1-page Guide to
1-page Guide to
FLAVOR
Making healthier food choices is a big step toward feeling better and meeting your health goals. But cooking satisfying meals with whole foods can be a challenge. How can you add flavor without drowning your dish in sugar, salt, and fat? Learn how to turn a boring plate into something tasty with herbs, spices, and more.
STOCK YOUR PANTRY You can’t try new flavors unless you stock up on ingredients you don’t normally use. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Honorable Mentions While not official tastes, growing research suggests these elements also contribute to enjoyment and flavor.
The five tastes The most delicious foods contain a balance of different types of flavors. To up the appeal of your dish, use ingredients from each category of taste and make sure no one overpowers the rest. Sample a few bites as you cook and adjust the seasoning as needed. Over time your taste buds will adjust to enjoy meals that contain less sweet and salty flavors. Bitter: celery, coffee, cocoa, olives, herbs and spices, greens like arugula, kale, radicchio, and romaine lettuce Salty: cheese, meat, olives, sea vegetables, seafood, low-sodium soy sauce
Herbs: basil, bay leaf, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
Sour / Acid: citrus, tomato, vinegar, wine, yogurt, fermented foods like pickles and sauerkraut, fruits like grapes and apples
Spices: caraway, chili powder, cinnamon, clove, cumin, curry powder, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, paprika, turmeric
Sweet: beet, bell pepper, carrot, coconut milk, corn, fennel, fruit, milk, peas, onion, squash, sweet potato, tomato
And more: broth, citrus, garlic, low-sodium soy sauce, mustard, miso, onion, sesame seed, vinegar, wine
Umami / Savory: beans, broth, cheese, fish sauce, lentils, meat, mushroom, nuts, seafood, tofu, tomato, fermented foods like low-sodium soy sauce and miso
Fat: avocado, butter, coconut, fatty fish, nuts, oils, olives, seeds Pungent / Spicy: cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, ground pepper, hot chili pepper, mustard, onion, radish
Get Inspired To prepare a meal inspired by a cuisine, start with a few of its classic ingredients. Chinese: garlic, ginger, green onion, low-sodium soy sauce, mushroom, rice vinegar, sesame, star anise, rice wine French: bay leaf, carrot, cheese, eggs, garlic, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme Greek: dill, feta cheese, garlic, lemon, mint, olives, oregano, wine, yogurt Indian: chilies, coconut, coriander, curry, garam masala, garlic, ginger, lentils, mustard seed, nutmeg, turmeric Latin American: avocado, bell pepper, black beans, chillies, corn, cumin, lime Middle Eastern: caraway, cinnamon, clove, cumin, hummus, mint, nutmeg, parsley, tahini, turmeric, yogurt
FLAVOR
Making healthier food choices is a big step toward feeling better and meeting your health goals. But cooking satisfying meals with whole foods can be a challenge. How can you add flavor without drowning your dish in sugar, salt, and fat? Learn how to turn a boring plate into something tasty with herbs, spices, and more.
STOCK YOUR PANTRY You can’t try new flavors unless you stock up on ingredients you don’t normally use. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Honorable Mentions While not official tastes, growing research suggests these elements also contribute to enjoyment and flavor.
The five tastes The most delicious foods contain a balance of different types of flavors. To up the appeal of your dish, use ingredients from each category of taste and make sure no one overpowers the rest. Sample a few bites as you cook and adjust the seasoning as needed. Over time your taste buds will adjust to enjoy meals that contain less sweet and salty flavors. Bitter: celery, coffee, cocoa, olives, herbs and spices, greens like arugula, kale, radicchio, and romaine lettuce Salty: cheese, meat, olives, sea vegetables, seafood, low-sodium soy sauce
Herbs: basil, bay leaf, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
Sour / Acid: citrus, tomato, vinegar, wine, yogurt, fermented foods like pickles and sauerkraut, fruits like grapes and apples
Spices: caraway, chili powder, cinnamon, clove, cumin, curry powder, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, paprika, turmeric
Sweet: beet, bell pepper, carrot, coconut milk, corn, fennel, fruit, milk, peas, onion, squash, sweet potato, tomato
And more: broth, citrus, garlic, low-sodium soy sauce, mustard, miso, onion, sesame seed, vinegar, wine
Umami / Savory: beans, broth, cheese, fish sauce, lentils, meat, mushroom, nuts, seafood, tofu, tomato, fermented foods like low-sodium soy sauce and miso
Fat: avocado, butter, coconut, fatty fish, nuts, oils, olives, seeds Pungent / Spicy: cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, ground pepper, hot chili pepper, mustard, onion, radish
Get Inspired To prepare a meal inspired by a cuisine, start with a few of its classic ingredients. Chinese: garlic, ginger, green onion, low-sodium soy sauce, mushroom, rice vinegar, sesame, star anise, rice wine French: bay leaf, carrot, cheese, eggs, garlic, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme Greek: dill, feta cheese, garlic, lemon, mint, olives, oregano, wine, yogurt Indian: chilies, coconut, coriander, curry, garam masala, garlic, ginger, lentils, mustard seed, nutmeg, turmeric Latin American: avocado, bell pepper, black beans, chillies, corn, cumin, lime Middle Eastern: caraway, cinnamon, clove, cumin, hummus, mint, nutmeg, parsley, tahini, turmeric, yogurt
