Salt, the most essential cooking ingredient requires a judicious culinary decision. Find out how much is beneficial.
A pinch makes a dish but more spoils it. Salt, the most essential cooking ingredient requires a judicious culinary decision. Often ignored unless its absence forces you to dash for it. Salt that rests silently in a ceramic shaker on your dining table has witnessed a history of torn kingdoms and trade empires.
Finding salt was difficult for the early man independently. Animals frequented places where salt was concentrated. This path came to be known as ‘salt licks’.
How Much Salt Do We Need?
Salt mainly contains sodium chloride and other chemical compounds. It is an essential mineral for the health of humans and animals. Salt is required in small amounts and its excessive consumption is harmful.
Salt intake in India is about 11 g per day, above the WHO’s recommended maximum intake of 5 g (approximately 1 tsp) per day. Processed and packaged food contains contain lots of salt and when consumed on a regular basis contributes to increased sodium in the body.
Food without salt becomes tasteless. However, “Salt should be consumed in moderation”, says Avni Kaul, Nutritionist, Dietician & Wellness Coach, “It shouldn’t be excessive or too less”, she explains.