Eating a healthy and balanced diet is essential for maintaining good health, and meal prepping is a convenient way to ensure that you have nutritious and delicious meals ready to go when you need them. Spices can play a significant role in meal prepping, not only adding flavor to your dishes but also providing a host of health benefits.
It isn’t difficult to get started adding spices to your dishes and you can even grind some of your own, which we’ll discuss below. From personal experience, part of the deal with spices is actually learning about which ones exist and how to use them.
The good news? It isn’t that hard to find spices that improve the taste of your food dishes and to add them to your foods. That’s what we’ll discuss below.
Tips for incorporating spices into your meal prepping routine
- Experiment with different spices: Spices come in a wide range of flavors and aromas, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different spices to find the ones that you love. Some popular spices to try include turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and ginger.
- Use spices to enhance flavor: Spices can add depth and complexity to your dishes, making them more interesting and flavorful. Use spices to enhance the natural flavors of your ingredients, or to create bold, aromatic blends that will have your taste buds singing.
- Add spices to your marinades: Marinating your meats and vegetables in a blend of spices and herbs to infuse them with flavor. Spices such as cumin, chili powder, and paprika are great choices for marinades, and they will help to tenderize your meats while adding a bold flavor.
- Incorporate spices into your side dishes: Spices can be used to add flavor to your side dishes, such as roasted vegetables or rice. Try using turmeric and cumin in your roasted veggies, or add cinnamon and nutmeg to your rice.
- Add them to drinks and foods: You can sprinkle powdered cinnamon on coffee and on oatmeal, too. Add sliced ginger to tea. You can add powdered cumin and turmeric to salads. Want to bump up the taste of a boiled egg rather than just adding salt? Sprinkle some cumin, curry powder and/or freshly ground black pepper.
- Use spices to add health benefits: Spices are not only delicious but also nutritious. Many spices have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, which can help to boost your health. For example, turmeric is a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, while cinnamon has been shown to have blood sugar-lowering properties.
- Grind your own: There are some spices that are better bought already ground in powder form. But there are also spices that are best consumed freshly ground, by you at home. You can save money on grinding your own spices and get a sense of satisfaction out of it too. Plus some spices like peppercorns simply taste better freshly ground.
Click here to learn about electric vs manual spice grinders to get started.
Final thoughts
Incorporating spices into your meal prepping routine is an easy and effective way to add flavor and health benefits to your meals. So why not experiment with different spices and see what you can create?
Getting started with spices is relatively easy and you can start small by sprinkling them on various foods and drinks. Cinnamon is a healthy alternative on coffee instead of a sweetener for example.
Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just starting out, spices are a versatile ingredient that can help you to achieve a nutritious and delicious diet.