Clear out your medicine cabinet to make room for healthy herbs and spices instead. Besides just a healthy way to boost flavor, they provide numerous health benefits too.
To create interesting flavors, I spin our spice rack around for every meal I make. Its fun to try new herbs and spices to see what you can make; sometimes good (daddy/husband of the year!!)…. sometimes bad (hello, couch), but always healthy. If you don’t already have these 10 herbs and spices, stock up now and start adding taste and nutrition to your meals.
If you want to add a lot of intense heat to your food, cayenne pepper is the best spice for the job. A tiny bit of cayenne goes a long way (I know from experience; so does Kelley….again, sorry dear), so start with very little and work your way up to what you’re comfortable with. Several reasons to “just add cayenne” include its ability to relieve congestion by clearing mucus from the lungs and nose, boost immunity, prevent stomach ulcers by killing bacteria, help with weight loss, reduce blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels and platelet aggregation, prevent many types of cancer, and relieve pain. Use it in anything you want to make spicy; vegetables, salad, chili (duh), corn bread, various dips, soups, and even chocolate (you have to try it). An interesting note: The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.
Slightly spicy and incredibly versatile, it’s no surprise that black pepper is the most common spice in the world. Black pepper is a great way to top off anything from eggs and salad to cooked grains and meat. For the best flavor and health benefits, freshly grind whole peppercorns using a pepper mill or coffee grinder. Black pepper has antioxidant and antibacterial properties; it improves digestion, helps prevent intestinal gas, is diaphoretic (promotes sweating), and diuretic (promotes urination). Black pepper provides high-quality amounts of manganese, vitamin K, iron, and the peppercorn’s outer layer is said to promote the breakdown of fat cells.
Cinnamon is one of the best spices around as it can be used in a variety of dishes. It is a very potent spice, and only a little cinnamon is needed to bring its signature intense flavor to a dish. Cinnamon aids in digestion, circulation, and helps to treat diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and menstrual cramps. This spice is also well known for its blood-stabilizing abilities.
A popular food spice, cumin has a deep smoky flavor that is used in a variety of dishes, mainly Mexican and Indian recipes. Cumin is one of the best spices for cooking because it can be used to add a smoky flavor without the spiciness of chile peppers. Cumin’s list of health benefits include aiding the digestive system, improves liver function, promotes assimilation of other foods, relieves abdominal distention, gas, and colic, as well as migraines and headaches. I put this on cooked foods and mixed into salads for a wonderful smoky salad.
Oregano is a powerful antioxidant rich in phytonutrients. One gram of oregano contains 42 times more antioxidants than apples, 30 times more antioxidants than potatoes, 12 times more antioxidants than oranges and 4 times more antioxidants than blueberries. Two of the most important components of oregano are thymol and carvacol which have strong antibacterial properties. A study showed that in Mexico, oregano was more effective against amoebas than prescribed drugs. Fresh or dried oregano can be added to Italian and Mexican dishes, salads, egg dishes, vegetables, meats and more.
Cloves are the top spice that contributes to the distinctive smell of Indian food and drinks like chai tea. Cloves, whether whole or crushed, have a strong flavor and are best used in small amounts. Sprinkle a bit of ground cloves in your coffee or tea for a nice chai flavor, or add a pinch to baking recipes for something sweet and spicy.
Turmeric ranks among the best spices for adding color to a dish, and has a warm, peppery flavor similar to ginger and orange; it’s what makes mustard yellow. Most of its benefits are from curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. This yellow-colored spice is the highest known source of beta carotene. Turmeric tones the spleen, pancreas, liver, and stomach, and strengthens the immune system, enhances digestion, it may help control blood sugar in diabetics, and it helps to dissolve cysts and gallstones.
Coriander is known for being anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol lowering. It increases HDL (the “good” cholesterol), and may help reduce free radical production. Coriander is a good source of dietary fiber, manganese, iron, and magnesium. The leaves of the plant, commonly known as cilantro in the United States, may have anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties.
Dried coriander is used for making baked goods, as a component in curries, and as a pickling spice. Cilantro is best when fresh, but either dried or fresh, it makes great salsa and adds flavor to dips, spreads, soups, and stews.
Parsley is found in two varieties, curly and flat leaf. Fresh parsley is more flavorful than the dried variety. The curly version tends to have a more intense flavor than the flat-leaf variety. Use it in soups, salads, and casseroles, or to top any savory meal with or without meat. Among parsley’s beneficial properties is its ability to fight cancer; Animal studies have shown that it can inhibit tumor formation, particularly in the lungs. It’s also known to reduce the effect of carcinogens including those found in cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke.
As with most on this list, parsley is a rich source of antioxidants and essential nutrients like vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid. It is also a great breath freshener and is commonly served at the end of a meal. Which is why I buy and recommend the bulk 1 pound bag!
Spicy and pungent with just enough sweetness, ginger should be in the kitchen of every home cook. Great for adding an amazing sharpness to Chinese and Japanese recipes or a touch of spice to baked goods like cookies and cakes, ginger is one of the most unique spices because of its usefulness. It is warming, stimulates digestion, and boosts circulation, respiration, and nervous system function. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and is useful for colds and fevers, alleviates motion sickness and nausea, and destroys intestinal parasites.
You really can’t go wrong adding any herb or spice to your meals (unless you’re allergic), but these are what I consider some of the best to have and use daily. I think garlic powder deserves an honorable mention for the list, but this is best consumed as fresh cloves crushed and chopped in recipes.
How many of these do you currently have and use in your kitchen?
My typical mound of spices. And I still had more to add!
This is going to take a while, I thought to myself after seeing there are 22 billion combinations of 100% Natural, Non-GMO, and Gluten Free oatmeal just waiting for me to create and have made to order on MyOatmeal.com.
The founders of MyOatmeal.com, Anthony and Kathy Collova, are health-minded, family focused, and down to earth people. Through their growing business, they donate bags of healthy oatmeal to non-profit organizations and seek out ways to enrich communities everywhere. Obviously, they care, a lot, and I was excited when given the opportunity to create my own custom mix of oatmeal as well as PB Lean (peanut butter powder) to review.
Fruits (Low Moisture, Gluten Free & Perfect for Oatmeal)
Nuts, seeds, and more
Protein
Sweetener
Spices and exotic powders
Shipping frequency
Name your oatmeal
Creating the PB Lean blend is the same except that the step where you pick nuts, seeds, and more is left out.
The first step where you choose from 6 different oat blends proved tasking enough, but the next step was easily hardest.
I have difficulty deciding whether to use a fork or spoon and if I should eat from a plate or bowl, so the option to pick up to 3 of these flavors was pure torture! Torture that’s totally worth the struggle! By the way, I now use a spork at every meal (seriously) and have decided bowls are always the way to go for me.
Besides my analysis paralysis, the complete ordering process is rather simple and kind of fun. After naming your blend, employees will create your order and ship it right to you to quickly hide from your family and keep for yourself open and enjoy with your friends and family. I created several small bags of oatmeal and PB Lean blends in an effort to try as many flavors as I could.
One of my favorite parts of the process is that the nutrition facts and ingredients for your order are shown. For anyone keeping track of their macros or simply want to know the breakdown of their food, this is an awesome feature! Here’s what my bag of oatmeal I named “The S’mores is Yours” looks like.
If you don’t want to spend forever trying to think of a name, I think this name would work for every blend you create…
A photo posted by www.MyOatmeal.com (@myoatmeal) on
Here are screenshots of the oatmeal and pb lean blends I created:
I used monk fruit to sweeten all of my blends as everything else was some form of sugar. I really wish they would offer stevia as a sweetener as that is my favorite all natural zero calorie sweetener. Hopefully it will be offered in the future.
As a fan of overnight oatmeal, that’s how I prepared all of my blends. I used a mostly empty Greek yogurt container to let my oatmeal blends soak over night.
Cool tip: the beneficial bacteria in yogurt work to breakdown the oats and makes for easier digestion. Try it, your insides will thank you. 🙂
All of the flavor combos I created were tasty and definitely better than plain oats. My favorite was the cookie dough and vanilla ice cream blend; my least favorite was the chocolate brownie and mocha blend.
None of my blends were overly sweet, which I prefer, but the chocolate-mocha oatmeal left a slight chemically aftertaste. I had no problem finishing the bag as it was still good, but I’d probably opt not to pick that flavor combo again.
S’mores didn’t give that awesome fire-roasted marshmallow flavor I was hoping for, but it was darn close. I think it would be better as a PB Lean flavor, which I might do next time. Speaking of, here are my PB Lean blends:
Bar none, the peanut butter banana bread was absolutely amazing! I just added some water to make a low fat peanut butter like consistency to spread on my homemade NuttZo Banana Bread or just eat with a spoon and instant smiles followed.
The salted caramel was pretty close to the actual thing and gave a pleasing taste that makes it a definite repeat flavor. Same for the snickerdoodle flavor; I love cinnamon, and the combo with peanut flour was tastebud bliss.
Overall, the experience with MyOatmeal.com, from ordering to eating, has been a fun, healthy, and delicious one. If my daughter was older, letting her create her own custom blend would be a great experience she’d enjoy. If your kids are old enough, empowering them to make their own choices like this is a great way to get them eating healthy and having fun with food.
Actually, this would be a perfect gift idea for your kids or for any of their friends’ birthdays. How cool would it be to give a custom blend of awesomeness with their name or some other cool name on it? Maybe use it as an incentive to earn their creation by doing chores, making good grades, or just being a good kid. This is something all kids can totally get into and have just as much fun making as they do eating their very own oatmeal.
Trust me, you’ll have fun too. While the price may seem higher than the standard price at your local store, you’re getting high quality ingredients with an almost endless amount of delicious flavor options. Pretend you’re a kid picking out your favorite ice cream flavor on a hot summer day, only it’s healthy oatmeal with zero guilt!
To help in the price department, MyOatmeal.com is giving all Going Dad readers 15% off their entire order. Just enter coupon code GoingDad15 when checking out and you’ll be on your way to saving on all of your healthy and tasty creations!
Be sure to follow MyOatmeal on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for tasty recipes and current promotions. Plus, they’re all good people and deserve our love!
Disclaimer: I provided credit to create blends on MyOatmeal.com and was not compensated any other way. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own. So trust me when I say, you want this and must try ASAP!
Quinoa is pretty awesome stuff. Being a staple seed in our home, I’m always looking for new and tasty ways to prepare the tiny spheres of complete protein. Since I just bought some curry powder, I figured I’d put our staple seed (quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain) to the test.
The result was healthy mix of colorful protein and veggies that’s delicious hot or cold. Fluffy quinoa, a little bite from the curry, a big bite from the cayenne, and so many flavors all work magic in this simple dish.
Our daughter loves quinoa, and since I usually cook it when G-Ma comes over, we’ve coined the term “Quinoa for G-Ma” which she repeats all day long.
Make this Curried Quinoa Salad and double the ingredients to have throughout the week for work or as a quick fridge to plate dinner.
Ingredients (serves 4):
•1 cup dry quinoa; rinsed
•3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
•1 onion; chopped
•12oz package of frozen green beans
•10 – 12oz package of frozen chopped broccoli
1 (15 oz) can of beans; I used black-eyed peas, but you really can’t go wrong with any bean
•1 cup chicken stock
•2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
•1 tablespoon each of curry powder, cumin, basil, cilantro
•1/2 teaspoon cayenne
•sea salt and pepper to taste
To prepare:
1. Heat non-stick sauce pan.
2. Add garlic and onion. Cook for three minutes or until soft. Add spices and let toast for 20 seconds.
3. Add vegetables, quinoa, stock and salt and pepper (if desired).
4. Cook for 20 minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked (it will be translucent).
5. Transfer to large bowl or portion out into storage containers for each person. Place in fridge to chill.
3. Whenever you’re ready, take out of fridge and enjoy; no heat required!
Feel free to adapt the recipe to whatever veggies, herbs, and spices you have on hand. Just a bag of frozen spinach is easy and adds tons of nutrition to make a healthy meal even healthier……and tasty too!
Going Mom isn’t a fan, so I added sliced beets to my dish afterward. They add beautiful color, nutrition, and taste (to me)!
I love the versatility of quinoa and have cooked it as a savory dish many times as well as in coconut milk with a little vanilla stevia and of course NuttZo for a wonderfully energizing breakfast.
What food staples do you use each week?
Is it boring or something you’d never give up?
I always have yogurt and some form of squash ready to use. These things are not boring and I most certainly would never give them up!
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
