere I forget!

Chile and Herb Salt Substitute
Try this mixture on baked potatoes, pasta, and vegetables - and especially on corn on the cob.
Makes 1/2 cup
Heat Scale: Mild to medium
Â· 1/4 cup dried parsley
Â· 1/4 cup dried basil
Â· 2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Â· 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
Â· 2 tablespoons dried thyme
Â· 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
Â· 2 tablespoons paprika
Â· 1 teaspoon celery seeds
Â· 1 teaspoon crushed, dried red chiles such as piquins or 2 teaspoons New Mexican red chile powder
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend for 10 seconds or so. Put the mixture into a shaker jar and cover tightly until ready to use. You can keep this for several months.

I've tried a couple of these recipes and like them quite a bit- they may make it easier to work without salt. I actually find that I go through very little salt other than that in the processed foods I sometimes eat- and in the pickles that I make.

One other thought for you. Try working with kosher salt. It is generally larger and flakier than table salt, so most people use less. Also it weighs a lot less than table salt- so if a recipe calls for a teaspoon and you use kosher salt, you will automatically have less in it.
Good luck.

Bethann · 08-18-2004, 11:09 PM

I too find I use less salt when using sea salt, becaus it has more flavor.

Also, if you do need salt in a dish, in general if you put it in while cooking, you'll use less than if you leave it out and end up adding it later because the dish lacks flavor, if that makes any sense.

berta · 08-19-2004, 04:08 AM

Thanks for all of your good info!

:o)