Does salt call your taste buds by their name? If you find yourself loving salty chips, fries and Chinese food but dread the after-eating puffiness, heaviness and bags under your eyes,we’ve got some great stand-ins so get ready to say goodbye to bloat, feeling heavy and slow!

That’s right, au revoir, high blood pressure and heart attacks!

Hello, Slim, Sexy Body!

Hello, Deliciousness!

Here’s to Cookin’ Good!

Instead of salt:

Squeeze lemon over veggies and salads —this cuts the need for added salt. (We’re obsessed with this one–on salads, steamed veggies, etc!)

Bonus: Add lemon to steamed spinach or a spinach salad—the vitamin C in the lemon enhances the iron absorption from the spinach.

Rather than sautéing veggies, rice or quinoa in salty chicken broth, use green tea. It’s a great way to flavor food without extra salt or calories while adding the flavonol antioxidants and getting theanine to bring on mental clarity and relaxation.

Season with flavorful vinegar (fruity vinegars are our fave–they pack a lot of flavor and you don’t miss the salt)

Break up pieces of seaweed and sprinkle over salads, chicken or fish, in sandwiches and in soups and over grains after cooking to add a naturally salty taste, crunch and texture.
- Although the seaweed snacks taste salty, they have just 30-60 mg per serving so it’s a great way to jazz up any food that you may normally add a salty condiment to.
- Seaweed is one of the few veggies that actually contains omega fats (seaweed contains EPA) so you’ll boost your omega 3s–and get a dose of vitamin C and A!

Use nori (or lettuce) for traditional sandwiches or wraps rather than in carb-rich salt-loaded bread.
- Why this is a no-brainer: Most people get plenty of carbs throughout the day but fall short on veggies, especially green ones and this will help you to address both issues. Plus, think of all of the calories you’ll save (close to 300!) and salt (180-300 mg/ slice) by cutting out those wraps or the large slices of bread.
- You still get the satisfying protein, nutrient dense veggies and other carbs like rice that are often stuffed in wraps.
- SIMPLY stock nori in your pantry—it’s dried so it stays good for a while. So even if you don’t have lettuce, you’ll have nori and don’t have to worry that it spoiled. Plus, going for nori instead of lettuce will provide some omega 3’s and nori anecdotally cuts both a sweet tooth or salt tooth craving.

Substitute salty sauces with a balsamic reduction: Simply bring balsamic vinegar to a boil using a nonreactive pot; simmer until it’s reduced by half. (Hello, mildly-sweet topping on fish and meat!)

Replace store bought tomato sauce; instead, make by making your own; use tomato paste with fresh basil, garlic, oregano, onions, red pepper flakes and a touch of sugar.