ADD THESE 5 THINGS TO MAKE HEALTHY MEALS YOU’LL WANT TO EAT AGAIN

We know we should eat more minimally-processed, home-cooked foods, and less packaged and restaurant foods. But knowing what we should eat, and how to shift our habits, tastes, and lifestyles to do so, are two different things. Focusing on adding five additions to every dish will make your food taste delicious without adding a ton of unhealthy ingredients, and make recipe planning, cooking and enjoying nutrient-dense meals easy. Each of these will boost the flavor and add depth and balance to your foods.

1. Salt

This may seem counter to what everyone says about eating a healthy diet, but when your palate is conditioned to eating intensely-salty packaged and restaurant foods, eating bland vegetables at home with a sprinkle of table salt will have you searching for a takeout menu. Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, as well as an essential nutrient for the biochemical functioning of your body. The problem of high sodium is a result of packaged and restaurant foods, which account for 70 percent of the sodium in the average American diet. When you cook at home, season your food well with mineral-rich sea salt. Water for blanching vegetables or boiling pasta should be as salty as seawater. Every time you add a main ingredient, sprinkle from high up to season all the food evenly. Taste along the way and add more until it tastes good to you. As you transition to eating more whole-food, home-cooked meals, your palate will require less salt, but the idea is to make it taste good enough to choose healthier options over restaurants or packaged stuff.

2. Acid

Lemon and other citrus fruits add huge flavor and a clean, bright finish to dishes. Even better, they add almost no calories, help alkalize your food and add a shot of vitamin C if squeezed in at the end of cooking (vitamin C is degraded by heat). You can also use various types of vinegars, cultured dairy like sour cream or yogurt, brined or fermented foods, wine, tomatoes, or other sour fruits to add a fresh boost of flavor. At the end of cooking, add acid to enhance the flavor, then taste before adding salt.

3. Sugar 

Packaged foods, even those that aren’t supposed to be sweet, are loaded with sweeteners usually masked by names like fructose, sucrose, glucose, sorbitol, mannitol, corn syrup, dextrose and on and on. Unsweetened food can leave you feeling like something is missing and craving an ultra-sweet dessert. To stave off cravings and make your food taste more rounded, add maple syrup to salad dressing or honey to marinades. Adding fruit or roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets or carrots to a meal are great ways to add a little sweetness. 

4. Bitter

Bitters aren’t just for cocktails. Bitter flavors have been largely pushed out of the Western diet, but they’re crucial for proper digestion. When you taste something bitter, taste receptors send signals to rev up your gastrointestinal system. Saliva and stomach secretions increase, your liver and pancreas pump out enzymes and bile salts that break down food and help absorb fats, and your intestines start moving food through. Add a salad with dark greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale or brussels sprouts or bitter vegetables like artichokes, eggplants or asparagus to every meal to boost your bitter intake. You’ll start to crave the missing bitter flavor.

5. Umami 

If your dish includes meat, your umami kick is easily covered with a well-seasoned and browned protein, but vegetarian dishes benefit from the deep richness of umami, which can be provided meat-free. Sauteing a little onion or shallot until lightly browned will add depth to any dish. Then add tomato paste, mushrooms or fermented products such as miso that are full of umami flavor. Add some broth for more depth and to make a sauce. A good sauce makes any meal delicious, and adding hearty, rich depth of flavor with umami is the way to make it good. 

When planning what meals to cook, think, what can I add that will be salty, sweet, acidic, bitter and umami? Develop lists of your favorite ingredients in each category, and make sure you always have them in your kitchen. This way, you’ll always be ready to cook flavorful, healthy meals at home.