Food tastes flat without salt because salt does two jobs at once. It adds its own taste and it makes other tastes louder. You can replace both jobs with ingredients that bring their own punch. These are the eight I reach for most often, along with how I use them.
1. Citrus juice and zest
Lemon and lime juice brighten fish, grains and cooked vegetables. The zest has more aroma than the juice, so grate it over the dish right before serving.
2. Garlic and onion
Fresh or powdered, both work. Check that the jar says garlic powder and not garlic salt, because the salted version defeats the purpose. Cooking onions slowly until they turn golden builds a sweetness that makes a pot of beans taste seasoned.
3. Smoked paprika
A half teaspoon gives eggs, roasted potatoes and chickpeas a bacon-like smokiness without any cured meat.
4. Fresh herbs
Basil, cilantro, dill, parsley and mint do the most when they go in at the end. Heat dulls them, so stir them in off the stove or scatter them on top of the plate.
5. Vinegar
Rice vinegar suits stir fries and slaws, balsamic works on roasted vegetables and strawberries, and apple cider vinegar wakes up soups. A small splash at the end often does more than another pinch of salt would.
6. Cumin and coriander
Toast the seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds before grinding or stirring them in. The warm, earthy flavor carries lentil dishes and roasted carrots.
7. Black pepper and chile
Heat gives your tongue something to notice, which is why a sprinkle of red pepper flakes can make a plain bowl of rice and beans feel finished.
8. Salt-free blends, with one caution
Read the label on any salt-free blend or salt substitute. Many replace sodium with potassium chloride, which is a problem for people with kidney disease or those on certain blood pressure medications. I cover that in Potassium and Blood Pressure: What to Know.
Putting it together on a weeknight
Roast chicken breast with garlic powder, smoked paprika and lemon zest. Stir chopped parsley and a splash of rice vinegar into brown rice, and steam green beans with black pepper. Nothing on that plate needs salt, and every bite has something going on.
Your taste buds adjust faster than most people expect. Give it a couple of weeks and the lower sodium version starts to taste normal. The label reading steps will help you check the packaged foods you pair these seasonings with.
