Salt is one of the oldest known minerals to humans. It is also one of the most basic and important constituents in our bodies as well as a vital ingredient in our food. As the saying goes " Too much is too bad", the same is applicable to salt as well. Excess salt in our body leads to hypertension or high blood pressure; the risk of a stroke also increases significantly as does the risk of a heart attack. Food with less salt or no salt is being preferred across the world by people suffering from hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. No salt does not mean tasteless and boring food or sweet and sugary stuff, it is just that no salt is to be added externally. People with kidney diseases, diabetes, congestive heart failure and cirrhosis are advised to limit the intake of sodium. In such cases a low sodium diet is followed. This diet consists of using herbs and spices to flavor foods which have low sodium content. Eating of processed foods and cured meats is avoided. There are many tasty no salt recipes which will leave you craving for more. Barbecue Sauce Never imagined you could make a barbecue sauce with no added salt? Well here's the recipe for you. Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 Onion, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup Light Molasses
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup Cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoon Fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Procedure Take a medium-sized pan and heat the vegetable oil over med-high heat. Add the coarsely chopped onion and cook it for about 8 minutes or till it turns translucent pink in color, keep stirring all the while. Add all the remaining items like vinegar, molasses, mustard, etc, and let it simmer for 15 min. Keep stirring occasionally until the whole mixture thickens. Your barbecue sauce is ready. What's a good barbecue without a good sauce! Spaghetti Sauce One of my personal favorites amongst all the Italian foods, this sauce is one of the most popular no sugar no salt recipe. Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized Onions chopped coarsely
• 32 ounces of no-salt, canned Tomatoes
• 12 ounces of Tomato paste, again with no salt
• 1 teaspoon Olive oil
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cloves
• 2 teaspoons of dried Oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon of Black pepper and Sugar
• 1 cup of water

Procedure Take a non-stick sauce pan, add olive oil and cook the chopped onions till they become soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and let them cook on a low flame for 2 to 3 hours. After 1 ½ hour, taste the cooking broth and add seasoning accordingly. The only task now is to add the cooked spaghetti and munch away the delicious preparation. Freshly cooked and lightly sautéed mushrooms are a great variation in this sauce. Taco Seasoning Mix Tacos are simply irresistible, can't imagine how a traditional Mexican food like taco would taste without salt? Trust me it tastes just the same with no added salt. Here's the salt free recipe. Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon of crushed dried red pepper
• 2 teaspoons of instant onion paste or ready to use minced onion
• ½ teaspoon of crushed garlic
• ½ teaspoon of cumin powder
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Procedure In a pan, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, add 2 teaspoons of garlic paste, after the oil has heated sufficiently. Add the cumin powder, cayenne pepper and dried red pepper followed by the cornstarch. The seasoning mix is just about finished. Now add this mixture to browned beef with ½ a cup of water. Let the whole mixture simmer for about 12 min. This seasoning mix should be sufficient for 1 taco envelope. Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes Salad A salad is a perfect side dish and is enjoyed by one and all. Salads also play a vital role in increasing the green content in our daily diet. I am sure you will love this salt free recipe. Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans washed and trimmed
• ¼ cup of finely chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup pine nuts

Procedure Cut the trimmed beans into 1" pieces and steam them in a double boiler for about 5 min. Remove from boiler and rinse in cold water, drain the excess water from the beans. Take the finely chopped basil in a mixing bowl, add the minced shallots, lemon juice and sour cream. Mix well. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and mix them with the beans. Now toss the basil, beans and tomatoes together. Top the mixture with nuts. Your sumptuous salad is ready to serve. Turkey Chili With the holiday season fast approaching, here is a fantastic turkey recipe which is flavorful and the whole family can truly enjoy. This recipe will serve about 8 people, so if you have fewer persons then change the quantity of ingredients accordingly. Also, the seasoning and spice mixes, mentioned in this recipe, do contain very low quantities of sodium. Ingredients

• 1 to 1 ⅓ pounds extra lean ground white turkey
• 1 large Portobello mushroom (sliced or chopped)
• 4 8-ounce cans of no salt added tomato sauce
• 1 12-ounce can of Del Monte diced tomatoes (50 mg per serving)
• ¼ large red onion
• ¼ green bell pepper
• ½ bag of Bird's eye pepper mix
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 packet Williams Original chili seasoning
• 1 can of red kidney beans (rinsed and drained to remove sodium)
• ¼ tablespoon each, paprika, salt substitute, Tabasco sauce (eliminate, if you don't like a kick)
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

Procedure Brown the turkey meat with peppers, onions, mushrooms, can of diced tomatoes and garlic till the tomatoes start to soften. Add the liquid smoke and cook till the turkey has turned white and is cooked. There should be no need to drain any grease since it is extra lean turkey meat. After the turkey is cooked, pour the packet of Williams seasoning and mix together. Add your other seasonings (chili powder, hot sauce, brown sugar and salt substitute). Also add your rinsed kidney beans and Birds Eye pepper mix to the mixture and begin adding your tomato sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to low medium heat and let your chili simmer for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy this variation of turkey with homemade mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Here the absence of salt during preparation was substituted by certain foods containing salts. Garlic and minced onion or onion paste are foods containing salts and hence can be used as a substitute for salt. These ingredients give the required salty taste to the preparation. Celery beets and spinach can also be included in your low sodium recipes. Macaroni, noodles, pasta, fresh beef, lamb and egg are some of the other no salt foods. The options are plenty, you just need to try out different combinations to get the desired taste. Don't fret if your physician has asked you to go on a low sodium diet. Nature has gifted us plentifully to abide by the doctor's advice, yet enjoy our food to the fullest.