Finding a Good Salt Substitute - Celery Seed

One of the first things I did when I prepared to embark on my low sodium diet was to try out some salt substitutes. I used Nu-Salt for some time but after a while it just didn't appeal to me - it was too metallic tasting and bitter. My parents bought me some Spike salt substitute. Spike was tastier but didn't really taste like salt. It is lemony so usable in some recipes, but not all.

Mrs. Dash has a great line of salt-free herb blends and compared to the others, this is my favorite. They have a lot of flavors to choose from designed for specific dishes or cuisines - table blend, burgers, Italian, chipotle, chicken, mesquite, steak, etc. They also have an array of salt-free marinades. While I used Mrs. Dash for certain recipes, I was still looking for a true-blue salt substitute. Then I read about celery seed.

Not to be confused with celery salt, which is high in sodium, celery seed is very low in sodium and has a fairly similar taste to salt. I use it on everything I would normally add salt too. If a recipe calls for salt, I use celery seed instead. Even when baking bread. There seems to be a myth that salt is necessary for baking - but it isn't! I substitute with celery seed and I'm surprised at how much better the bread actually tastes.

Celery seed is great in eggs, potatoes, pasta sauce, on chicken, steak and fish and seafood. Celery seed has been the most versatile salt substitute I have found and the tastiest. The only complaint I have about it is that it can be pricey. I spent $4.99 for one of those small .95 oz containers. Oh well - at least it works!

If you have been trying various salt substitutes and haven't found one that grabs you - test out celery seed. Nature supplies it just for us and it may be just what you are looking for.

Find out more about living on a low sodium diet at LowSodiumLiving.tv.