Reducing Fat. Removing a tablespoon of fat removes about 10 grams of fat and 100 calories — an amount which could represent a 10 pound weight loss in a year. The calories in herbs and spices are far less than in bread¬ings, batters, gravies, sauces and fried foods. Reduce or eliminate these as much as possible.
Reducing Sugar. Reduce or eliminate sugar by using these sweet-tasting spices. Some spices that have a sweet taste include: allspice, cloves, anise, ginger, cardamom, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg.
Reducing Salt. Use spices and herbs to help you reduce the salt in foods. Some of these include:
• Savory flavors, and flavors with “bite,” such as black pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, cumin, dill seeds, basil, ginger, coriander and onion, are the most effective in replacing the taste of salt.
• Omit the salt when cooking pasta and flavor with basil, oregano, parsley and pepper or use an Italian seasoning blend.
• Use powdered garlic and onion rather than their salt form. Use half as much of the powdered form.
• Check labels to see if “salt” or “sodium” are listed among the ingredients.
Herb/Food Combinations. Here are some ideas to help you start combining fresh herbs with your foods.
BASIL — a natural snipped in with tomatoes; terrific in fresh pesto; other possibilities include pasta sauce, peas, zucchini
CHIVES — dips, potatoes, tomatoes
CILANTRO — Mexican, Asian and Caribbean cooking; salsas, tomatoes
DILL — carrots, cottage cheese, fish, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes
MINT — carrots, fruit salads, parsley, peas, tabouli, tea
OREGANO — peppers, tomatoes
PARSLEY — The curly leaf is the most common, but the flat-leaf or Italian parsley is more strongly flavored and often preferred for cooking. Naturals for parsley include potato salad, tabouli
ROSEMARY — chicken, fish, lamb, pork, roasted potatoes, soups, stews, tomatoes
SAGE — poultry seasoning, stuffings
TARRAGON — chicken, eggs, fish
THYME — eggs, lima beans, potatoes, poultry, summer squash, tomatoes
WINTER SAVORY — dried bean dishes, stews
For more information on working with herbs, check out lancaster.unl.edu/food/cookingfreshherbs-color.pdf.
Source: Alice Henneman: Add a little herb and spice to your life from Ann A. Hertzler, PhD, RD, “Herbs and Spices,” Virginia Cooperative Extension.
