The latest research shows flavor may be an effective — and enjoyable — way to help reduce sodium and fat. Simply adding more spices and herbs to the foods we eat could get us closer to meeting the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• A 20-week behavioral intervention taught adults to flavor food with spices and herbs and led to a 966 mg sodium per day decrease compared to people who tried to reduce sodium on their own (University of California, San Diego and Johns Hopkins).
• Using spices and herbs to enhance the flavor of reduced fat/saturated fat food showed a spiced meal with 68 percent less fat and 35 percent less calories was equally liked compared to the full-fat meal (University of Colorado).
Lighten up pasta dishes
When preparing a cream sauce, use less cheese and swap whole milk for the full-fat heavy cream to save up to 20 grams of fat per serving.
Add flavor with garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning — a classic flavor combination.
Go for red — Switch from a cream sauce to a tomato-based sauce.
Opt for olive oil — Keeping it simple lets the spices and herbs shine. Coat pasta with a light drizzle of olive oil, then toss with a blend of spices and herbs. A great combination is garlic powder, crushed red pepper and basil.
Flavor ideas — Roast tomatoes to intensify their flavor and season with Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and black pepper.
Start with a no-salt-added tomato sauce and add flavor – about 1 teaspoon of total spices and herbs per cup of sauce. Add in some sautéed vegetables to reduce sodium and fat, visit spicesforhealth.com.
Make vegetables the star
Adding spices and herbs to vegetables can make them more appealing.
Flavor ideas — Toss steamed broccoli and cauliflower with a small amount of olive oil along with garlic powder and onion powder, as well as black pepper.
Use raw vegetables as salad greens instead of lettuce, like shaved Brussels sprouts andsliced zucchini ribbons. Toss with a simple homemade vinaigrette and your choice of dried or fresh fruit and/or toasted nuts.
Roasting — This gives vegetables a concentrated, robust flavor. Try roasting sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, butternut squash or Brussels sprouts. Add a small amount of olive oil and a flavor like rosemary, cumin, ginger, garlic powder or chipotle chile pepper.
Mix up your preparation method — Think about sautéing, roasting, steaming, grilling and serving raw, too. Whatever method you choose, focus on combining vegetables with flavor.
Make it a medley — Combine carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, onion and red bell pepper, then sauté with Asian-inspired spices like toasted sesame seed, ground ginger and garlic powder. Add a splash of reduced-sodium soy sauce.
Add a hint of sour — Brighten up vegetables by adding citrus — like lemon or lime juice — or a splash of vinegar, including balsamic, red wine, champagne or other flavored vinegars.