Ever tried to follow a healthy diet but quickly abandoned it because the food tasted bland and just plain unappetizing? This was an issue some time ago where people thought only boring boiled veggies were healthy, but not anymore. Thanks to the tricks and tips below, you can add some flavour without making your meal unhealthy or raise the amount of calories you get. Here is how:
No 1: Toss in some herbs and spices. Adding some herbs and spices is probably the top way to add a good amount of flavour in veggies, meat and fish without increasing your salt and calorie intake. There are some versatile herbs and spices that suit almost everything. Here are some examples: Curry (for meat, veggies, soups, and fish), Paprika (for meat), Basil (for salads, soups, meat, and fish), Oregano (for everything except seafood), and Garlic (for literally everything savoury).
No 2: Toast or saute everything first in very little vegetable oil or butter. Sometimes that dreaded bland water-boiled taste is not a sign of lack of salt but a sign of improper cooking. A good way to bring out the flavour of your veggies, meats, and fish prior fully cooking them is to saute or toast them first in very little olive oil, safflower oil, or even real butter if milk is not an issue for you. If you toast them with some herbs and spices even better--this will make your otherwise boring meal more flavoursome.
No 3: Use the art of layering. Apart from the above, some often overlooked way to add some favour to your healthy meals is to actually do some smart layering and combos. By combining different foods together, you are not only helping layer-up the tastes but things also become more interesting texture-wise. Some smart delicious combos you can try: a poke bowl with whole wheat noodles, egg, and sauteed veggies on top, granola on top of yoghurt and chopped fruits on top, and vegetable soups with croutons, cooked ham, and freshly chopped herbs as a garnish.
No 4: Make your own vegetable bouillon or stock. There is a reason why so many people use stock when cooking--it really enhances the flavour of the dish. But instead of going for store-bought veggie stocks which are loaded with unwanted preservatives, make your own instead. Here is the basic recipe: take some parsley, celery, and other herbs, tie them together and add some onion, carrot, potato peels in one litre of water. Bring these to a boil, let cool and transfer the mixture onto ice cube forms so you can keep it stored in the freezer for your next use. It’s much cheaper and healthier than purchasing vegetable stock from the supermarket.
No 5: Blend everything together. Ever noticed why smoothies taste so good? It’s actually because all the goodness of the ingredients is blended together to make something that literally bursts in flavour. Herbal Tea combos work in a similar way as well. It may sound like you are making baby food, but blending everything together to make a soup, mash or paste brings out a really flavoursome result. Of course, you can’t literally blend everything-some foods can’t simply be blended together e.g hard cooked meats with liquids. Some ideas to try out: cooked broccoli with a bit of oil and coconut cream (for making a puree), basil, oil, and walnuts (to make a pesto), boiled fish, curry, and coconut cream (to make a soup), and boiled sweet potato, cinnamon and carrot for a sweet vegetable mash as a side dish.
Any other ideas to add flavour to healthy meals? Tells us in the comments down below...