By Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE eDiets Chief Nutritionist
"Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme..."
OK, you can stop singing the lyrics to the classic Simon &
Garfunkel song Scarborough Fair now and move on to today's best food
lesson.
Seasonings go a long way toward flavoring your food, especially when
you’re reducing the fat in your traditional recipes. Fat makes food
taste good. So, when you lower the fat content, you need to be creative
to make your food appetizing and flavorful.
Spices include seasonings from all different plants... as well as from
the different parts of plants (i.e. the root, bark, stem, fruit, seed
or leaves).
Some are sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, which come from the
bark of trees. And, some are strong spices, such as herbs like
rosemary, mint, tarragon and thyme, which are all leaves of succulent
plants.
Experiment with herbs and seasonings. Stir them into stews, sprinkle on
fish, chicken and meat. Add sweet spices to hot cereals and rice dishes.
You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs, and you can grow your own in
your garden or in window boxes all year ‘round. Dried herbs are more
pungent than fresh. So, if the recipe you’re using calls for fresh
herbs, use one-third the amount of dried herbs instead. Crumble the
dried herb between your fingers and always add to the dish near the end
of the cooking time for the most flavor.
When you’re expanding the recipe, don’t double the herbs or spices.
Just add 1 1/2 times as much of the herb or spice. Taste and if you
like feel free to add a bit more.
Cinnamon sprinkled on a sweet potato will make the flavor so delicious
that you’ll never need butter. Add chopped fresh chives and a
tablespoon of nonfat yogurt to a baked white potato, and you’ll never
miss the sour cream.
Variety is the spice of life. Add some spice to your food for a
delicious change of pace.
We keep you informed of
the best choices and best foods. To get started with the eDiets
program, go choose one of 20 eDiets
Plans
