Getting used to the taste of food without the extra dose of salt added takes some time, but according to some experts, not a whole lot of time. The benefits of going light on the salt can be quite numerous and well worth the week of possible taste bud discomfort too.

Men’s Health Magazine shed some light on the subject and included some helpful tips on how to lighten your salt load. Check it out:

You’re Not Addicted to Salt
“People who are used to salt really do lose their taste for it after a week or two with less,” says Thomas Moore, M.D., director of clinical research at Boston University medical center.

Beware of the boasts on the front labels of food. “Sodium-free” foods can still contain up to 5 milligrams (mg) per serving. “Reduced” or “less sodium” means 25 percent less than in the usual form of that food. “Light in sodium” chips have half the amount of salt you’d find in normal chips. Only the “Nutrition Facts” panel on the package will give you a useful count.

At mealtimes, switch table salts. Coarse-grain salts like kosher salt add a burst of flavor with about 25 percent less sodium. Light salts, such as Morton Lite or Cardia, cut sodium in half, while salt substitutes (such as Morton Salt Substitute) basically eradicate it, using mostly potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride. Dr. Moore recommends other seasonings altogether. Spice blends, such as Mrs. Dash, use garlic, lemon, and thyme, and have no sodium.

What About Pepper?
Pepper causes no harm. In fact, it can be good for you. A few grinds of the peppermill releases 26 mg potassium, 9 mg calcium, 4 mg phosphorus, and 4 mg magnesium into your dinner. Plus, “It aids in digestion by stimulating the system,” adds Lisa Dorfman, M.S., R.D., author of The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide. “For lack of a better word, it irritates the senses, to the point where gastric juices start to flow.”

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