Let us preface this article by saying that everybody loves salt. It has been a prized commodity around the world for thousands of years, not only because it can be used to preserve food but also because it enhances the taste of food. Salt doesn’t add additional flavor to a piece of meat or to a vegetable, but it does bring out the most desirable flavors in these foods.

Unfortunately, using too much salt can have some pretty serious consequences for a person’s health. Excess salt use has been associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, which is why many people have to limit their use of it in the foods they enjoy.

It’s also the reason why August 29th was designated as More Herbs, Less Salt Day—a holiday that encourages people to replace the salt in their diet with herbs to reduce their overall salt intake.

The History Of More Herbs, Less Salt Day

People have been collecting and using salt for thousands of years. Yes, thousands of years. There is archaeological evidence that Neolithic people excavated salt in Poiana Slatinei-Lunca, Romania, as well as in other locations around the world.

Salt became extremely valuable not only to the Romans and Greeks but also to the Jews, Chinese, Hittites, and Tamils. Salt has continued to be a necessary commodity all the way to modern times and will continue to be important for as long as humankind persists.

It is with a heavy heart that we have to say that we are unsure of who invented More Herbs, Less Salt Day. Our research was unable to find the person who created this holiday or when precisely they did it.

We will continue to research this holiday, and hopefully, one day we will uncover where this holiday came from. All we can do is speculate that this day was invented by nutritionists or health enthusiasts who created the holiday to curb modern humans’ addiction to salt.

Observing More Herbs, Less Salt Day

Although we have come to rely a lot on salt in modern cooking, that doesn’t mean we can’t change our habits and use more herbs in our cooking. To observe More Herbs, Less Salt Day, we first have to stock our pantry with some herbs that we might need.

We suggest that people purchase some or all of the following herbs: Rosemary, Mint, Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Cardamom, Chili Powder, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Paprika, Parsley, Saffron, Sage, Tarragon, and Turmeric.

That’s a good base of spices for people to start out with. Once they’ve collected those spices, they can then learn how to use them effectively as a salt replacement. Everyone celebrating this holiday should also help other people cut down on their salt use by sharing tips and tricks online with the hashtag #MoreHerbsLessSaltDay.