Diet. The word that grates on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. It’s just so passé, bringing to mind the low-fat fiasco of the ’80s or the low-carb craze of the ’90s. Diet implies temporariness. And for so many of us, weight loss and maintenance are lifelong challenges. There are no temporary quick fixes that will last forever. You have to stay on top of it.
And besides, it’s a little offensive. “How’s the diet going?” Well, if you have to ask … “Are you on a diet or something?” No, I’m choosing to eat healthy to fuel my body for life, thank you very much.
When one thinks of “diet food” the words bland, tasteless and boring come to mind. Cardboard, basically. On the other hand, healthy nutritious food really can be delicious, fresh and anything but boring.
In healthy cooking you want to add as much flavor as possible without adding unnecessary calories. Sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, dried spices, garlic and onions, and citrus are all staples, but fresh herbs can take healthy cooking to the next level.
Add flat leaf parsley to anything with an Italian or Mediterranean flare; it’s not just a garnish. Pastas, grilled pizzas, soups and even salads will get an incredibly fresh kick from a sprinkle of parsley’s deep green leaves.
Cilantro works well with Latin and Indian foods. Try mixing it into salsas and guacamole, or sprinkle it on tacos, fajitas or over curries.
Sage fried in a little extra virgin olive oil is delicious with fall and winter veggies such as butternut squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. It also goes well with poultry. Try tucking a few sage leaves under the skin the next time you roast chicken breasts. Just be sure to toss the skin before eating to save on fat and calories.
Basil is almost perfume-like and is a match made in heaven with tomatoes. Make yourself a BBT (bacon, basil and tomato with a tiny smear of mayo) sometime, and you’ll see what I mean.
Green onions or scallions are good with just about everything. Pretty much anything I whip up gets finished off with a sprinkle of scallion slivers. You can even plant the root end in your garden or place them upright in a vase of water on a sunny window sill and watch as the green ends grow back over and over.
If the culinary arts are just not your thing, that’s OK. Toss a little parsley into your favorite canned soup or sprinkle chopped scallions over your Lean Cuisine. You could even add a handful of cilantro to your takeout taco salad.
If not properly stored, fresh herbs will wilt within days of purchase. I store my parsley, cilantro and sage in a vase, just like fresh flowers, and stick it in my fridge. Like the green onions, basil gets a spot on my window sill. This works very well. In fact, I have kept flat leaf parsley fresh this way for five whole weeks.
Even in the winter, fresh herbs are readily available at our area grocery stores. In the spring and summer, herbs are super easy to grow. Or if you don’t have a green thumb, head on down to the Hitching Lot Farmers Market this April through October, where you can find all the cut or potted herbs you want. And friendly folks to tell you what to do with it all.
Get creative. See what combinations you can come up with to make healthy meals burst with bright, fresh flavor.
Leah Sullivan of Columbus has been on a productive journey to a healthier lifestyle and shares some of her experiences with readers. Follow {Nourish} on Facebook.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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