Do you love salt? Do you have certain foods that you refuse to eat without salt?
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (37725)
August 30, 2023 2:13pm CST
I try to be careful with my salt and with cooking with too much salt. I know it's not the best thing for us. I do use herbs and spices with the ultimate goal being flavor, without excess salt.
But OH, salt just does make things taste better! I know that there are some foods that just make a person have to have salt. I refuse to eat a baked potato without it, I think I could live without the butter, but salt is mandatory. Fresh cooked broccoli--it's such a blank slate, without seasoning and salt it's just not very good. Fresh garden tomatoes, if I slice them fresh to eat them, they have to have salt.
Do you have foods you simply have to add salt to?
17 people like this
20 responses
@NJChicaa (119698)
• United States
30 Aug 23
I grew up in a house that didn't use salt because my father has high blood pressure. Soooo I didn't learn to cook with it. It wasn't until I started dating my ex that I realized how much better food tastes with it. My MIL salts her salad but I draw the line at that. 
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
I have never salted a salad, and I do use dressings sparingly. But life without some salt has to be difficult if a person knows how good it makes certain foods.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55686)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Sep 23
@MarieCoyle Our house used Japanese MSG - called Ajinomoto . . . and I know Asian markets still carry different brand versions of it. I won't use any of that. I think I recall commercials on tv for Accent . . . oh, I didn't realize that was MSG!
I am realizing it's harder for me to think of foods that I don't put salt on!
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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4 Sep 23
@much2say
I recall Accent being on pretty much everyone's table as well as added to so many home-cooked foods. I haven't seen it in years, nor do I miss it.
And it is often difficult to not put salt on something, when we expect something to have a salty taste, and it just doesn't.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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4 Sep 23
I recall in my childhood many people used a product called Accent, which was simply MSG. I haven't seen it in years, I don't think it's distributed in the US anymore.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
I don't use a lot, when I do use it. But some things really do need a bit of salt.
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@AmbiePam (92994)
• United States
30 Aug 23
@MarieCoyle If I get a bland watermelon, I’m reaching for the salt.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
@AmbiePam
I know that there are a lot of people who like salt on watermelon, cantelope, etc. Not me, I think it's rather nauseating like that. I think it is sort of a southern thing? But I do know some people will not eat melon without salt on it.
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@writerjo (2540)
• India
31 Aug 23
@MarieCoyle Yes ofcourse
Medium level of salt adddings is better
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
People do need some salt in their diet, but ''liberal use'' sounds like a lot to me. Excess salt can cause serious health problems.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
@writerjo
We definitely need moderation in all things. When foods taste really good, we all have a tendency to eat too much of them.
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@LindaOHio (179153)
• United States
31 Aug 23
Some; but we eat a pretty low-salt diet. A baked potato, broccoli and tomatoes don't have to have salt for my taste. Have a good day.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (179153)
• United States
1 Sep 23
@MarieCoyle My FIL used to salt and pepper everything without tasting it first. I think his taste buds were shot.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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1 Sep 23
@LindaOHio
I've known people like that. Salt the entire plate before they even taste the food. I couldn't do that. Maybe you are right, his taste buds were wacky.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
I don't know why, but those items require salt for me. I have always been careful with salt, but now even more so, since it is in darn near everything now.
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@Lertka (370)
• Ukraine
30 Aug 23
@MarieCoyle no, not fanatically. I'm side salt))))
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
@Lertka
Haven't ever heard of side salt, but hey, sounds fine to me!
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
It's really ok if you just do not use too much of it.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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1 Sep 23
I don't heavily salt anything, but I do add salt to many dishes while I am cooking, as well as a few things we discussed here. I do find myself amazed that some people eat endless bags of chips, etc that are super salty, and they basically salt pretty much everything.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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4 Sep 23
Yes, vegetables often need a bit of salt. I don't eat much fried foods at all.
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@rebelann (112885)
• El Paso, Texas
30 Aug 23
I do love salt but not in a culinary sense. Salt helps me clean those burned on messes I sometimes create ..... I know I know, salt is supposed to make some foods taste better and yeah, when it comes to hard boiled eggs salt is a must have but often I just put the eggs in a soup and no salt is required.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
Oh, yes. A hard boiled egg without salt would not be very good, I agree.
For some reason, I am not big on eggs in soups, although I do enjoy egg drop soup--not sure why.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
@rebelann
I am guilty of adding vegetables to a lot of dishes!
1 person likes this
@xstitcher (32527)
• Petaluma, California
1 Sep 23
I used to have to have salt on lots of things, but have cut back a lot over the years.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37357)
• Toccoa, Georgia
31 Aug 23
Yes, eggs, baked potatoes and some sauces.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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1 Sep 23
I find it difficult to eat an egg without a bit of salt.
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@RasmaSandra (80030)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Sep 23
I like salt but I don't like foods that are too salty, I use salt just a bit for some extra flavoring.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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4 Sep 23
I tried to eat ONE Pringles potato chip the other day at my friend's house. So, so salty. I don't care for them now, it's just too much salt. Enough for flavoring is fine, as you say.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (103100)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
30 Aug 23
I add salt on fried chicken and burgers even though i have to eat in moderation.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
Usually fried chicken is salted in the coating before frying. I try to taste before salting, but I hardly ever have fried foods. My biggest exception is to have the very occasional treat of good fish and chips. Just don't really fry anything much anymore.
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@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
31 Aug 23
@MarieCoyle
I have recipes that require salk to be a part of it. I do find that since I do not put butter on popcorn I use salt instead.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
Salt does add flavor, I have to agree. We all have recipes that want us to add a bit of salt, I think.
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@snowy22315 (180979)
• United States
31 Aug 23
Salt is pretty much in everything we eat, even fresh fruits and veggies have trace amounts. I agree though things like baked potatoes just need it, other than that..I don't salt everything as I have a BP issue too..and eat enough as it is. some people even put salt on their watermelon..I have to ask...why?
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
Snowy, I have never understood why anyone would salt any type of melon, but some love it that way. Nothing better than a good, sweet melon, just the way it is.
I have to agree that salt is in so many things that we don't even think about. I try hard not to be crazy with the salt.
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
Yes, too much salt can be a bad thing. But as you say, salt does compliment other things, and make them taste better. I use as little as I can get by with for now.
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
We honestly have had some corn on the cob this summer that was so sweet and good, I didn't add salt to it. I wish it was that good all year round. Just mouth watering!
@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
I just can't eat it that way, but I know there are people who say the same as you.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (13049)
• Ireland
31 Aug 23
@MarieCoyle We've recently cut salt from our food and we don't miss it at all! We find that vegetables taste sweeter now which was a surprise. We have also cut out all processed food since it's loaded with salt, and my wife's blood pressure has dropped significantly - that's why we cut out salt. Not tempted in the slightest to return to salt.
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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31 Aug 23
I do not care for processed foods, either. Here in the US, a lot of people appear to be completely addicted to them--processed cheese ''food'' endless potato chips, snack cakes, and on and on. I do not buy those, either.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121621)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Aug 23
I thought I was the only person in the world who put salt on my tomatoes!
I have to have lots of salt on my popcorn and on my pretzels. And sadly, because of health concerns many companies are not putting as much salt on their products now.
Oh, and I have to have tons of salt on my McDonalds French fries! lol
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@MarieCoyle (37725)
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30 Aug 23
Sliced tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt is a standard for us. It just brings out the good flavor of the tomatoes!
I don't eat a lot of popcorn, but yes, it has to have salt if I do eat it.
Hey Jeff...did you know that the reason McDonald's uses so much salt on their french fries is that it has been proven that it makes people buy more drinks? It's true! They even teach their managers and franchise owners to oversalt for this reason.
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