Why am I craving salt after eating salad and vegetables?

It’s because vegetables are very high in potassium but very low in sodium. In my book about healthy keto, on page 122, I list most of the vegetables people consume along with their potassium and sodium ratios.

You need 4,700mg of potassium to 1,000mg of sodium per day. That’s a 4.7 to 1 ratio. When you consume large amounts of potassium, you’re going to need more salt to balance it out because they work together. Some common items people consume are avocado, broccoli, celery, and kale. Of these, celery has a lot of sodium and is closest to the ratio you need. So unless you’re consuming purely celery, you can see why you crave salt.

Here’s how to get the sodium you need to balance out the potassium. Consume more sea salt in or on your food. Eat more olives, cheese, and salty nuts and seeds. I like to add Salad Spectacular, a spice blend, to my salad. I put about two tablespoons of sea salt into the jar and shake it up, before adding it to my salad.

I’m scrupulous about making sure my sodium is high. If your sodium is low, you may experience overall fatigue, muscle fatigue, and perhaps even muscle cramps in your legs.

Now you know why you crave salt after eating your vegetables; the solution is to increase your sodium intake not eat fewer vegetables! Then you won’t crave salt anymore.