Salt substitutes

Flavouring food without salt
Herbs and spices
Cutting down on the salt doesn't mean you have to cut out the flavour. Try these herbs and spices to help reduce your salt intake.

Basil
Known as the King or godly herb, basil comes from the Greek word for ‘good’. It is used heavily in Italian dishes such as pasta and on pizza, but also in stews, soups and sauces.

Recipe idea: Chicken stuffed with hazelnuts, pecans and basil.

Coriander
You either love it or hate it! Also known as Chinese Parsley or Cilantro, all parts of this herb are edible, including the stalks. It’s used in all manner of dishes all over the world.

Recipe idea: BBQ prawn skewers with corn salsa.

Paprika
A ground spice made from ground air-dried red fruits in the capsicum family. You can purchase this in smoked or sweet varieties. It is used all over the world for flavour but also to colour soups, stews and rice.

Recipe idea: Tex Mex chicken with guacamole.

Mint
The leaves have a fresh, aromatic and sweet flavour with a cool aftertaste. Mint is used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams.

Recipe idea: Moroccan meatballs with vegetable couscous.

Rosemary
This extremely fragrant herb is very easy to grow in the Australian climate all year round and makes a wonderful addition to roasted meats or vegetables.

Recipe idea: Chicken cacciatore.

Parsley
Cultivated as a herb, spice and a vegetable. Often used only as a garnish, parsley packs great flavour and has a sweet but fresh taste. It is great when mixed through fresh salads or in cooked meals.

Recipe idea: Beef Stroganoff.

Tumeric
Not only is it used in trendy Melbourne lattes, this spice has a distinctive bright yellow colour. It has an earthy flavour and is used widely in South Asian and Middle Eastern Cooking.

Recipe idea: Butter-less butter chicken.

Cumin
Cumin seeds are used whole or ground and have a distinctive flavour, especially popular in South Asia and Northern Africa. Cumin is sometimes an ingredient in chilli powder and added in others such as garam masala and curry powder.

Recipe idea: Kibbeh skewers with beetroot yoghurt.

Chives
Chives are used worldwide but popular in France and Sweden. Chives are quite easy to grow and can also be frozen dry without much loss of flavour.

Recipe idea: Chicken and apricot rissoles.

Cinnamon
A spice made from the inner bark of a tree, it’s used heavily in baking and desserts and has an earthy flavour. Cinnamon is also used widely in the manufacturing of chocolate.

Recipe idea: Cinnamon sultana rock cakes.

Oregano
Related to the herb Marjoram, this herb is often more flavourful when dried than fresh. Oregano is used widely in the Mediterranean, the Philippines and Latin America in dishes such as roasted, fried, or grilled vegetables, meat, and fish.

Recipe idea: Chicken and vegetable bolognese.

Chilli
Fresh chillies, dried ground chilli or chilli flakes can add a punch of flavour. There are many different types of chillies which are used for cooking and medicine. Most of the worlds chillies are grown, exported from and consumed in India.

Recipe idea: Asian chicken noodle soup.

Dill
Dill comes in three forms, fresh, dried leaves or seeds. This herb is popular in Russian and Scandinavian cooking with the leaves used in these cuisines to flavour fish, cold soups and pickles. Why not try this in a salad?

Recipe idea: Chicken and potato herb salad.

Nutmeg
Not only used in baking, nutmeg is a versatile spice which adds a sweet flavour. This spice is also used in savoury dishes in Indian and Indonesian cuisine and gives an earthy flavour.

Recipe idea: Ham, leek and swiss cheese quiche.