Steamed broccoli and plain chicken breast are not on the menu here. You can absolutely make a healthy choice without sacrificing flavor. Here are some simple tips and tricks to liven up your veggie-loaded plate!
1. Use Spices
Get cozy with your spice cabinet! You can punch a lot of flavor and dimension to any savory dish without overdoing the salt and butter by simply adding a heavy teaspoon of herbs and spices.
Here are some crowd favorites:
- Smoked paprika and garlic powder on almost anything savory. Seriously.
- Rosemary is delightful for roasting.
- Cumin, coriander, paprika, oregano, garlic are perfect for any taco night dish.
Experiment with different spices to learn what you do and don’t like. You will also be adding anti-inflammatory properties to every dish.
2. ROAST.
The simplest and easiest way to elevate any veggie. Toss broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts…(any undesired vegetable) and roast them on a sheet pan with garlic powder and avocado oil for 30 minutes at 375. You now have a delicious caramelized version of your once unloved veggie. Try this tonight!
3. Get Saucy
Dunk anything bland and boring into a delicious creamy sauce and go from 0-10 in flavor.
Some of our favorite savory sauces are dairy free and made with whole food ingredients:
We love to mix freshly squeezed lemon, tahini, garlic powder snd unrefined sea salt as a sauce to drizzle on a burger patty, chicken, even as a salad dressing!
Hummus is a wonderful spread delicious on a quesadilla, as a dip for celery, carrots, and cherry tomatoes.
Pesto. Pretty much the greatest way to sneak nutrients into a finger-licking sauce. Pesto tastes great on pizza, pasta, poultry, sandwiches!
Try this delicious Kale Pesto recipe (win-win having nutrient-dense herbs along with some superfood Kale!)
Dijon mustArd plain or mixed with a little bit of Mayo is a delicious dipping sauce for chicken.
4. Cook in broth, not water.
This simple swap helps your protein or vegetables absorb the flavor from the broth. Chicken, beef, or vegetable broth all taste great for this tip. For bonus health points use bone broth!
5. Hello Coconut aminos, nice to meet you.
This one gets its own category. The best soy sauce replacement. It comes from fermented coconut sap. Full of a milder, slightly sweeter flavor than soy sauce, without any coconut taste! Add this to any savory dish, and it immediately packs so much flavor free of soy, gluten, or dairy.
It is also very low in sodium compared to its counterpart: soy sauce.
Pro tip: marinate steak, chicken breasts, or tofu in coconut aminos with a little honey and some of those antioxidant-rich spices, and it will make your protein simply delightful!
Coconut aminos is your new best friend and needs to be a pantry staple in any healthy kitchen!
Stop thinking “healthy” equals “boring.”
The more you eat Whole Foods and step away from processed foods full of sugar, inflammatory oils, and preservatives, the more your body will crave real food. You can train your palate to love good wholesome food.
We are not about depriving ourselves of flavor in our dishes!
So try out a fun spice or three, roast those veggies and whip up one of our favorite sauces!
Happy cooking!
