Seasonings and Spices – Making Healthy, Delicious
As part of a healthy diet, you've stocked up on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. You make nutritious, well-rounded meals and feel proud of your cooking - then your family balks that their dinner has no flavor. Luckily, healthy food doesn't have to taste healthy. Seasonings and spices can transform even the most boring meal into a gourmet feast.
Cooking with herbs and spices can add another dimension to your food without adding calories, fat, or sodium. Americans love to flavor food with salt, and though our bodies require some sodium, too much can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Although most health organizations recommend a maximum daily sodium intake between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams per day, table salt and processed foods cause some people to consume up to 9,000 milligrams in a day. Ditching that extra pinch of salt can not only improve your health, but it can help you rediscover the flavors in your food.
Spice Adds Variety to Life
A common misconception is that there are only so many ways to prepare foods that are staples in a healthy diet, such as boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fish, brown rice, whole-grain pastas, and vegetables. Here are a few basic, easy-to-find seasonings and herbs that can turn tonight's dinner into an entirely different creation than last night's cuisine.
Allspice - Fruits, pumpkin pie, apple cider, cakes, cookies, meat dishes, stews, tomatoes, gravy
Basil - Italian foods, pasta, meats, stews, soups, sauces, salads
Bay leaves - Meat and tomato dishes, soups, sauces, stews
Black pepper - Meats, casseroles, vegetables, soups
Caraway seed - Breads, stews, soups, salads, cooked vegetables such as beets, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, asparagus, and squash
Celery seed - Juices, soups, salads, vegetables, pot roasts, poultry, rolls and biscuits
Chili powder - Chili, bean and rice dishes, Mexican food, meatloaf
Chives - Salads, potato and meat dishes, soups, omelets, dips and sauces
Cilantro - Latin American, Indian, and Chinese dishes, salsa, salads, sauces
Cinnamon - French toast, fruits, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, puddings, ham or pork chops
Cloves - Ham or pork roasts, pear or apple desserts, beets, beans, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes
Coriander seed - Middle Eastern dishes, spice cakes and cookies, soups, roast pork, salad dressings
Cumin - Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Indian dishes, beef and lamb, dry bean dishes, marinades, chili and tomato sauces
Curry powder - Indian or Southeast Asian cuisine, pasta, rice, soups, meat and tomato dishes
Dillweed - Tuna or salmon salad, potato salad, pickles, dips and sauces, vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, and cucumbers
Garlic - Mexican, Italian, and Oriental dishes, salad dressings, lean meats, soups, vegetables, potatoes
Ginger (dried) - fruits, marinades, sweet breads, pumpkin pie, meat dishes, soups, stews, stuffing, squash, sweet potatoes
Mace - Hot breads, apples, fruit salads, carrots, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, veal, lamb
Marjoram - Egg, tomato, and cheese dishes, meats, soups and stews, vegetables
Mint - Fruit salads and fruit soups, melon, berries, cold fruit beverages, cooked carrots or peas, chilled yogurt soup, lamb, tabbouleh
Mustard (dry) - Sauces, meats, marinades, salad dressings, chutneys, relishes, vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage
Nutmeg - Cooked fruits, pies and sweet breads, baked items, pudding, spinach, sweet potatoes, eggnog, custard, beef or poultry
Onion - Lean meats, stews, vegetables, salads, soups
Oregano - Italian and Greek dishes, soups and stews, pasta and sauces, beef, lamb, and fish, vegetables such as squash or tomatoes
Paprika - Spanish dishes, soups and stews, salad dressings, chicken, fish, potatoes, rice and hard-boiled eggs
Parsley - Meat, soups, salads, sauces, vegetables, garnish
Pimiento - Salads, vegetables, casserole dishes
Rosemary - Egg dishes, meats, fish, soups and stews, stuffing, pasta, vegetables such as potatoes and broccoli
Sage - Rice, stuffing, biscuits, stews and soups, beans, chicken, duck, pork, vegetables such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and squash
Thyme - Meats, soups and stews, sauces, tomato dishes, salad, vegetables such as eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes
Turmeric - Lean meats, fish, sauces, rice
When experimenting with herbs and spices, use small amounts at first, and add more when you are sure you like the flavor. Try creative combinations to make your own blends that suit your particular tastes. At the market, choose fresh, brightly colored herbs that smell pungent and aren't wilted, and add them toward the end of cooking. Add dried herbs to your recipes in the earlier stages of cooking.
Also note that seasonings can lose their flavor or spoil if left in the cupboard longer than a year. Try storing them in the freezer or in small, air-tight containers in a cool, dry place rather than in the refrigerator, near a window, or above the stove.
Disease-Busters
Not only can seasonings improve the flavor of your food, but some can also fight disease. For thousands of years, different cultures around the world have used spices to combat cancer, indigestion, and other maladies. For example, researchers in the United Kingdom have found that capsaicin, which is found in hot peppers, can cause cancer cells to self-destruct. Garlic is another well-known cancer-fighter that contains a number of compounds believed to slow or stop the growth of tumors.
Turmeric is a spice that has long been used for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Studies also suggest it may help alleviate stomach problems including indigestion, ulcers, and diarrhea. Another digestive-regulating herb, ginger, helps alleviate symptoms associated with nausea, morning sickness, motion sickness, and indigestion.
Recent findings suggest cinnamon has dozens of health benefits - and it tastes good, too. For example, new research shows cinnamon can aid in regulating blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, controlling upset stomach, and relieving arthritis pain. It's also a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.
Learning to cook with seasonings and spices can change the way you think about health food. Vegetables don't have to taste like dirt, and with the right accoutrements salad can be the most enticing meal on the menu. On your next trip to the supermarket, buy a few herbs or spices and start experimenting with ways to make your food look, taste, and smell delicious.
