Healthy Seasoning Substitutions From A-L

Herbs and Spices Add Flavor and Most Have Comparable Exchanges

Feb 15, 2009

Add flavor without salt by using herbs and spices. In recipes, unusual ones often have an equivalent item you have on hand.

It is common knowledge today that most everyone should reduce sodium intake for our health. By making many dishes at home, you avoid the chemicals, sodium and fat in such foods as dry mixes and salad dressings. See Tips on Making your Own Healthy Foods Easily.

Use recipes as a starting point for homemade dishes. You may vary the seasoning in any number of delicious ways to suit your taste. Experiment to see which herbs and spices are your family’s favorites as everyone’s palate is different. The following list includes some of the unusual seasonings that might be called for in a recipe. Unless indicated otherwise, these are ground and would be equally substituted.

Substitutions

Allspice – ¼ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp cloves or ¼ tsp nutmeg can be used for baking purposes.

Caraway seed may be exchanged with cumin seed. Caraway seed is usually called for with such food as cabbage. You probably wouldn’t need this if you don’t cook that a lot.

Cardamom’s flavor is sweet so comparable alternatives would be cinnamon or mace.

Coriander has a pleasing somewhat pungent lemon taste and is used in curry powder. Although it could enhance a lemon-flavored dish, use caution so it is not overpowering. The leaf of its plant is cilantro and this could be a replacement in fresh form.

Cumin adds a smoky flavor without a lot of heat or can be replaced with 1/3 amount of anise plus 2/3 caraway or fennel seed. Cumin is a good basic spice to have on hand.

Dill seed is somewhat pungent with caraway or celery seed making good substitutes. You might want to have at least one of these on hand. All of them wouldn’t be necessary if you didn’t want to stock too many seasonings.

Garlic powder (1/8 tsp) could be used instead of 1 fresh clove. If your family likes garlic, both forms would be good additions to your supply. Garlic can be used to flavor many dishes and it is very healthy for everyone.

Start Experimenting with Flavors

By making your own food at home, it can be seasoned to your family’s taste, plus you will be getting more nutrients in the process. Research is also finding more and more that herbs and spices have medicinal benefits. See the following articles for more information.

The copyright of the article Healthy Seasoning Substitutions From A-L in Heart Healthy Cooking is owned by Peggy Williams. Permission to republish Healthy Seasoning Substitutions From A-L in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.