Part of National Nutrition Month 2014
Without question there is a wide
range of attitudes toward a healthy diet in our society. At times thinking of
eating well can have negativity associated with it – those bland vegetables that
are pressured upon us, or the lean meats and starches that can seem to be
lacking flavor. So what’s there to be done to change the approach to a healthy
diet to make it more exciting? One of the easiest ways to spice up a nutritious
diet is literally that simple, incorporating spices! What could be better than
enriching the taste of the foods you consume while avoiding excess calories and
getting added health benefits as well? Mixing spices with staple foods like
pastas, eggs, vegetable dishes, and other starches and proteins will make a
significant increase in the excitement of your mealtimes. Try these quick
ideas:
-
Add
cinnamon or nutmeg when making ground coffee
-
Replace
the salt in your shaker on the dinner table with a new spice every week
These will
allow you to occasionally skip on the flavored coffee and espresso drinks you
love the flavor of that can be packed with calories and fat and also decrease the
salt intake during meals at home. It also allows a chance to become familiar
with and incorporate new spices into your everyday life! What are some spice
and food combinations you’ve found to be particularly appealing? Have any of
them been surprising?
You have complete control over the richness
and tastes of the foods in your diet. Why settle for monotony when you could be
giving your taste buds something to celebrate? Give some of these spices a try
today!
 |
| Image by Taylor Horne |
Talk about an endless array to choose from...
Some articles for further reading:
References
Dhingra,
D., Sharma, A. (2006). Antidepressant-like
activity of n-hexane extract of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) seeds in mice. Journal of Medicinal Food, 9(1), 84-89.
Martell, C. (2009, December 4). Spice Up Your Diet; Herbs,
Spices Offer Health Benefits. Wisconsin
State Journal, pp. C1.
O’Neil, C. (2009, October 21). Spices boost health benefits,
too. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
pg. 2D.
Like this post? Read more Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right posts!
No comments:
Post a Comment