Make it Taste Good- And Be Good For You
Submitted by:
Kathy Wool, RD, LDN
There are always so many suggestions to
use herbs and spices to flavor our food. Not only does it improve
the taste of those meals but it gets us back to cooking at home
where we can control the foods we eat. But many are so confused by
which herbs go with what and which spices complement which foods. As
we try to reduce the amount of salt we eat it is timely to recognize
those complementary tastes with herbs. And now another added benefit
is they may be healthier for us that we realized!
A recent
article appeared in Web MD on the health benefits of herbs and
spices. Read on as we explore the tastes and sensations of spices
and what they can do for you! It may change the way you cook and the
way you enjoy your foods. After all, if it improves our health and
tastes good what more can we ask!!
Spices and Herbs: Their
Health Benefits
Everyday herbs and spices may do more than
enhance the flavor of food. {By Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD}
Common herbs and spices may help protect against certain chronic
conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Herbs,
including basil and parsley, are from plants and plant parts. Spices
often come from the seeds, berries, bark, or roots of plants.
Seasonings, such as cinnamon, often lead lists of commonly eaten
foods with the highest levels of measured antioxidant activity.
“Studies show that many different herbs and spices offer health
benefits,” says David Heber, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, and
director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Most of the
evidence exists for cinnamon, chili peppers, turmeric, garlic,
oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary, Heber tells WebMD. Polyphenols,
a type of plant compound, provide one of the main health benefits
associated with herbs and spices. Polyphenols are also abundant in
certain fruits and vegetables, tea, and red wine. Certain herbs
and spices curb inflammation in the body, which may give rise to
heart disease and cancer. For example, antioxidants in cinnamon have
been linked to lower inflammation, as well as reductions in blood
glucose concentrations in people with diabetes.
Savor the Flavor,
Reap the Rewards Liberally seasoning your food with herbs and
spices may also help if you use them in place of other flavor
boosters. “Using herbs and spices expands your palette without extra
calories and may decrease the amount of salt, fat, and sugar you use
without sacrificing flavor,” says Kate Geagan, MS, RD, author of Go
Green, Get Lean: Trim Your Waistline with the Ultimate Low-Carbon
Footprint Diet. The proposed Dietary Guidelines for Americans
2010 suggests that adults limit their sodium intake to 1,500
milligrams a day to manage high blood pressure and reduce the risk
of developing the condition. If the guidelines are adopted, nearly
all Americans will need to find alternatives to salt and other
sodium-based additives. Seasonings may even play a part in weight
control. “Tastier foods are more satisfying than bland ones, which
you tend to eat faster, and with less fulfillment,” Heber says. If
you’re not satisfied, you’re more likely to overeat. According to
Heber, dihydrocapsiate, a compound in chili peppers, boosted
fat-burning capacity when people ate it three times a day during a
study. And a recent study in Cell Metabolism showed that consuming
capsaicin, the ingredient in chili peppers that provides heat,
lowered blood pressure in lab animals.
Maximize the Health
Benefits of Herbs and Spices Research about the therapeutic
effects of herbs and spices is enticing, but how does it translate
to what you eat every day? Quite easily, as a matter of fact. It
turns out that relatively small amounts of dried and fresh herbs and
spices may have health benefits. For example, Heber says it’s
reasonable to expect benefits from 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
Spread it throughout the day to make it most palatable. “Use
herbs and spices at their peak to get the most out of them,” Geagan
says. “The active compounds in herbs and spices degrade with time.
Capitalize on the potency of dried herbs and spices by purchasing
brands with “Best By” dates on them, and storing them in airtight
containers away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight. Using
fresh herbs or spices? Double the amount to get the same levels of
active substances in their dried counterparts, Heber says.
Herbs
and Spices: A Little Goes a Long Way You don’t need to make
drastic changes in your eating plan to benefit from seasonings.
Here’s how to incorporate more herbs and spices into your favorite
foods. Ground cinnamon: * Add 1 ¼ teaspoons to prepared
oatmeal; 1 cup Greek yogurt mixed with 2 teaspoons molasses or
honey, or artificial sweetener; and French toast batter. *
Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of cinnamon over ground coffee before brewing.
* Top a fat-free latte or hot cocoa with ground cinnamon. Chili
peppers: Add chopped peppers to chili, burgers, soups, stews, salsa,
and egg dishes. Turmeric: * Sprinkle on egg salad. * Mix ½
teaspoon turmeric with 1 cup Greek yogurt and use as a dip or
sandwich spread. * Add to chicken or seafood casseroles, and to
water when cooking rice. Garlic: Add fresh chopped or minced
garlic to pasta dishes, stir-fry dishes, pizza, fresh tomato sauce,
and meat and poultry recipes Oregano: * Add 1/8 teaspoon
dried to scrambled eggs, salad dressings, and store-bought or
homemade marinara sauce. * Sprinkle some on top of pizza, and
stir into black bean soup. Basil: Make a sandwich with low-fat
mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves; add
fresh leaves to green salads. Thyme: * Sprinkle dried thyme
onto cooked vegetables in place of butter or margarine. *Add 1/8
teaspoon dried thyme to two scrambled eggs, and to salad dressings.
* Use it in a rub when cooking salmon. * Add fresh thyme to
chicken salad and chicken soup. Rosemary: Add dried crushed
rosemary to mashed potatoes and vegetable omelets. Parsley: Add
chopped flat leaf parsley to meatballs and meat loaf, and to bulgur
salad. Ginger: * Grate fresh ginger into quick bread batters
and vinaigrette. * Add chopped ginger to stir-fries. Sprinkle
ground ginger on cooked carrots. Cloves: Sprinkle ground cloves
on applesauce; add to quick bread batters. Now that we can
appreciate all the tastes and flavor sensations of many herbs and
spices as well as great health benefits, here a few recipes using
those flavor enhancers for you to enjoy! Barley & Vegetables
Recipe
Ingredients 3 cups water 1 cup uncooked barley 1
tablespoon low-sodium beef bouillon granules 1-3/4 cups zucchini cut
in ¼ -inch slices (about 2 small) 1 cup sliced celery (about 2
medium stalks) ¼ cup chopped onion (about 1 small) 1 cup sliced
mushrooms (about 3 ounces) 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or ¾
teaspoon dried basil leaves 2 tablespoons light margarine 1 jar (2
ounces) diced pimientos, drained 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Preparation: Heat water, barley, and bouillon granules to
boiling in 3-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1
hour, or until barley is tender and all liquid is absorbed.
Cook zucchini, celery, onion, mushrooms, and basil in margarine in
10-inch non-stick skillet about 10 minutes, stirring frequently,
until the celery is crisp-tender. Stir in barley and the pimientos.
Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until
barley is hot. Stir in lemon juice.
Makes 8 servings
Nutrition Information per Serving: 130 calories, 4 grams protein, 22
grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fat, Calories from fat: 18, 0
milligrams cholesterol, 50 milligrams sodium
Herbs de Provence
With Roasted Vegetables
1 tsp thyme 1 tsp summer savory ½ tsp
lavender ¼ tsp rosemary ½ tsp oregano or basil ¼ tsp sage
The mix is best if made with dried herbs. This blend is great in
soups, on potatoes, on rice, pasta, fish and bread. Try it on an
oiled chicken that you then bake. Or make oven fries with it! It is
not easy to find the lavender so you may have to ask around a bit
for that ingredient. Cut up red peppers, green and yellow,
eggplant, zucchini and summer squash, and leeks (shallots or any
onion) into bite sized pieces (or any vegetables of your choice!).
Pour some extra-virgin olive oil (just enough to oil the veggies so
the herbs have something to "stick" to) over the veggies along with
2 tsp. of the herbs de Provence blend (that has been crushed between
your palms as you let it fall into the veggies). Stir to mix the oil
and the herbs evenly. Put into a 9 x 13 inch pan in a 400 degree
F. oven (or 375 F if your oven runs hot). Let roast for 15 to 20
minutes. This is delicious and impressive! And so EASY!
Nutrition Information: Packed with vitamins & minerals, low in
sodium, and the calories and fat are dependent on how much oil you
put on the vegetable variety. So use it sparingly for a fantastic,
flavorful low calorie, low fat dish!
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