Spice Up Your Life Without Adding Calories

Adding flavors quickly to your lower calorie cooking is a hot trick to have in your back apron pocket, don't you think? Lots of home cooks reach for things like butter, oils, salt seasonings, cheese, etc... when the dish they are making needs more flavor. But they don't need to to. There are all sorts of no-calorie, sodium-free SPICE options to add flavor without fat, calories or sodium. I've got a few of my personal favorites, certain spices and spicy products that I tend to use often in my kitchen. Here's my list:

* Lemon, lime or orange zest adds TONS of flavor (and some phytochemicals too) without any extra calories. All you need is a citrus zesting tool (about 4 or 5 dollars at Target or a cooking store).

* Fresh Herbs can't miss! I love to use fresh parsley, cilantro, fresh rosemary, and my absolute favorite is fresh basil. Whatever your favorite herb (dill, oregano?) Freshly chopped herbs add flavor and nutrients to your cooking without additional calories. Most supermarkets have many of the most common herbs year round and you can also start your own herb garden with you personal favorites.

* Freshly ground black pepper. You can buy a colorful and flavorful assortment of black peppercorns and fill a battery operated peppermill for fast (one-handed) freshly ground pepper.

* Mrs. Dash Salt-Free seasoning blends. I love these because with a flip of the wrist you can add an assortment of flavors to all sorts of dishes (stir fry, veggie saute, egg dishes, casseroles, meat, pasta, potatoes etc.) There are many flavor choices to choose from too such as Garlic & Herb, Southwest Chipotle, Onion & Herb, and Spicy, to name a few. 1/4 teaspoon contains 0 calories and 0 mg sodium.

* Taco Seasoning packets. This is a fast way to add flavor to beef, chicken, or refried beans for use in Mexican dishes or dips. Check the label because some brands are higher in sodium than others. 2 teaspoon contains around 15 calories and around 330-430 mg sodium (depending on the brand).

* Fancy Mustard. A little bit of mustard can add fast flavor to your tuna or chicken salad mixture, meatloaf, to sandwiches or baked chicken or pork. French's Honey Dijon contains 10 calories, 0 grams fat, and 40 mg sodium per teaspoon while a teaspoon of Spicy Brown Mustard adds 5 calories, 0 grams fat, and 50 mg sodium.

* Cream Style Horseradish is only a twist of a jar away. This high flavor condiment can be used for sandwiches, meats, sauces, and more! One teaspoon only adds 10 calories and .5 grams fat, and around 20 mg sodium.

* Balsamic Vinegar. If you like the flavor of balsamic vinegar then you are in luck because this is a VERY flavorful vinegar and you can use it in your recipes without having to balance the acid taste with oil. It stands alone better than most vinegars. You can add Balsamic to salads, sauces, marinades, dips, etc. I like to drizzle some balsamic over fresh mozzarella layered with tomato slices and fresh basil (on bread).

* Bottled minced garlic and ginger. Garlic is probably one of my favorite fast
flavors, probably because I cook Italian style dishes a lot! It's fast because I use minced garlic from the bottle. Just spoon out a teaspoon or two and off you go. No presses, no garlic skin, no smelly fingers. The same can be said about minced ginger in jars when cooking Asian style dishes.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Spice Up Low Calorie Cuisine, Low Calorie Beverage Choices

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