What are some foods you absolutely cannot eat without salt?

My husband and I both, by coincidence, have to teach a lesson on salt.  I have to give a lesson on sodium in my nutrition class to seniors, and my husband is teaching kids in his sunday school class the bible verse "You are the salt of the earth..." Matt 5:13.
 
We wanted some food to sample with and without salt.   We  have been trying to come up with something that is tasteless without salt.  He thought of corn on the cob, but I actually enjoy fresh corn without salt.  My suggestion was salt-free popcorn. We thought of soups and potato chips, but I don't think there are salt-free versions available.
Does anyone have any better ideas?  

 
If you can get a good (I mean good) hard pretzel -- with and without.

I can instantly think of 6 foods I can't eat without salt, though I'm certain there are more:  corn on the cob (cooked), tomatoes, popcorn, potatoes, grits, and eggs.  (Fresh, uncooked corn on the cob is wonderful without salt.)  And I always use Redmond Real Salt.  

Another vote for eggs. Regardless of how they are prepared, they always need salt.

Develed eggs, hard boiled eggs, Ok all eggs... Tomatoes......My wife uses salk on watermelon, cantaloupe...............as a Chef I realize it's up to me to use salt as a method of bringing a dish together. Salt is a flavor enhance, when used properly it will heighten the flavor of any meal............BillyB

Is a salt-free bacon even spld????

popcorn for sure
potatoes - ever eat potato salad or mashed potatoes that didn't have enough salt?
eggplant - mirliton(chayote) - different types of squash - to me, have no taste without salt
grits - most definitely
boiled shrimp/crabs/crawfish
 
 
 
 

Soup and  celery
 
Cheap tequila....but that would not be a good show and tell for kids or seniors.
 

My wife hung a plaque in the kitchen that says, Kissing a man without a moustache is like eating an egg without salt.
 
I cannot eat a hard-cooked egg without salt.

Most canned vegetables are available with and without salt added.  I can't stand the ones without.  Nuts (I've mostly seen peanuts and cashews without salt).  
 
There are low-sodium soups, but I haven't seen any no-sodium, sorry.

Perhaps butter or margarine (if you can get a truly salt-free version like this one:  http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/becel/salt-free-margarine ) might be one you could use, since it would just be greasy with almost no flavor.  Since my taste buds can detect even the most minute amounts of salt, I go months without adding salt to anything, but I do use salted butter or margarine in my cooking, which provides plenty of salt to flavor my food (even eggs).

I do not care for the no salt saltine crackers. Yuck.

Just because you're not shaking in on, doesn't mean you aren't using salt.
 
I think you also have to consider condiments with a salt makeup or salty tastes like soy sauce, fish sauce, anchovies, etc.
 
Without these salty tastes you'd also have blah tasting foods.

I like it on Cantalope, heck I like it on just about everything, especially the rim of my Margarita glass.

Country Ham

Country ham? You add salt to it??? Man I can't hardly eat that stuff it already has so much.

Beans, I have to add salt to my beans.

MikeS.


Country ham? You add salt to it??? Man I can't hardly eat that stuff it already has so much.

You beat me to it.

Michael Hoffman

I cannot eat a hard-cooked egg without salt.

That's the only one I've thought of, so far...

MikeS.


Country ham? You add salt to it??? Man I can't hardly eat that stuff it already has so much.

 
No, I don't add salt to it, but that wasn't the question.  Just as Mar52 said, just because we don't add salt to a food before we eat it, that doesn't mean salt has not been added. 

chewingthefat


I like it on Cantalope, heck I like it on just about everything, especially the rim of my Margarita glass.

I always put salt on cantalope and thought I was the only one.   It always draws comments when someone sees me do it.

For me, salt's a must on steaks, burgers, eggs, potatoes and popcorn.

Fresh green beans. The taste is actually unpleasant to me without salt. I love them properly seasoned.

Eggs, French fries, tomatoes, meat, popcorn. I don't use a lot of salt but some things have just got to have it. I have a friend who salts her cheese. Peppers it, too. No one has been able to reason with her about this. But she is a good friend and I have stopped trying.
I thnk the whole thing with salt is, learn to use a lesser amount and keep decreasing it. I use a lot of herbs and spices and since we have citrus trees in our yard (whee!) I use a lot of lemon, lime and orange juice to season. Didn't Biblical references to salt, reflect salt's tremendous value in commerce? I read somewhere that Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, thus the word "salary." Hope this is a little help. Hope your presentations go well!
Janet

Like lots of other I have cut back on the salt. But gotta have it on fries, pepper too.

grits must have salt and baked potatoes as well.

I don't salt pork, chicken, turkey or cheeses.
 
I crave salt so I use it sparingly on just about all veggies, watermelon, cantaloupe, eggs, and popcorn.

I like salt om watermelon, but on canalope I prefer a little fresh ground pepper.

 
The folloiwing must have to salt in them for me to eat them:
 
Popcorn, soup, ketchup. 
 
Regarding country ham someone mentioned ealier, it has to have have salt by definition.   That's what a real country ham is, ... a salt cured ham.  In fact it's so salty that a real country ham does not need to be refrigerated.   These are common in southeastern Virginia especially in the Williamsburg, Surry, and Smithfield areas.  
 
Glenn
 
     

Cottage Cheese.
Certain cole slaws.
Fries.