Healthy Eating Tip: Season Smartly

In honor of National Nutrition Month®, my colleague Sarah Koszyk shares her tip to help you savor the flavor of eating right.

Season Smartly

My favorite tip for eating healthy is adding herbs, spices, and acids to flavor foods instead of salt or fats from oils and butters. Growing up, my mom cooked delicious food daily using minimal salt and fats. Whenever she bought a new salt jar, she would write down the date underneath the jar to keep track of how many jars she had purchased since marrying my dad. They’ve been together for over forty years and she’s only bought eight 13-ounce jars of salt! Even without using much salt, her food was exquisite. You could taste the flavors of the fresh ingredients with every bite. She would add fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, mint, or parsley to a recipe. In addition, she used spices such as cumin, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder for an extra kick. Using minimal oil, she would flavor dishes with an acid like lemon or lime juice or balsamic, red wine, or white wine vinegar. I was very lucky growing up with a plethora of delectable flavors. Since becoming a dietitian, I continue to use fresh herbs, spices, and acids in my cooking emulating my mom and her skills. I encourage you to try adding an herb, spice, or acid this month to your meals instead of using excess salt or oil. If you need recipes that follow these guidelines, visit my website for a multitude of family-friendly, healthy, low fat recipes everyone can enjoy: SarahKoszyk.com. There’s always a way to modify a classic, comfort food recipe and make it healthy without losing the taste or esthetic. Buen Provecho!

For an easy to make, well-balanced, one-pot meal with minimal cleanup, check out:
Roasted Pork with Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts. 
The entire meal has less than 250 calories and is loaded with superfoods and super flavor.

Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, sports dietitian, weight loss expert, and founder of Family. Food. Fiesta. Co-Author of Brain Food: 10 Simple Foods That Will Increase Your Focus, Improve Your Memory And Decrease Depression