Not a pro in the kitchen yet? No worries. Just make sure you remember:
SEASONING IS NOT THE ENEMY!!!
Not only do herbs and spices provide a variety of health benefits, they also make your food taste better. Adding color, flavor and aroma to your meals is a key technique in cooking. Adding seasonings to enhance a meal is a low calorie option to make "boring" healthy meals flavorful and something you actually enjoy eating!
Benefits of Herbs & Spices:
Using a variety of herbs and spices for flavor can result in lower overconsumption of added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium in one's diet.
Contains antioxidants (prevents damage to body’s cells) and anti-inflammatory agents.
Can protect from acute and chronic diseases, including delaying/preventing cancer.
Contains properties that affect cognition and mood.
Can lower glucose and cholesterol levels.
Seasoning Tips:
Avoid using salt as a seasoning for your meals (including garlic salt, onion salt etc.) Almost everything we consume contains sodium, we don't need to add more to cause risks of unnecessary cardiovascular diseases. Instead, just add more herbs, spices or even black pepper to increase flavor.
When to add in whole or crushed seasonings/spices: closer to the beginning of cooking process.
When to add ground seasonings/spices: end of the cooking process (so flavor doesn't disappear during cooking process)
Add to Your Next Dish:
Garlic- can combat the common cold, provides beneficial effects to heart health, and can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Add to: meats, veggies, sauces, pesto potatoes.
Rosemary- savory herb that has been shown to boost the immune system as well as suppress allergic responses and nasal congestion. May also even provide benefits to anxiety and depression. Add to: steak, poultry, potatoes, teas.
Cayenne Pepper- provides powerful spiciness to any dish with a little amount. Includes vitamins A and C and can even reduce appetite and increase fat burning. Add to: chili, pasta dishes, soups, stir-fry, stews.
Turmeric- flavorful spice that provides anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Has also been shown to help improve cognitive function and protect against cognitive decline in older adults. Add to: soups, veggies, curry, smoothies.
Parsley- herb that has a peppery taste. It is high in Vitamin C and can protect against cognitive decline, heart disease, and death from all causes. Add to: soups, pasta dishes, sauces.
Ginger- popular savory spice that is used for alternative medicines. It can treat nausea, improve recovery after exercise, reduce cholesterol, and has strong anti-inflammatory agents that helps pain management. Add to: stir-frys, chicken, soups.
Cinnamon- warm, sweet spice that has antioxidant activity, helps fight inflammation, lowers cholesterol, and lowers sugar and triglycerides found in the blood. Add to: baked goods, oatmeal, toast, yogurt, apples, teas.
Oregano– minty flavor herb that is high in antioxidants, can help fight off bacteria and viruses, potentially reduce the growth of cancer cells, and help alleviate inflammation. Add to: pasta dishes, sauces, chicken, pizza.
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