My Guyanese grandma really knew how to throw down in the kitchen. When I walked through her front door the aroma would pull me straight in and before I knew it I had devoured a plate full of flavorful guyanese food. She used a cocktail of herbs and spices to inject vibrancy into her meals, and I’m on a journey to re-discover them as I begin to make more healthy choices in the way I prepare my food.
I’m constantly working on my cooking skills, but it has been hard due to the amount that I travel and sometimes having no access to a kitchen. However when I do, the one thing I try to implement is less salt in my diet. I LOVE salty food, so this has been a real challenge for me. I would load salt into all of my dishes but I’ve made it a focus to seriously cut back, and even eradicate it entirely from my diet.
Excess salt leads to a myriad of problems including high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease. Salt triggers the “pleasure centre” of the brain much like sugar and is as addictive as nicotine and alcohol. Companies want us to buy their products so many use excessive amounts of salt to lure us in. The same goes for many restaurants out there as our taste buds now overly crave salt, it becomes a vicious cycle.
Studies show that we now typically consume double the amount of salt we need per day. By cutting down our salt intake we can reduce our risk of illness. Another plus is that we can naturally lose weight as our bodies stop retaining excess water once our salt consumption is lowered.
I believe that seasoning with herbs is a more tasty and healthy way to eat and research has proven the healing properties within herbs.
Here is a list of herbs and spices to use as a replacement for salt. Remember experimenting is key to making these amazing herbs suit your taste!
Use these herbs and spices alone or in a combination:
For Salads:
Garlic powder, Basil, Celery seed, Cinnamon, Dill weed, Dill seed, Garlic, Garlic powder, Ginger, Majoram, Onion powder, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.
For soups:
All Spice, Anise, Bay leaf, Clove, Dill Weed, Dill seed, Garlic, Garlic powder, Ginger, Lemon Grass, Majoram, Onion powder, Oregano, Saffron, Sage, Tamarind.
For Vegetables:
Anise, Annatto seeds, Basil, Celery seed, Chili powder, cinnamon, Clove, Curry powder, Dill weed, Dill seed, Garlic, Garlic powder, ginger, Majoram, Nutmeg, Paprika, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.
To Season soy meat i.e Tempeh, Quorn, Gardein:
All spice, Anise, Annatto seeds, Bay leaf, Basil, Cayenne pepper, Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic, Garlic powder, Ginger, Nutmeg, Paprika, Parsley, Sage.
I also like to mix a combination of my favorite spices with a tiny amount of Himalayan salt into a shaker and use it as a healthy alternative to regular table salt. Please feel free to share any combinations that you love to use!