Spice Up Your Taste Buds with Healthy Spices In Your Diet

A healthy diet is the key to achieving your fitness goal. Talking of healthy food, the first thought that comes to mind is that it is bland, tasteless and boring. Nothing is further from the truth – in fact, you have the means to spice up your taste buds with healthy spices in your diet. Cooking can be fun, especially if you use your imagination to create exotic recipes with healthy spices.

Spices can spice up your life, literally! Spices consist of essential oils, vitamins, antioxidants and various other nutrients that give them the flavours – which can be pungent, aromatic, peppery or even slightly bitter. Research states that spices help build up your immunity, and they have anti-inflammatory as well as curative properties.

Spices have been used for cooking as well as medicinal purposes since ancient times. You can avoid the harmful fats, oils and calories by using healthy spices in your diet because they enhance the taste of food with wholesome natural flavours.

Using healthy spices in your diet

Tired of eating the usual chicken dish for dinner? Try seasoning it with some Indian Curry mix to spice up your taste buds. Leaves of aromatic plants like bay leaf, thyme or rosemary are used to flavour soups and meat dishes to add that extra punch. Cinnamon and bay leaf have a high proportion of antioxidants which is great for your overall health. In fact, almost all spices are rich in antioxidants, essential oils and nutrients.

Spice powders are generally added at the end of the cooking process so as to retain their flavours. Whole spices on the other hand are added at the beginning so as to infuse the flavours into the foods as they cook. Spices Benefits and herbs enhance the flavour of food reducing the need for salt which is great for people who need to reduce salt intake.

Spice up your taste buds with these spicy combinations

• Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon powder on your breakfast cereal to enjoy a different flavour.
• Add ½ teaspoon each of powdered cumin and coriander to scrambled eggs for that extra zing.
• Add a combination of herbs and spices to steamed vegetables to enhance their taste. Stir fried vegetables taste delicious with a dash of mixed

Dried Herbs & Spices and lime juice.

• Top up fruit smoothies with a pinch of cardamom powder for a divine flavour. For vegetable smoothies uses a small piece of fresh ginger root and lemon juice to add to the taste.
• Stir fry some chicken in olive oil with oregano and lemon juice to enjoy Greek food at home.

Various spice combinations can turn your healthy but bland food into a spiced up version. And, while making your food tasty, the spices also increase the health benefits you gain from the food.

I love cooking and experimenting with dishes from a variety of places. I believe herbs and spices can make such a big difference to a simple dish.