Nutritional Articles
Turn Up the Heat
Are you bored with your meals but want to watch calories and fat? To make your food sizzle with flavor, while also improve your health, try adding herbs and spices!
Since early times, people have been using various seasonings as flavor enhancers. Recently, herbs and spices have captured the attention of the scientific community as providing potential health benefits. Evidence suggests that because of their antioxidant activity, herbs and spices may be effective in reducing risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis, and maintaining mental health.
What are they exactly? Herbs are the dried leaves of low-growing shrubs. Examples include parsley, chives, marjoram, thyme, basil, caraway, dill, oregano, rosemary, and sage. They can be used fresh or dried, or whole, crushed, or ground. Spices come from other parts of a plant or tree, such as the bark (cinnamon), root (ginger, onion, garlic), buds (cloves, saffron), seeds (mustard, poppy, sesame), berry (black pepper), or the fruit (allspice, paprika). Seasonings are blends or mixtures of spices and herbs. Condiments are a combination of herbs and spices in liquid form.
Thus, turn simple meals into exotic dishes without the need to load up on salt, fat, or sugar. What’s more, if you use herbs and spices to add flavor – instead of heavy sauces, gravies, or breading – you can save on calories. May we suggest:
- vegetable stir-fries with garlic, ginger, and cayenne,
- adding mint to dressings, marinades, drinks, yogurt, and sauces,
- adding rosemary and thyme to soups and casseroles,
- adding dill and tarragon to salads like tuna, chicken and egg,
- adding coriander (cilantro) to Mexican-style or Southeast Asian dishes,
- adding cinnamon and paprika to baked vegetables like carrots, squash, or sweet potato,
- adding nutmeg, onion, pepper, and sage to meats;
- curry dishes of chicken or fish with turmeric, marjoram, and cumin, or
- Mediterranean foods such as rice, pasta, or couscous with parsley, basil, and oregano.
Of course, don’t substitute herbs and spices for a balanced diet. Just as consuming too much of any food product has health risks, herbs and spices should be used in moderation. Also, as a general rule, keep:
- fresh herbs for a week,
- dried herbs or ground spices for a year, and
- whole spices for two years.
- Modern Menus
Have questions regarding this article? Ask the Nutritionist.
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