Somewhere in history people started thinking that "diet" food needed to be bland. These people also probably think that salt and pepper are the only spices out there.
When dieting you do need to cut back on your salt intake (well, in general everyone needs to cut back on their salt intake or at least switch to a better salt, like sea salt), but that doesn't mean your food needs to be bland. Start experimenting with different spices and find some flavors that you love.
Here are three examples of how I have spiced up some go to foods without using a bunch of salt or sugar, like in the first example.
Oatmeal:
Anyone who has seen me eat breakfast knows that my oatmeal is usually accompanied by a very large mound of brown sugar. It tasted really good, but was not that good for me. So when I started the 21 Day Fix (see disclosure), I knew I needed to change my oatmeal habit. There was a suggestion in the eating plan to use cinnamon to spice up oatmeal, and I figured it was worth the try.
Well, now I'm hooked. I don't miss the brown sugar at all. If I really want to add something sweet, I throw in some finely diced apples and have mock apple crisp.
Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
I love roasted sweet potatoes, and on a whim I decided to try tossing them in cinnamon. Boy, did I pick a winner! Once roasted, these sweet potatoes are sweet, yummy, and definitely a treat to eat.
Ingredients:
- desired amount of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch-ish chunks
- Olive oil to coat
- Sea Salt, Pepper, and Cinnamon to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Prep potatoes
- In a large bowl toss all ingredients together until potatoes are well coated
- Spread potatoes on a baking sheet (use parchment paper if you wish)
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until fork tender
Chicken with Green Peppers and Onions:
So one day my husband tells me he's tired of chicken, potatoes, and a vegetable, but of course he wanted me to keep the chicken part because it's budget friendly. I had made oven chicken fajitas a couple of times, but wanted something a little easier and quicker than that. From that brain storm came this easy and very customizable dish.
For this particular version I use sea salt and pepper (of course), as well as chili powder and cumin. Don't ask me how much. I just throw some in the bowl and give it a good toss. I've gotten fairly good at knowing what just enough spice for our palates looks like. Also, don't be afraid of cumin. I do not like spicy food (some mild salsas are too hot for me), but I've found that cumin adds depth of flavor more than it adds any heat.
Other variations include using Italian seasoning and balsamic vinegar or just salt and pepper, which works really well when using red, yellow, and or orange peppers and red onion. You can also easily swap out the chicken for steak or sausage (sausages should be almost completely cooked before you slice them- trust me, you do not want to try to slice a raw sausage).
Depending on the variation you prepare you can have this as is, over rice, over pasta, in a sandwich, or in your favorite taco shell.
Ingredients:
- Choice of meat cut (or uncut) to your desired shape and size
- peppers- thinly sliced or chunked
- onion- red or white, thinly sliced or chunked
- olive oil
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- whatever spices you want to taste
Directions:
- Place prepared meat into a medium bowl, add enough oil to coat, season to taste with all seasonings you plan to use, except balsamic vinegar (I do this with chicken, but not sausage and probably no oil with the beef)
- Sautée meat over medium-high heat until mostly done.
- While meat cooks prepare your peppers and onions the same way you prepared the meat, oil and spices.
- Add peppers and onions to pan and cook until done. Don't be afraid to let your peppers get a little "burned" (especially red, yellow, and orange peppers). They'll get that wonderful roasted flavor as though they were cooked on the grill.
These are just a few of my current favorites that pack a flavorful punch. I hope I've inspired you to add some spice to your cooking... and life!
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