For many foodies and cooks,alow-sodium diet sounds like a trip toflavorlesstown, the opposite ofGuy Fieri’sdreamland. Itcuts out a widevariety of processedgoods and comfort foods. It alsosounds like a lot of homework, as many trying to reduce their salt loadend up scrutinizingevery labeland becoming that person asking a bunch of questions in restaurants. However, new research suggeststhat there’s an easier way out, especially if you love to bake. Baking your own bread and simply reducing the amount of salt cansignificantlyloweryour sodium intake. The best part? You don’t have to sacrifice flavor.
In a new study publishedby theInstitute of Food Science and Technology, a research team from the University of Illinois investigated practical ways for Americans to reduce their salt intake.Theteam noted thaton average, Americans eat about 3,400 mg of sodium daily. The base amount of sodium that adults should eat is 1,500 mg per day, whilethemaximumis2,300 mg. That’s just one teaspoon!
As a result, it’s important to find new ways forAmericansto cut out salt intheirdiets. Study authors Aubrey Dunteman,a graduate student in theDepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Soo-Yeun Lee, a professor of food scienceat the University of Illinois,extensively reviewed existing research on sodium reduction in bread.They found that most studies used one of four methods to reduce salt. Those included:
- Unevenly distributing thesalt in sliced bread. According to the research, alternating between densely and lightly salted layers in a baked good can makethe consumerthink the bread issaltier.
- Replacingtable salt with a low-sodium saltlike magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, or potassium chloride.At a certain point, however,these ingredients can give bread a metallic taste.
- Addingherbs, spices, or even MSGto hide the fact that the bread has less salt.
- Reducing the amount of salt in the recipe.
Of all the methods, Lee and Duntemannoticedthat the simplest (and tastiest) way to lower sodium levels in bread was to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
Why is it a good idea to focus on the amount of sodium in bread?The study authors noted that bread is a staple food in many American diets, and people tend to eat more than one serving. Plus, baked goods are a huge contributor to salt intake.
“About 70 percent of sodium in the U.S. food supply comes from packaged and processed foods. And the top source isactually bakedgoods,”study co-author and food science professor Soo-Yeun Lee explainedtoAAAS. “Reducing salt in thatparticular category would help to reduce sodium consumption tremendously.”
Though many of us don’t think about just how much salt we eat in a day, it adds up quickly and can have a negative effect. An intake of 3,500 mg of salt per daycan easily increase your risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, Lee and Dunteman note.Otherresearch has shown that it can evencausean immunedeficiency.
So, what’s the magic amount of salt to sprinkle into your bread dough?Lee suggests cutting the recipe suggestion in half, so long as you are using awidely available, standard recipe. “You’d be surprised that the dough would still rise, though the bread would taste a little different,” she says.
If you aren’t sold on this idea, you can alsotry out a flavor enhancer like herbsto distract you from the lower salt content. Hopefully, Paul Hollywood won’t be too annoyed at you for adjusting the salt levels in your baked goods!
