More Herbs, Less Salt Day encourages you to take a simple step to re-align this balance, through the use of herbs in home-cooked dishes in place of salt. It doesn’t take much room or effort to grow a variety of fresh herbs, and a little rosemary, thyme, mint, or other herbs can do just as much to enrich a dish as a heavy dose of salt.

Saturday, August 29 is “More Herbs, Less Salt Day.” It may sound silly, but it’s actually a great time to reassess how much salt you’re putting into your body.

Salt isn’t necessarily bad for you, but as with anything else, too much of it can lead to negative consequences, like bloating due to water retention, hypertension, and heart disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average American consumes an average of 3,400 mg of sodium per day. This is about 30 percent more than what both the American Heart Association and the Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines recommend of fewer than 2,300 mg per day.

Here’s how you can use more herbs and less salt.

Seasonings

• Garlic powder: Use in meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, salads, soups, and stews.
• Nutmeg: Use vegetables and meats.
• Onion powder: Use in meats, poultry, seafood, soups, and salads.
• Paprika: Use in meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables.
• Saffron: Use in bread, snacks, soups, stews, poultry, seafood, sauces, and rice.
• Cayenne pepper: Use in meats, poultry, stews, and sauces.
• Chili powder: Use in meats, poultry, vegetable, fish, and stews.
• Cinnamon: Use in salads, vegetables, bread, and snacks.
• Clove: Use in soups, salads, and vegetables.
• Cumin: Use in meats and poultry.
• Curry powder: Use in meats, shellfish, and vegetables.

Fresh herbs

• Basil: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, fish, and meats.
• Cilantro: Use in meats, sauces, stews, and rice.
• Dill: Use in fish, soups, salads, and vegetables.
• Marjoram: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, beef, fish, and poultry.
• Chives: Use in meats, poultry, seafood, soups, and salads.
• Oregano: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, meats, and poultry.
• Parsley: Use salads, vegetables, fish, and meats.
• Sage: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, meats, and poultry.
• Thyme: Use in salads, vegetables, fish, and poultry.