More Herbs, Less Salt Day

August 29th, 2014 is More Herbs, Less Salt Day. This is a day that encourages people to use more herbs, more home cooked meals, and less salt. In a world where less healthy meal options are so easy to come by, it is difficult for most to eat healthy and balanced meals. Adding more herbs is a simple solution to over salted options. Herbs will add to your dishes, and can be just as satisfying as salt.  

Living with an illness in which you are advised to eat a low-sodium diet can be difficult. One day you are able to eat what you want when you want, and the next day being put on a low-sodium diet can be hard to get used to, especially when most people use salt in many dishes. It was strange at first for me to eat low-sodium. I have always been a healthy eater, but low-sodium was an eye-opener. There were a lot of food items I had to cut out of my diet. After some time, eating low-sodium became natural. Now if I eat foods high in salt, I can taste it right away.  

I have been able to find many delicious recipes for healthy dishes on Pinterest. I simply searched "more herbs, less salt" and I was able to find so many great food recipes and options! Once I had to alter my diet to low-sodium I started to cook more for myself, and I realized I love cooking healthy food! It is nice to have control over what I am eating. I know that many people are very busy, and healthy eating can be a bit tedious, but in the end it is so beneficial. One of my favorite options to make is crockpot chicken. You can cook this so many different ways. I like to use homemade marinara sauce, spinach and chicken. I put it all in the crock pot and let it cook on low for several hours, and then I have delicious chicken that will last me a few days. 

Herbs are easy for me to come by, we always have them available in my house. You can get dried herb and spice racks almost anywhere, which are great for trying out new herbs. Another good way to get herbs is to have an herb garden. You don't need too much space; since herbs are pretty small you can grow a few in your house or backyard. I have seen retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowes selling little herbs and herb boxes. They are pretty inexpensive, and easy to grow. There are also ways of saving and freezing herbs. I have seen people freeze them in ice cube trays, this is great because they freeze in single servings. Again, you can find so many different ideas on Pinterest. You can check out my own personal more herbs, less salt Pinterest board for more ideas!

I think More Herbs, Less Salt Day is so important. I think too often we focus on faster rather than healthier. I hope that more people will start to incorporate more herbs and spices into their meals. Living with illnesses sometimes bring more awareness in all-around health, and our diets are so important. I will be honest, sometimes I wish I could eat the unhealthy fast food items, but once I do I feel bad and sick after. I feel better when I eat fresh foods, and less salt. I do like to go out for meals occasionally, but I am still cautious about what I order.

Eating healthy is extremely popular right now, which is great because there are so many resources out there for healthy eating tips and recipes. I hope you find some resources that will help you to incorporate a healthier diet.  Here are a few resources I have found helpful: 

• http://www.pinterest.com/ 

• http://skinnyms.com/category/recipes/ 

• http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/recipes/low-sodium-recipes/rcs-20077197 

• http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/special-diets/low-sodium/ 

• http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/low-sodium.html 

Written by Elisa L.