Spice Up Your Life
As part of my education I was required to take food service related classes. One class in particular made a lasting impression on me and it was a cooking class taught by a chef. It was incredibly nerve wracking because as our final we worked in groups to present a four course meal to the chef. I felt like I was on a cooking show because everything was timed and he observed our preparations methods very closely. When cooking, it’s all about the seasoning. Salt is a very important and common seasoning however; there are people who must restrict their salt intake because of the sodium content due to illness. Not salting foods is a very difficult habit for people to break and part of my job as a dietitian is to educate and provide the tools necessary to overcome these obstacles. Using herbs and spices is the perfect way to add flavor (because I still want people to enjoy their food) without adding additional salt.
An antioxidant is a food that prevents your cells from being harmed by molecules called free radicals. One benefit to cutting back on salt use and substituting herbs and spices instead is that there are some spices and herbs high in antioxidants. There is a rating system developed to determine antioxidant content however, more research is required to determine how much and how often these herbs must be consumed to obtain the benefits.
The top antioxidant containing herbs and spices are:
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Oregano
- Turmeric
- Parsley
If you’re feeling stressed, there are certain herbs and spices that can help with relaxation. Again, there is more research needed with this as well, but it doesn’t hurt to include these herbs and spices in your cooking. If nothing else, they add great flavor.
The following is a list of herbs that may help with de-stressing:
- Saffron:a very prized spice throughout the world. Saffron is utilized in a variety of different cultural cuisines including Spanish, French, Greek, Italian, Turkish, Indian, Persian and Moroccan.
Saffron
- Rosemary: commonly used in southern France and Italy to flavor grilled meats but can also be used in sweet dishes.
- Sage: the extract has been shown to aid in the cognitive function of healthy people, as well as decrease the progress of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Sage is commonly seen in Italian cooking and here in the United States we use it to flavor poultry stuffings and pork sausages.
- Lavender:more familiar in soaps, lotions and candles than as an addition to foods. However, it is a traditional ingredient in the herbes de provence mixture (lavender, basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme and fennel).
lavender
I have started playing around with creating my own spice mixtures, because I don’t like the idea of spending money on spice mixes when I have most or all of the spices individually in my pantry. Due to MSG content and not knowing exactly what is included in spice packets, if I ever make a convenience meal that includes a spice packet (like Ramen noodles); I discard it and create my own.
This is the season for grilling, so I encourage you to play around with your spices and create rubs to be used on meat, fish and poultry.
Some examples that I found on the website kidseatright.org are:
- Citrus rub: grated lemon, orange and lime peel, minced garlic and cracked pepper.
- Pepper-garlic rub: garlic powder (not salt), cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Italian rub: fresh or dried oregano, basil and rosemary with minced Italian parsley and garlic.
- Herb rub: fresh or dried marjoram, thyme and basil.
What are your favorite spices to use in cooking? What spice do you not already have in your pantry that you would like to try? Let us know on Facebook!
In Nutrition,
Amanda M. Haag, RD/ LD
Resources:
http://www.healthcastle.com/spices_antioxidant.shtml
http://www.healthcastle.com/herbs-and-spices-help-de-stress
http://www.eatright.org/kids/tip.aspx?id=6442463905&term=spices
McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. 2004; 401- 432.
