To wonder why no one seasons food anymore

[heydiddlysquat]

Visiting my daughter for lunch - cooking a roast. I remarked that she hadn't added any salt and pepper to the meat before cooking. She looked at me as if I was mad and said of course not - salt is bad for you.

I'm in my 60's and growing up all meat was seasoned before cooking (no other way of doing it) and of course people could add more afterwards to suit their taste.

But it seems everyone wants their food to be unseasoned (tasteless) nowadays.

Or am I out of touch?

I stopped adding salt when the midwives/health visitors said salt is very bad for weaning/toddlers. Didn't miss it so havent resumed adding it now they are older. Quite glad really since my bp has gone high (and salt is very bad for that too).

I'm more of a garlic person

I think most people who don't add salt to food are maybe using ingredients already with salt? like bacon, pesto, sausages, gravy, soy sauce, pasta sauce from a jar, cheese, etc. I don't use any of these, don't add any gravy to roast for example, so if I didn't add salt the fiod would be disgusting, no flavour what so ever!

For health reasons I don't add salt to a lot of cooking. The exceptions are pasta and potatoes. Other seasoning exists. It's quite common and especially when cooking for young children, the advice given is not to add salt.

Is salt a seasoning ?

For me seasoning is black pepper, curry powder,soya sauce,mixed herbs,chilli powder,garlic,and other numerous seasoning.

Not necessarily all at once.

To me your DD is the odd one, I put salt and an ungodly amount of pepper on almost everything

Who taught her to cook? You?

But chips........

Oh god don’t say that, you’ll get all the MSG-frothers and their opinions based on a 60 year old xenophobic panic.

If you afe used tosalt nd pepper on food, it will taste bland without it.
If you don't use it routinely...it just tastes like food.

No gravy on a roast? I rarely eat roast dinners but I think I'd miss the gravy.

It's just habit. It is not essential, and it is better for your health if you don't.

I 50 and use salt very sparingly

Tons of pepper, spice and herbs. But I
Much salt isn't good for you.

Why on earth no pepper?

DP never uses salt, but does eat salted butter. I add a pinch of salt only when parboiling potatoes for a salad or cooking them for mash. If I am making omelette or white sauce or gratin etc. then the butter is already salted, I don't add any more. I also put salted butter on the skin of a chicken to roast.

I particularly dislike restaurant or pre-prepared food that is overly salted.

I started making my own bread because I can't stand the saltless loaves you buy. I agree it is used much less but not using it makes food taste bland. That's why loads of children don't like veg because it's so tasteless.

Some people are very scared of salt but it's quite an outdated view I think. I season everything but DH wouldn't

Got to have gravy with a roast lol

(if he ever cooked I should add)

We don't generally add salt, it's bad for you and your taste buds adapt. When we eat food that has added salt it just tastes salty to us because we aren't used to it any more

This. I’m not young but haven’t added salt since my early 20’s as it was recognised how bad it is for you. You get used to it, so if you eat at something he’s house and they have seasoned the food prior/during cooking it just tastes really salty to us.

I season our food during cooking with salt, pepper, garlic, herbs etc. Surely most competent cooks do that? There was a brilliant Netflix series called Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat which deep dived into why these elements are so critical to our enjoyment of food.

I rarely find I need to season my food when eating out? However, more often than not, you have to ask for salt & pepper these days in restaurants. It’s not a given on the table.

I use salt if I want something salty (currently enjoying a margarita with a salt & chilli rim to the glass) but I don't sprinkle salt randomly on everything.

I do save olive brine to 'salt' pasta water...but that's more about not liking to chuck anything out!

Your daughter is right.

There's no need to put salt on food. It's only "tasteless" without it because you've accustomed your taste buds to salt. It's why you don't add salt to baby's food; it's so you don't get them hooked on a lifetime bad habit.

I don't add salt to meat but do add it to vegetables. I used to use less but have low sodium so started using more salt to try to bring my sodium up.
I hate the taste of processed food which is too salty, such as pasta sauces, gravy granules and takeaways.
I used lots of pepper and herbs.

Even trying my best not to, there is a certain amount of convenience food in my diet. Most has salt in it so I dont tend to use when cooking. I did season steaks last night and would sprinkle a little bit on a roast (but not gammon as salty already). Tonight is jacket potatoes and salt makes the skins crisper. Tomorrows dinner (full english breaskfast) wont have salt added during cooking.

I dont understand people who add salt to cooked food before tasting it. Taste it first ffs.