Salt is one of the most fundamental ingredients in cooking, playing a key role in flavour enhancement, food preservation, and cooking techniques across different cuisines.
For chefs and cooks, understanding the proper use of salt is essential not only for preparing traditional dishes but also for adapting to meals to dietary needs. Such as the ‘no added salt’ guidelines within childcare centres, this can be confronting and confusing for chefs to grasp.
With the help of our Dietitians, experienced chefs and food safety experts, let us help guide you in the reason behind the no added salt when preparing and serving food for young children within care.
The role of salt when cooking
Traditional cooking classes and training programs help culinary professionals refine their skills and apply salt effectively in various dishes.
Salt as a flavour enhancer
Salt enhances the natural taste of ingredients, bringing balance to a dish. It is used in almost every cuisine, from the delicate seasoning of a French consommé to the bold flavours of an Indian curry. In Italian cooking, salt is essential in pasta water, ensuring even seasoning throughout the dish. Japanese cuisine relies on salt in miso, soy sauce, and dashi to create the perfect umami balance. Chefs must learn to use salt wisely to highlight natural flavours without overpowering the dish.
Preservation and Food Safety
Before refrigeration, salt was a primary method of preserving food. Dry curing, brining, and pickling are traditional techniques still widely used in professional kitchens today. Examples include curing meats like prosciutto, preserving fish such as bacalhau (salted cod), and fermenting vegetables like kimchi. These methods not only extend shelf life but also add unique depth to dishes.
Salt in Different Culinary Traditions
French Cuisine: Salt is vital in sauces, soups, and bread-making, ensuring balance in complex flavour profiles.
Chinese Cuisine: Soy sauce and fermented bean pastes introduce salt as an integral part of seasoning.
Mexican Cuisine: Salt is used in spice blends, salsas, and as a finishing touch to enhance traditional dishes.
Middle Eastern Cuisine: Preserved lemons, salted yogurt, and spice rubs demonstrate the versatility of salt.
Nordic Cuisine: Traditional preservation methods like salt curing fish and meats remain important culinary techniques.
Traditional Cooking Classes and Salt Training
Professional chefs often undergo formal training where they study the impact of salt on food. Culinary schools and workshops teach essential techniques such as:
Proper seasoning methods to balance flavours.
The science behind salt’s effect on texture and moisture retention.
How salt interacts with fermentation and preservation.
No Added salt in childcare
Did you know that 75% of the salt we eat comes from packaged and processed foods. Unfortunately, over 70% of Australian children eat too much salt daily. According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australia Guide to Healthy Eating, added salt should be limited. The reason for this is that high salt consumption increases their risk of having high blood pressure in childhood, their risk of developing heart disease later in life and children develop a preference for salty flavours early in life.
Sauces can be very high in salt and can be harmful in large amounts, particularly for young children. Salty sauces include pasta sauce, regular tomato sauce, curry paste, fish sauce and soy sauce. As well as sauces, salt is often added to foods that are processed, preserved, cooked in salty solutions and foods that have added flavours added. Processed foods with added salt are some cereals and bread. Preserved foods with added salt include ham, smoked foods and tuna in brine. Some sauces and stocks are cooked in salty solutions and foods with added flavours can include pasta sauces and savoury biscuits.
How to lower the salt content of your childcare meals
Limiting children’s salt intake gives their taste buds an opportunity to value other flavours and they’ll have a greater chance of enjoying healthier foods for life.
Tips to reduce salt in childcare menus from our Dietitians:
Choose reduced salt sauces, and use in small amounts.
Purchase and use ‘salt reduced’ soy sauce while cooking
Choosing low salt or salt reduced items such as legumes (lentils & chickpeas) and drain and rinse canned foods.
Choose wholegrain bread items and crispbreads that are lower in salt
Not adding salt when cooking
Salt should not be available at the table
Swap salt for healthier alternatives to add flavour – see below
Avoid discretionary items on the menu
Choose fish canned in spring water rather than brine.
Salty spreads should not be offered every day, and if used, should be used sparingly
Adding great flavour without using salt
Salt can be swapped for healthier alternatives to add flavour to foods, and using a variety of cooking techniques can add different flavours too.
Examples of other flavours to replace salt:
Mushrooms have great umami flavour
Seeds
Mustards
Herbs
Spices
Citrus fruits: orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, mandarin
Horseradish
Peppers
Cooking techniques for flavour enhancement include:
Grilling
Sautéing
Roasting
Steaming
Stir Frying
Replace high salt spreads, such as vegemite, with fresh fruit and/or vegetables, vegetable or dairy based dips, cheese (feta, ricotta, tasty, cottage, cream cheese) or natural yoghurt. Or choose the reduced salt option and use sparingly.
Discretionary foods are high in Salt
Discretionary food and drinks often contain added salt, and should not be included in the daily menu. Such as:
commercially made savoury biscuits, chips, crackers
sweet and savoury baked items such as muffins and cakes
loaves and non-baked slices
pastry based foods such as pies, pinwheels, pasties and sausage rolls
fatty meats such as sausages, frankfurts/hot dogs, salami, Strasburg,
Devon, some commercial chicken nuggets and fish fingers
shallow or deep-fried foods such as chips, fish, tempura vegetables,
falafels
fast food and takeaway foods
Adapting to Modern Dietary needs in Childcare
With growing concerns about high sodium intake, particularly in young children, chefs working in childcare settings should adapt traditional recipes to align with health guidelines.
While maintaining the essence of traditional dishes, chef can try these tips:
Use natural alternatives like herbs, citrus, and umami-rich ingredients to compensate for lower salt levels.
Modify recipes to retain authenticity while reducing added sodium.
Educate themselves on food regulations and best practices for salt use in childcare nutrition.
For more help with your Childcare menu, reach out to our team.
Conclusion
Salt remains an indispensable ingredient in cooking, deeply rooted in tradition and essential for culinary excellence. Through professional training and continuous learning, chefs and cooks can master the art of seasoning while adapting to modern health standards. By balancing tradition and contemporary nutrition needs, especially in childcare settings, chefs can ensure that food remains both flavourful and beneficial for all age groups.