Herb and Spices

By Nicole Thomson

I am the type of person who sees food primarily as energy. I can just eat a piece of bread and head out the door. However, I noticed my days were better when I ate meals with a variety of foods and foods that satisfied my taste buds. I realized I craved flavor. By discovering this, I began to brainstorm ways to add flavor to my meals without having to spend hours in the kitchen making a 5-star dish. My solution? Herbs and spices, baby!

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, food is one of the foundational necessities for human function. Now, to break that down further from a nutrition standpoint, it is important to consume foods that are healthy for us AND satisfy our taste buds at the same time. Some people have the perception that healthy eating equates to a diet that is not going to taste good. But, I beg to differ! Healthy eating does not mean you can’t have a chocolate chip cookie occasionally; nor does it entail that every meal has to be plain grilled chicken breast, rice, and broccoli. Meals like that can get boring fast and it can be easy to fall into that pattern. A great way to combat this and keep you satisfied with meals is to experiment with herbs and spices!

What is an herb?

An herb derives from the leafy part of a plant.

What is a spice?

Spices also derive from a plant but, they are the seed, fruit, bark, or other part of the plant beside the leaf.

Herbs and Spices

Both herbs and spices provide flavor and aroma to a dish rather than substance like a vegetable. These fella’s are also loaded with vitamins which, will keep you feeling good and support your immune system! Now, I know cooking can be a little intimidating at times. I know it can get overwhelming with figuring out how to incorporate spices and herbs in meals too. My suggestion is to start by picking 1-2 at a time. Get familiar with their taste first and begin to experiment! For example, if you like chicken, rosemary might be a good option for you to start with since rosemary pairs well with chicken. If you like spicy foods, try sprinkling cayenne pepper on an omelette!

As an easy and gradual introduction to herbs and spices, I wanted to share with you all one of my favorite breakfast go-to. It is an egg omelette with fresh basil, feta cheese, and vegetables. It has 215kcal, 7g of carbohydrates, 29g of protein, and 40g of fat.  In addition, add a piece of toast on the side to have something with a crunch and slightly more carbohydrates in the morning! Together, this makes for a breakfast that will provide a good source of energy to start the day. The protein and fat will help keep you stay satiated and the flavor will keep you satisfied!

Feta cheese and fresh basil omelette

Foundational ingredients:

3 eggs

1.5 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves (chopped)

1 tablespoon of olive or avocado oil

2 oz of feta cheese (crumbled)

½ cup of sautéed spinach

¼ cup of diced tomatoes (patted dry)

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

Optional:

Substitute the feta cheese with parmesan cheese

Sautéed onions

Sautéed mushrooms

Crushed red pepper flakes

Sliced ham

Bacon bits

Directions:

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork until yolk is evenly distributed in egg whites.

Add the fresh chopped basil leaves, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix briefly.

Heat the oil in a small pan (medium-low heat) and evenly disperse.

Pour in the egg mixture into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes.

-          The trick to this is making sure that the egg mixture is evenly spread in a pan and is not too thin!

At the start of the egg mixture becoming more firm, evenly disperse sautéed spinach, diced tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese on top of the egg mixture.

Let it cook for 2 minutes and with a flat spatula, fold the omelette over.