The problem I find with the way people think about cooking without salt is most have been taught that unsalted food has no flavor, and they don't realize how much of that belief comes from habit instead of reality.

They also don't realize how much salt changes their sense of taste compared to cooking with aromatic vegetables, fresh fruit, herbs, and spices. There is a night and day difference between recipes built on layers of natural flavor and recipes tthat get most of their flavor from salt. Once you learn how to season food with onions, garlic, herbs, spices, citrus, and vinegar, you start wondering why salt ever became the default in the first place.

I was just thinking about this recently because I've been combining raw foods for years, and I've seen how natural sugars in whole foods can bring out flavor without needing added salt. Over time the salt disappeared from my own kitchen, and I know

there is a big difference between seasoning with salt and building flavor.

Instead of reaching for a few teaspoons of salt, think about adding flavor one layer at a time.

Building flavor works differently. Start with aromatic alliums like onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives, or scallions. Add herbs and spices while the food cooks. Finish with lemon, lime, orange juice, or vinegar. Water sauté the vegetables so they brown gently without oil. Use garlic for dips, dressings, and sauces. Add raw onions or garlic to salads, wraps, or dressings. Use fresh herbs whenever you can, remember dried herbs work too, roughly one teaspoon dried for every tablespoon fresh. Add a touch of black pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes, fresh chilies, or chili powder if the dish needs more. Keep a no-salt seasoning blend nearby, and don't overlook unfortified nutritional yeast for a savory, cheesy flavor. Finish with a squeeze of citrus or vinegar - it really brightens the food and activates some of the same sensory receptors as salt, adding flavor without needing salt, oil, sugar, or any extra calories. After enough time your taste buds regain their sensitivity, you start appreciating flavors that salt once covered up, and foods that previously tasted normal often end up tasting overwhelmingly salty. If you want an easy place to start, replace the salt with a small dish of gremolata made of chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, and lemon zest.

Then keep a few simple 3-ingredient flavor blends in the refrigerator, like cashew parmesan with raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder, walnut vinaigrette with balsamic vinegar, raw walnuts, and raisins, orange sesame dressing with fresh orange juice, unhulled sesame seeds, and rice vinegar, a creamy dip with raw cashews, lemon juice, and fresh garlic, and start by mastering just one combination first.

Then another...

Then another...

And another, and another, and yet another...

Until you start seeing, consciously and unconsciously, how simple combinations of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, sprouts, nuts, and seeds build flavor, texture, and satisfaction without salt, oil, or processed ingredients.

Yes, in a lot of cases you'll unlearn as much as you'll learn.

But those lessons often end up being even more valuable.

I'll keep sharing more preparation ideas and practical raw food tricks from years of experimenting with raw, whole plant foods.

For more, see

​Raw Food Secrets​

Irina Valeva