One thing that I hear all the time about trying to eat healthier, is that healthy food tastes bland. It doesn’t have any flavor, or appeal and really just tastes boring and looks uninviting.
If you’re not a huge fan of veggies on their own, it’s true: they can be a bit bland. But that doesn’t mean you can’t dress them up.
Get ready to take your veggies from boring to brilliant with these 6 ways to make your food taste better. Not only will they improve the flavor, but they are also a much healthier alternative to adding butter or high fat sauces, meaning they’ll improve the taste, and be mindful for your waist.
Nutritional Yeast
This popular vegan alternative to cheese is a great way to add complexity and richness to dishes. Used on its own with a bit of salt, it will indeed add a cheesy like flavor, but in combination with other spices, or in soups and stews, helps add a delicious rich flavor with a hint of saltiness. Add in right in while you are cooking, or sprinkle it on top of pastas, soups and sandwiches for that perfect finishing touch!
Don’t forget to season
Sometimes all your food needs is a little salt and pepper. Over the last few years, salt has gotten a bad rap because of its impact on heart disease and high blood pressure, but it is not something you need to be scared of if you are using it properly. If you are enjoying a healthy diet, with minimal processed foods, lots of fresh, raw veggies and fruit, as well as exercising regularly, you totally have room in your healthy living plan to add some salt to your food. Doing so will help enhance the natural flavors of the food, and make it much more satisfying on your palate. If you’re worried about your intake, track your food for a few days on MyFItnessPal to get an idea of where you stand and then plan your salt intake accordingly.
Bragg’s Sauce
Found in the grocery store near the soy sauce or in the natural food section, Bragg’s Sauce is a fermented soy product, which does not have the preservatives or salt addition of traditional soy sauce. The result is a soy sauce tasting product that you can add on a little more liberally to boost flavor and add saltiness to your dishes. It works great in stir-fries and Asian sauces, and is perfect to drizzle over sushi in place of regular soy sauce.
Mustard
Although condiments may get a bad rap, if you choose the right mustard, it is actually fat free and very low in calories. Many condiments, such as ketchup, BBQ sauce and other dressings have lots of added sugar and salt. Plain Dijon or yellow mustard however, is just made from mustard seeds, vinegar and water. This means you can add it into your cooking to add flavor to sauces and dressings, without worrying about the additional calories. Be sure to check the ingredients list, as mustards such as honey mustard, or many flavored ones have added sugar and preservatives.
Play around with spices
There’s a whole world of spices out there, which can take your food from mediocre to incredible in a matter of minutes. If you aren’t familiar with using spices, do some research into spice combinations that taste good (such as coriander, cumin, and caraway, or ginger, turmeric, paprika, curry powder and cumin), and start experimenting in your own kitchen. It’s best to start with just a few, so as not to overwhelm yourself, and then practice until you understand the flavours they yield and what they can be used for. It makes cooking way more fun, and your food way more tasty!
Fresh herbs
There’s no flavor quite as strong and satisfying as that of fresh herbs. Whether you choose rosemary, basil, coriander or mint, you will be impressed with the tasty hit they will add to your food. Basil is great in pasta dishes, while coriander sings in Mexican and spicy foods, and rosemary is great with roast veggies or in stews. Be sure to add the fresh herbs just before serving in order to gain maximum flavor and not have it all lost during the long cooking process!
By: Laura Peill – (Check out her blog Chronicles of Passion & Facebook)
