The Easy Tip on How to Make Food Taste Better

Make food taste better with this surprisingly easy secret tip. An over-the-top flavor explosion is the best way to increase flavor while remaining on a healthy lifestyle. It fits most diets and food plans and is simple to do. What is the secret? My secret is called stacking and swapping flavors.

The Secret Tip on How to Make Food Taste Better

You can have a flavor explosion every time you take a bite when you learn the secret of stacking flavors, which really means to layer and combine herbs, spices, citrus, oils, and foods in a way that increases deliciousness at every opportunity. I learned about stacking flavors when changing up my own diet and food plan after I was diagnosed with severe spinal osteoarthritis.

We are often given a “food prescription” to treat an inflammatory condition like diabetes or heart disease. Many doctors commonly prescribe the Mediterranean Diet or an Anti-inflammatory Food Plan, for example. The list of dairy-free, grain-free, or sugar-free items seems to limit. Sometimes we feel frustrated at the blandness of the pre-scripted foods. Steamed broccoli or grilled chicken can have high nutrition, but low flavor value. Yet these foods are full of nutrition and flavor, particularly if they are fresh. The answer is STACKING FLAVORS. These foods can have a big impact if we simply prepare them properly.

How to Stack Flavors or Swap Flavors in Recipes

Stacking and swapping flavors means combining herbs and spices into your own spice seasonings. Then layer these zesty tastes throughout your recipes while cooking. I have a preferred seasoning mix to vegetable ratio formula. For every pound of vegetables in a dish, add one to two tablespoons of an herb or spice. If you like more – ADD MORE! If you prefer less – ADD LESS! This is your opportunity to make your food taste the best it can for your personal eating pleasure.

Let’s say you love riced cauliflower flavored with Italian Seasoning as much as I do. But you crave variety and want to kick it up a notch. Simply replace your Italian Seasoning blend with the same quantity of Taco Seasoning or Curry Seasoning for an exciting blast of flavor. Swapping flavors can add an immense level of variety to the same old dishes you’ve been preparing for years. It can encourage you and your family to consume more vegetables and healthier foods.

How to Make Your Own Herb and Spice Seasoning Mixes

Expand your flavor palate by layering more flavors. A simple way to do this is to make your own seasoning mixes. These mixes combine your favorite herbs and spices into a delicious foundation for the food you are preparing.

Creating your own seasoning combinations in your home kitchen is super easy. You will need air-tight containers to store the seasonings and a funnel. Begin layering flavors in small jars. Add individual dried spices, herbs, or citrus zest to combine together for recipes. 

How Long Can You Store Herbs and Spices in Your Cabinet?

Organic herbs and spices have less harmful chemical content. Because organic products have fewer preservatives, they are fresher. Products that are fresh, taste better. Store all your herbs and spices in a cool dark cabinet. Herbs and spices, if exposed to air, sunlight, moisture, or hot temperatures, are likely to lose potency more quickly. If the taste has ebbed due to aging, simply add more of the herbs and spices to your dishes to increase the flavor.

• Whole Spice – Most spices when stored whole will stay fresh for nearly four years.
• Crushed Spice – Ground or crushed spices will stay fresh for three years.
• Dried Herbs – Dried leafy herbs can last between one to three years, but are best under a year.
• Citrus Zest – Fresh zest can be refrigerated if covered tightly for a week or so. Zest can be dried and used for up to three years. Learn more about zesting and see a zest-filled recipe.

Homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Mix Recipe

Below is an astoundingly good recipe for Jamaican Jerk Seasoning which is full of Caribbean flavor. Mixing it is easy – measure all the spices into a small bowl or cup, then funnel them into an air-tight container (see photo). Shake well to mix the ingredient, then store in a cool, dry, place in order to preserve flavors.

Ingredients –

• 2 T onion powder
• Salt – 1 T
• Thyme – 1 T
• Ground allspice – 1 t
• Cinnamon – 1 1/2 t
• Cayenne powder – 1/2 t
• Ginger – 1/2 t

Instructions –

1. Combine all the seasonings, mixing well (or grinding with a mortar and pestle)
2. Place in an air tight jar
3. Store in a cool, dry location.

Baked Chicken Flavor Swap Recipe to Make Food Taste Better

Ingredients –

• Pound of chicken pieces (skin on or off)
• 1 T vegetable or olive oil
• 2 T Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Mix (or Flavor Swap another seasoning mix)

Instructions –

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Drizzle oil into a 9×13 inch baking dish
3. Rub chicken pieces with the Seasoning Mix (this time Jamaican Jerk, next time another favorite), cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours
4. Place the marinated chicken pieces skin-side up into the baking dish
5. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes (checking regularly) until registering 165 degrees on a meat thermometer

List of Sugar-Free and Soy-Free Condiments to Increase Food Flavor

Ketchup can help raise the flavor profile of a protein. Yet it has one teaspoon of sugar for every one tablespoon of ketchup. High-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, soy, and artificial colors and flavors might also be in that bottle.

Preparing food with sugar-free or soy-free condiments will help you enjoy the flavor of the real food you are consuming. Eating less sugar is an important choice when trying to eat healthier food. Reducing sugar also reduces inflammation.  Many condiments on the market, including barbecue sauce and salad dressings, contain sugar. Below is a general list of sugar-free and soy-free condiments. Be sure to read the back of the package to confirm there are no soy or sugar ingredients.

List of Sugar-Free and Soy-Free Condiments

• Avocado oil mayonnaise
• Barbecue Sauce (marked unsweetened)
• Citrus juice
• Coconut Aminos (soy sauce alternative)
• Guacamole
• Hot sauce
• Hummus
• Italian Vinaigrette dressing
• Ketchup (marked unsweetened)
• Mustard
• Nut butters
• Olive oil
• Pickled ginger
• Salsa
• Sesame oil
• Tahini
• Vinegar

5 More Smart Tips on How to Make Food Taste Better

1. Let meat rest 10 minutes per pound –
   After preparing meats or poultry, we are excited to dive in and chow down. Yet, waiting about 10 minutes per pound before cutting into the meat or poultry improves moisture levels. By letting the meat rest, the juices remain in the meat instead of drizzling out onto the cutting board.
2. Increase healthy fats – Fat is often the flavor in a dish. Use the olive oil. Eat the avocado. Healthy fats add flavor and richness to a recipe, thereby increasing flavor.
3. Add citrus to increase acidity – Adding a citrus to your poultry, salad dressing, or vegetables, adds a layer of interesting flavor. Whether it be in the form of citrus zest or a bit of juice, citrus can make a big flavor splash on your plate.
4. Season vegetables and meat before cooking – Unseasoned meats taste bland and dry. Salting meat, for instance, can extract excess moisture, denature proteins, and lead to a juicier bite. Preseason before cooking.
5. Grind pepper and salt – Pepper’s flavor can be enhanced by grinding; it releases the oils. Grinding salt does not release oils, but it does enable control over the size of the salt crystals.

The increasing flavor when you are cooking can really make food taste better. When your food tastes delicious, you want to eat it. Which makes the answer to encouraging your family to eat a healthy food plan as simple as adding flavor to your recipes.