A meal without salt is not a meal. Do you agree with this proverb? Many people will probably say yes but they will also ask: we are always told to cut down the salt in-take in order to avoid high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease, so what should we do?

Most dietitians and nutritionists insist on cutting down the salt in-take gradually to allow the taste buds to sensitize themselves to salt again. You will certainly find your food taste funny or simply tasteless for a few weeks. But after a month or so, you will slowly get used to it and will actually enjoy the foods eventually.

But, according to a renowned chef, salt acts as a natural flavor enhancer, which brings out the favors of other spices and seasonings. So her advice is to use fresh ingredients and fresh food so that salt can still be used to your taste and yet you can have a healthy and nutritious meal.

Sodium is the thing that causes blood pressure to go up. It is the main component of salt but it can be found in many other processed foods. One way to limit the amount of salt in-take is to eat at home more and create simple meals using fresh food.

The following recipe for coriander rice (can serve up to 4 persons) is recommended by the chef:

Ingredients:
Quarter cup canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole green chilies, silt
1 bunch of coriander leaves, minced
2 cups of rice
4 cups of water
2 teaspoons of salt

Methods:
1. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil; add the onions, garlic and chili and saut' until soft.
2. Add rice and coriander leavesmix in.
3. Add the water and salt; let it come to a boil
4. Lower heat, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked and all the water is absorbed.

You may want to try this out at home.

If you have no objection or are not allergy to spicy foods, there is another alternative. You can simply use spices and herbs such as cloves, ginger, garlic, cumin, and thyme to enhance the flavor of the foods instead of using salt.