Spice up your Life!!!

One of the reasons why people fail their nutrition program is a lack of variety . They limit their foods to various choices and then complain of eating the same foods over and over.  A trick that I use focuses on food preparation; the goal is trying to find a combination of spices and herbs to put together to flavor your food.  I’m sure most have heard about/used Mrs. Dash. This is a good brand of seasoning that focuses on a variety of flavor combinations without all the sodium.   Truthfully, it’s good practice to monitor your sodium intake, however, that does not mean you have to cut it out completely.

I’m a big fan of making my own combinations of spices and trying them on different meals to see what I like. I find that trying creating different spice combinations gives me enough variety to never get bored of eating the same thing over and over.

I have collected a small list of spices that I have experimented with from different websites and categorized them into different ethnicities. I normally pick 3-4 spices in one group and use a 1:1 ratio with all of them using ½ - 1 tsp. for each spice to prepare one meal.  If I’m preparing 3-4 meals for the day I will use the same ratio but do ½ - 1 tbsp. instead.  If I find a certain spice that I like that may be stronger than others I will cut that one in ½ and still use regular amount for the others. Believe me – there are definitely some spices that are way too strong! You can always purchase pre-made seasonings; however, I find that I save a lot of money in the long run by buying the spices in bulk and making my own mixtures. Either way – you should try them out and see what you like. If you make a combo that didn’t come out great for poultry, test it out on seafood and red meat. You would be surprised as to how many of them work well for one food group and not the other.

Here is the list: I encourage everyone to experiment with some flavors and see what they can create. If you figure out a good mixture or if you have a good spice to try that I don’t have listed below – please post a comment and share it with us!

Asian style

Sambal
Soy Sauce
Rice Wine Vinegar
Chinese Black Vinegar
Five Spice Powder
Red Chile
Hoisin Sauce
Sesame Seeds
Oyster Sauce

 Latin style

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sherry Vinegar
Canned chipotles in adobo
Dried Ancho chiles
Chile powder
Cayenne pepper
Cinnamon
Cumin seed
Sweet Paprika
Saffron
Dried Oregano
Epazote Seeds
Garlic Powder

Italian Style

Red Wine Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar
Capers
Basil
Cilantro
Lemon Pepper
Red Pepper
Oregano
Bay Leaves
Chamomile
Parsley
Anise
Thyme

Indian Style

Black Peppercorns
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Cinnamon Ground
Crushed Red Pepper
Cumin Powder
Curry Powder
Garlic Powder
Mustard Yellow Seeds
Onion Granulated
Paprika
Tumeric Powder
White Pepper

 Caribbean Jerk Style

Allspice
Celery Salt
Chili Powder
Crushed Red Pepper
Garlic Hot
Paprika
Taco Seasoning
Thyme
Tumeric Powder

P.S.  If you’re looking for a good zero calorie salad dressing – try Waldens Farms. They are a little bit more expensive ($3.50 - $5.00 per bottle), but add great flavor to whatever you’re eating without the hassle of counting extra calories. You can find them online or at your local supermarket that has a health section (Hyvee, WholeFoods). Bakers also has some great wing sauces for poultry/meat that are virtually zero calories by Kroger. My favorite is their spicy garlic wing sauce. It takes just like the Spicy Garlic Wings from BW3's.