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Poll: What's the Best Way to Add Flavor without Calories?

By: Stepfanie Romine : 12/10/2009 4:47:28 PM : 191 comments : 13,915 Views

There is a certain evolution to healthy cooking. You cut back on oil, butter, cheese, bacon, and cream. You reduce the sugar, you lay off the salt, you use whole-wheat instead of white flour, you add in an extra serving of vegetables.

The reason why restaurants rely on fat, sugar and salt so heavily is because they're the trifecta of flavor in most kitchens.

In a healthy kitchen, they've been demoted from star attraction to guest star, but they leave quite a void. So how do you fill the role of Flavor in your meals?

When you open your spice drawer or your refrigerator door, what are your secret weapons?

How have you kept (or added) flavor without adding fat or calories?

You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine�

I have quite the arsenal of low-fat, low-calorie flavor enhancers.

Wine: I always keep a bottle on hand for soups, stews and sauces. Add a half-cup to the pan when after sauteing chicken and scrape up all the bits in the bottom of the pan to create a quick pan sauce. The wine adds a tangy flavor and a level of depth to my dishes. You can also add wine instead of water or broth when cooking rice, couscous or other grains.

Broth: Buy reduced-sodium broth or stock (or make your own), and use it instead of water. You'll add a layer of flavor for essentially no calories.

Sriracha:This amazingly versatile sauce is sweet, spicy, and tangy. A few drops or a drizzle add heat to any dish, from scrambled eggs to chili and tomato soup. If you don't like regular hot sauce, try this. It's available at most supermarkets, and the complex flavor is a nice change from the vinegar-heavy standard hot sauce.

Cumin: Cumin is possibly the most versatile spice in my kitchen. I add some to almost every dish, from lentil soup to hummus, roasted turkey to tofu cutlets. It adds a home-cooked flavor to any dish. I'm not sure why, but when I taste cumin, I think a food has been cooking all day.

Balsamic vinegar: Rich, sweet and syrupy, balsamic vinegar is great on salads, drizzled over root vegetables and even mixed in to tomato sauce. It's just that good. It's even great atop strawberries.

Those are a few of the low-calorie flavor enhancers in my kitchen. What are your favorite flavor enhancers?

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NSB_CAROLINA 8/25/2010 12:29:08 PM	Italian flat leaf parsley, basil, red pepper flakes and oregano; lemon and lime juice with the zest, course grain mustards, herb flavored vinegars and oils -- also, a little pesto goes a long way!	191
LOMI647 8/24/2010 10:21:51 AM	In addition to fresh seasonings such as onions, scallions, garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage, I really enjoy adding a bit of allspice and scotch bonnet pepper (seeds removed) to enhance the flavors; in curry recipes cumin is a great complement as well.	190
ILRURALRT 8/21/2010 5:30:10 PM	Hot Sauce for me too. I can put it on most meals and sometimes it saves the day!	189
NAPPILOCS 8/20/2010 6:20:55 PM	I love herbs like rosemary, thyme, cilantro and sage... cumin, ginger and curry powder are my best friends ;-)	188
NO_MAGIC_WAND 8/20/2010 8:12:27 AM	One underused herb I haven't seen on this list is dill weed. It's one of my top five. I also keep dried chives on hand though would prefer fresh. Unfortunately, my husband balks at any spices (yes, he's the guy who will eat his salads without dressings too.) Then I'm a problem in another area. I mainly have to avoid the three ubiquitous things every cook (and definitely every TV chef thinks they have to have all the time) black pepper, onion and garlic. Onion, shoot, they use a whole onion in a single recipe. A single yellow onion can last me a month or more. I use some garlic powder, minimally, and a few things I use whole garlic cloves not sliced or crushed, and then fish them out half-way through cooking. All three things hit my stomach like flame throwers if more than that. Ironically though, I've been exploring the world of chili peppers. I can actually get by with some minimal levels of jalapeno (chipotle favorite version). One of my favorite salad dressings? Victoria taco sauce. Love taco salads but you know while high in salt it takes very little to add some flavor to dull lettuce leaves in just a regular salad too. There are also fat free versions of crumbled feta, some with other things like sundried tomato in it, and while not calorie or salt free, it takes very, very little in a salad to add a zing to it. Another thing I discovered a while back is a product called True Lemon, it's a (sugar/artificial sweetener free) powder found either in spice or sugar sections of stores, but can be added to various things. Yes, if you can afford and keep real lemons around long enough I suppose that would be better, but as something you can keep in your purse/pocket this works very nicely. They make other fruits now but still prefer the lemon. In hot weather, one appetite suppressor is to treat a 16 ounce bottle of water with some and keep it cold. You get the urge do the refrigerator door arm pull exercise too often, pull out the bottle of mild lemon water (lemonade has sugar added, lemon water doesn't) then drink down some and it, one, fills you, two, hydrates you, and three the minimal taste of lemon tricks your system into thinking you really had something! Last, but certainly not least, is get to know your vinegars. Get beyond balsamic, red wine or apple cider. There is a world of different kinds to try. Get on-line and find out you can make flavored vinegars by adding some things like herbs, lemons, chilis, etc. to have on hand. Oils can be done as well but both things you need instructions depending on what you use to keep longer than a few days. Speaking of oil, when you put your minimal oil in cooking for saut� or before you sear something, put your spices like chili flakes, coriander, so on in at that point (just don't burn them). Let the flavors permeate as much as possible the oil you do use. Fats are not just necessary for proper nutrition to carry things to be use in our bodies but they are also necessary for carrying flavors. Make the most of what oil you are using. Most of those kinds of spices have oils in them that's why toasting them brings it out and why chefs think fresh ground pepper is better and also zest! How many of you watch those cooking shows where they harp on putting in citrus zest (thin parts of peelings)? Well, that's where the fruit's oils are. Cook's tip: Even if you have citrus like zest or fresh herbs in your dish, as a final touch before serving squeeze fresh or sprinkle fresh on the dish. Once cooked those things lose their flavors in the food. Give your mouth the immediate treat of wake up with fresh. -p- PS - if you are a oil & vinegar salad dresser add them in reverse order. Otherwise the oil keeps the vinegar from sticking to the leaves.	187
MAGSYR 8/7/2010 5:38:19 AM	Spices, spices, spices, you don't need fat , salt or sugar for your food to be tasty. I absolutely love adding all sorts of herbs and spices to everything I cook plus that means that I cook indian, thai, chinese style just by adding different blends. all you need to go is chicken breasts or other lean meats, lots of different vegetables and rice or couscous and you're off. Yummy!!!	186
OHBEJOYOUS 8/4/2010 6:54:31 PM	What a grand article and fantastic comments! I love this SPARKiness! Get some www.blenditup.com Spice blend; I add lemon juice to that great Organic Better-Than-Bouillon, reduced sodium at Costco, I love dry shallots, lemon juice, dry mint in salad, garlic, and cilantro, both leaves and stems which I chop and saut�. Tamari, Worchestershire Sauce, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, nutritional yeast, and Sriracha!!!!!! My favorite Vietnamese vegetable sauce with chicken or shrimp for over rice is one part each: tamari sauce, sriracha, sugar, corn starch, rice wine, and oyster sauce. It really makes everyone happy!	185
AKSTEXAS 8/4/2010 11:02:34 AM	mustard, and not just plain, try jalapeno mustard, horseradish mustard, spicy brown. And I have almost given up salt due to the great flavors offered by Mrs Dash. Also grow a variety of peppers, pickle them in vinegar and can be put on everything from eggs to vegies	184
LORIJENNINGS1 8/4/2010 9:46:34 AM	As Emeril says........"Gaaaaahhhhhlic" in just about everything....all the time! I keep a jar crushed garlic and one of chopped garlic in my fridge at ALL times! When I'm not in P2 of garlic, I have a jar of whole cloves in olive oil in my fridge that I crush when I want a "fresher" variety. My family LOVES garlic!	183
LOLAMOM2 8/3/2010 3:37:48 PM	Hot sauce, hot sauce, and more hot sauce. Thank you Texas Pete--I couldn't do it without you!	182
GINNY09 8/3/2010 11:17:59 AM	thanks for the tips!	181
VOLTZEN 8/3/2010 6:19:07 AM	Depending on the dish (savory, sweet, spicy, etc), there is an array of herbs and spices that can add lots of flavor with minimal calories, and as a bonus, many of them also have healthy side effects or are thermogenic. My favorites include cayenne (flakes, powder or in the form of hotsauce), black pepper, ginger (fresh is the best), garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, etc. Vinegar and lemon juice are great too, I make a pretty awesome low-cal salad dressing that's basically a mix of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and a pinch of sea salt.	180
MADDY1961 8/2/2010 9:32:20 PM	I love hot sauce, homemade salsa, sazon, adobo, I use lots of garlic and balsamic vinegar....oh, also cajun seasoning...okay, now I'm hungry!	179
MIAWINNER 8/2/2010 1:54:03 PM	dried crushed chipotle pepper. It adds a subtle smokey zing to everything!	178
AVOVATA 8/2/2010 1:29:23 PM	I add a variety of things mustard, miso, various hot sauces, cumin, cilantro, parsley, tarragon, tamari (yeah I know that's salt but I have low blood pressure), oh basil and oregano.	177
WINTERWINGS 8/2/2010 12:25:55 PM	Hubby adds whole seed mustard to our balsamic vinegar/canola oil/Mrs. Dash salad dressing and it adds zing. I highly recommend it. Maybe about half a cutlery teaspoon is enough.	176
HLTHYETER 8/2/2010 11:35:41 AM	Freshest veggies and fruits possible make other seasoning far less important. I do use garlic powder and black pepper a lot. I love balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard and make a great vinaigrette with balsamic, dijon, olive oil and fresh basil, garlic powder and black pepper. Yummy.	175
LITTLEGIRLSMOM1 8/2/2010 8:21:16 AM	I love lots of garlic and I use lots of Mrs Dash lemon pepper...	174
JESSICABEE78 8/1/2010 8:24:49 PM	Sriracha mixed with pizza sauce is actually very good.	173
ARTCHICK1957 8/1/2010 1:55:01 PM	Everyone has lots of ideas. I have not been good at seasoning, but plan to try some of the ones mentioned. This was a very helpful blog to those of us struggling to make tasty, healthy food for our families. Many of the comments have been helpful too. I thank all of you for sharing.	172
JHADZHIA 8/1/2010 12:34:47 PM	gourmet peppercorns freshly ground, chili pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger in tea and muffins is fabulous!	171
DENISEKJ 5/15/2010 11:19:11 AM	Hot pepper flakes are good in many foods - especially those that simmer. Garlic is also another winner!	170
RANJINI4 5/8/2010 5:18:37 PM	I love those comments-i use a lot of Indian and thai spices,Mr Dash and Spike among a few.With Fish I love Wine and sherry and usually Salad dressing with vinegar in it.Will try Sriracha-wonder if it is in Whole Foods?I love thats tore though it can be expensive!	169
EMMALOU55 5/8/2010 9:19:18 AM	I love cinnamon!	168
FOREVER4ME 5/7/2010 11:40:21 AM	when i bake potatoe wedges in the oven I use 1 tsp of canola oil and add garlic powder and chives. Yummy. I also use a garlic plus with roasted red peppers. Great in mashed potatoes. I really like Italian seasoning for cooking skinless baked chicken. I'm sure I could go on with other ideas.	167
SYSADMN 5/7/2010 9:18:44 AM	sriracha and two other hot sauces - Chulola (sp?) Original, and Yucatan Sunshine. Both have good flavor in addition to the heat. Worcestershire and Soy sauces, but I have to watch the sodium. Molly McButter. (Try soy and McButter on steamed broccoli!) Fresh garlic and crystalized ginger. Fresh ground black pepper - grind it fine for heat, or coarse for flavor. ps - Dairy quenches hot peppers. If you want to try a new hot sauce, put 1-2 drops on a spoonful of food at a meal. If it's too hot, eat cottage cheese or yogurt. Skim milk also helps, but does not work as well for me.	166
SHERRY822 4/20/2010 7:22:06 PM	I use cumin on a lot of my dishes. I love it. I also keep home made broths and stocks in my freezer, that I reduce down to about half the volume to concentrate the flavor. I guess my biggest flavoring agent would have to be tomato paste. I make a wonderful dressing with the paste, a little olive oil, cider vinegar, some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. I just put it into a jar cover and shake it up. It's great on salads, roasted veggies, and even chicken breast. It is sort of a cross between Italian, and French dressing but healthier than any bottled dressing. I really want to try sriracha, but I am such a big chicken about it for some reason.	165
STRIPESMOM 3/9/2010 5:46:42 AM	Lots and lots of pepper!	164
DANNI3EE 3/1/2010 3:29:17 PM	I put garlic powder and onion powder into pretty much everything I make	163
GRACEISENUF7 2/27/2010 6:43:21 PM	salt, garlic, pepper and red pepper flakes are the staples., (along with lots of fresh onion)...I know pretty basic, I really do need to try all of the new spices in my new spice rack	162
VELVET53 2/27/2010 12:12:51 PM	I am working on getting healthier and Mrs. Dashes adds the seasoning that I want to spice up my food and want me to keep on going with my goal.	161
SPARKENISTA 2/27/2010 12:07:20 PM	My nutritionist recommended Chinese Spice which I found in Whole Foods but I'm not crazy about it. Maybe someone else would like it. I used to use cumin but never replaced it when I ran out. Maybe I'll get some more. By the way, there is some evidence that it prevents Alzheimer's Disease. It is still being researched. A doctor I worked with, who is from India, said that if it were true there would be no Alzheimer's in India! But, as far as I know the jury is still out on this. I find that even low-sodium broth is too high for me. Being lazy, I use a lot of garlic powder. I also use dried red pepper, b/c I read about it in You On a Diet by Oz & Roizen. They say that it also reduces appetite. I don't find that, but maybe others will. They also say that when our taste buds are not that sensitive (we are low tasters) we tend to eat more b/c the food does not register. Therefore, it is important to spice it up a lot in order to have it register in our brains and reduce the amount we eat. The dried pepper is very concentrated and most people (like my son) can't tolerate much. So it should be used sparingly. Those like me (a low taster) can tolerate more. This article is very important b/c of the taste factor. To find out if you are a low taster, put a packet of Sweet & Low into a cup of water. If it tastes bitter you are a normal taster. If it tastes fine (as it does to me) you are a low taster. You should spice up your foods as much as possible. Hope this was helpful.	160
PENNYJUNE59 2/27/2010 9:33:17 AM	I love Mrs Dash Lemon Pepper! Last summer I started actively reading labels for sodium content. . .WOW! It's a wonder any of us are still alive. I mean 400 mg of sodium in a 1/2 cup serving of green beans! I don't even shop on the canned foods aisle any more! Our bodies only need about 500 mg per day, and we get that in a 1/4 tsp. With Mrs Dash Lemon Pepper, I can still enjoy my lemon-pepper fish with steamed broccoli....Yeah!	159
4SCOTT 2/27/2010 4:58:51 AM	i think it is great to spice things up however i do not like the chile lime, its too strong. i am a salt fend and use way to much of it. , i hasve learned to use lemon and limes alot and now mrs. dash	158
SWTKARSUE 2/26/2010 7:49:43 PM	Cilantro, garlic, fresh basil, cumin, onions, fresh pepper, red pepper flakes are some of my favorite spices. I will have to try the sriracha, balsalmic vinegar, cardamon, tumeric and Herbes de Provence.	157
NORASPAT 2/26/2010 7:41:37 PM	Cumin and Balsamic vinegar, thanks for the tip about the large bottle. That is all I ever use on my salad these days and if you put some lowfat cottage cheese in the salad on top of the cottage cheese it gives you a creamy dressing. Many of the others I have not used. Wine I love to use and like the leftover wine tip. I have done it forever with juices never thought about wine-Good one especially keeping them separate. Low sodium /No msg chicken broth really hits the spot with mashed potatoes. I cook them in it along with some granulated garlic and have Garlic mashed potatoes. Pat in Maine	156
SKIPSIDE 2/26/2010 6:21:55 PM	Lots of good information offered by everyone here. I personally grew up encouraged to experiment by a mother who's spice racks were overflowing. She was also on a salt restricted diet since I was a toddler so though we had seasoning salt and celery salt and a few others, they were used rarely and sparingly. (This includes bottled hot sauces which are loaded with sodium.) Now my brother and I have gone out on our own and continue her love of cooking and spices ....with our spice racks overflowing as well. Favorite seasonings phase in and then phase out to try something else and always add to the variety. Some of the definite staples are: cumin-coriander-red pepper-cilantro basil-thyme-sage-bay leaves-peppercorns ginger-cinnamon-nutmeg a wide variety of vinegars and oils and nuts/seeds citric juices and grated peels (lemon, lime, and orange) Rosemary-dillweed- and more rosemary (a personal favorite) Wine in small amounts most definitely. This is very helpful to the non-vegan on a tight budget as they'll make a run of the mill cut of meat taste like a much more expensive cut. Also my mother's kitchen would never be without a few of the saltfree blends like italian seasoning, and most definitely at least one jar (or more) of Bouquet Garni and Fine Herbes and "Herbes de Provence" . A few other spices that I've not seen mentionned here: white pepper , chervil , tarragon , dry mustard and cloves (My brother loves using ground cloves!) and fennel and mint. Then there are a few more that exist because of special recipes like the expensive but very aromatic cardamon and others. Despite all this there are some that I've not used much or at all (though I'm always experimenting and learning). Hmmm, sriracha, that's something I'd actually not heard of; guess I'm off to investigate.	155
ALL4ME2010 2/26/2010 4:33:26 PM	I must admit...I am HORRIBLE in this area. My main seasonings are Lawry's, Garlic, Salt and Pepper. Beyond that....I'm lost!!! I once had a boss give me a really nice set of seasonings for Christmas. I looked at the box and said, "Now what do I do with these?" lol So, any tips and ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks for blogging about this.	154
BONSAIAMAZONE 2/15/2010 8:44:38 AM	I am a big fan of lovage. I grow it myself and freeze it. Makes every broth extra yummy and a must-be with beans or rice!	153
SJSTOMPER 2/14/2010 9:07:30 PM	We use garlic, shallots, fresh herbs (when available), and various types of cooking wines and sea salt (various types). It's been a great learning experience since I've been trying to eat fresh foods.	152
G-MAMICK 2/13/2010 7:41:10 PM	I use low sodium organic chicken broth where I used to use plain water -- making rice dishes, stir fries, lemon chicken. adds a lot of flavour without consequences.	151
SILLYBERRY 2/8/2010 1:26:22 PM	The Spice House in Chicago has really awesome seasoning blends that work well added to just about anything. One of my very favorite things they sell is Vulcan's Fire Salt - it adds awesome heat to food!	150
MADEMOISELLEL 1/13/2010 10:41:06 AM	I always have garlic, onions, lemons and rosemary on hand. Any combination of those four ingrediants make anything taste great!	149
LBEIER01 1/6/2010 3:46:54 PM	I love to add heat to food. I go through a lot of red pepper flakes. Also use italian seasoning mix, lemon pepper, fresh garlic, and fresh basil.	148
CAROLJ35 1/5/2010 8:27:59 PM	Since I am a low sodium cook, I do lots of spicing things up. Herbs, dried and fresh; make my own broth and remove all fat but leave celery, onions, garlic, etc. in it. Even use some red pepper seeds as well as a dash of Tabasco. And I could go on and on!!!	147
MARIABELLA 1/3/2010 11:13:05 AM	I'd add lemon to the list as well as mustards. I go through balsamic vingegar as fast as I drink water, I add it to tomato and alfredo sauces, as well as my chili. People always ask me why my chili and sauces taste so good, I tell them the secret ingredient is balsamic vinegar. Just an FYI Sam's Club sells huge bottles, really inexpensive. (Sorry for name dropping)	146
MARYLYNNE7 1/2/2010 9:46:01 AM	Lots of good ideas! I order spices and herbs from Penzey's - cheaper than the grocery and a million times better, plus spice mixtures you can't find at the store. And every time I order they through in a little something extra for free! So I get samples of herbs I wouldn't have used otherwise. They have soup bases - chicken, turkey, ham, seafood, veggie - that are wonderful and not too salty. A teaspoon of that really seasons things up.	145
WARMSPRINGDAY 1/1/2010 6:51:10 AM	These are some great ideas. I'm a Mrs. Dash lover myself, but this expands my horizons. I use lots of cumin in chile, but may need to break out of my mold and try it in some other dishes. I like cooking with wine, but every time I do, my husband thinks the dish tastes like the food was spoiled - LOL. I really like one posters idea for making vegetable stock and want to utilize it.	144
MERPEARL 12/30/2009 8:48:26 AM	Love the idea of freezing wine as ice cubes for little hits of flavor! I also use a lot of spices. And there is no substitute for fresh basil, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, or sage; granted, it's expensive in the wintertime. Chipotle in adobe sauce is great; and you can use what you need and freeze the rest (keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks). I also make my own vegetable stock, to keep sodium down; when I make salad or veggies (often!), I keep most of what I would throw away; the carrot peelings, centers/seed of pepper, outside lettuce leaves that aren't bad, but not nice enough for salad, ends of broccoli, skins/ends of onions, etc; wash well, and freeze. When you have a bag full, put in a pot with water, add peppercorns and other spices, cook for an hr or so.	143
BIKERMAMA09 12/29/2009 9:19:35 PM	Garlic and Broth are my two favorite...I need to try others	142