In March of every year, we celebrate National Nutrition Month. It helps us focus on making informed food choices and developing healthy habits that carry on through the rest of the year, and hopefully the rest of our lives.
There is a stigma that surrounds healthy lifestyles, especially food. Most people think that healthy eating is strictly plain vegetables and bland proteins. But it’s not! There are easy ways to spice up healthy foods to make them delicious.
Remember that children learn from example. If they see you cooking and eating healthy, flavorful food they will most likely follow suit. A great way to show them vegetables and proteins are tasty is to let them help you cook it! Little hands are perfect for stirring and pouring.
Here are 6 simplified spice combinations* that you can use to take your meals from bland to bold:
Mexican:1 tbsp chili powder, juice of 1 lime
Greek:1 tbsp oregano, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice
Italian:½ tbsp oregano, 3 cloves (½ tsp powdered) garlic, ½ tbsp basil, 1 can diced tomatoes
Indian:½ Tsp cumin, 1 tbsp curry, ½ tsp coriander
Chinese/Japanese (this makes a marinade or stir fry sauce): ¼ tsp ginger, ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 cloves (½ tsp powdered) garlic, dash red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp sugar or honey
*each is measured for a pound of food
These spice combinations can be used for chicken, fish, shrimp, beef, or pork. Or, try them with roasted, sautéed, or steamed veggies!
For a very small investment and one trip to the grocery store, you and your family can have a different dish from around the world every day of the week!
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