The only rule is to trust your taste buds and to go easy at first until you know which flavors you prefer and which herbs and spices go well together.

When you cut down on the amount of fat in recipes, you will want to add more herbs and spices for the same amount of flavor.

Salt (sodium chloride) is an important mineral, but most of us consume more than we need. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. That’s about one teaspoon of salt per day.

Herbs and spices do have a shelf life. For the best flavor, do not keep dried herbs and spices for more than a year.

Herb vinegar can add flavor to many dishes. You can buy ready-made herb vinegars, or make your own.

The best thing about cutting back on salt is that you become reacquainted with the natural flavor of the foods you eat.

Salt is an acquired taste. Just as we learn the taste for salt, we can unlearn it.

Much of the sodium we eat comes from processed foods. However, many reduced-sodium foods are now available.