Skinny Outdoor Entertaining

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Halt the Salt

That grilled corn slathered with butter and salt? That teriyaki-marinated chicken breast? Those delicious and classic cookout foods (among others!) may be sending you over the recommended limits for sodium intake. Most of us should be getting no more than a teaspoon a day. And children, African-Americans, and people over 50 should slash salt to about half a teaspoon, the latest USDA dietary guidelines say. The truth: Many of us cram in about a teaspoon and a half. But don't worry, you can cut back on salt without losing flavor at your next cookout or picnic, says Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., registered dietitian and nutrition instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley and author of The New Sonoma Diet. Her favorite trick? "Use herbs and spices—basil, dill, cumin, and cayenne—to add flavor to outdoor dishes without adding calories."

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