Salt - essential for life - is best known for making food taste
delicious. Salt deepens the flavor of delicate desserts, accents
the flavor of meat and can easily enhance a dull dish. Salt comes
in many varieties and textures.
Sea Salt: Sea salt is unrefined salt naturally processed through
evaporation. It contains slightly less sodium than table salt and
trace amounts of iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, iodine and
magnesium. It tends to offer more flavor with a less "salty" taste,
especially when sprinkled on uncooked foods.
Kosher Salt: Originating from salt mines, kosher salt is a
coarse large-grain salt with a light and flaky texture which melts
easily. It's typically used in gourmet cooking, adding a special
crunch or taste to food.
Iodized Salt: One of the first functional foods, iodized salt is
simply salt fortified with iodine. The mineral iodine is best known
for helping to prevent goiters. However, a lack of iodine is now
recognized as the leading cause worldwide of intellectual
impairment, resulting in reduced IQ. Use non-iodized salt when
cooking delicately flavored foods since iodine adds a slightly
bitter flavor to foods.
Salt Sense: Flakes of 100 percent real salt with 33 percent less
sodium than conventional granulated salt. This salt makes sense for
those sensitive to sodium. Made by Diamond Crystal, Salt Sense is
available in the main grocery aisles.
Following a salt restriction? Our Hy-Vee dietitians can help.
Simply go to Hy-VeeHealth.com and download a list of foods for
sodium-restricted diets and locate a Hy-Vee dietitian near you.
Insalata Caprese
Serve as a lite meal with a fresh bread roll
All You Need
2 large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella,
sliced
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
Coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons dried basil
All You Do
Stack tomato slices and mozzarella in alternating layers on
platter. Sprinkle with basil and coarse sea salt to taste. Drizzle
with olive oil and serve. (Serves 4)
Nutrition facts: 247 calories, 21g fat, 5g carbs, 1 g fiber, 344
mg sodium, rich in bone- building calcium and heart-healthy
lycopene.
