Good food can be easy to prepare. The key is finding healthy ways to creatively add flavour to your food—so you don’t get tired of eating the same foods over and over again.
Garlic and onion are staples for adding flavour to food in many cultures, without adding salt or fat.
Others you can try:
Dry spices (curry, cumin, turmeric, oregano)
Fresh spices (ginger)
Fresh herbs (cilantro, Italian parsley, basil, dill)
Juices (lemon juice, lime, orange juice)
Chili flakes
Pepper
You can add dry spices such as curry to soups and fresh herbs to salads or other dishes.
Heart healthy oils, such as canola and olive, are great choices for cooking. Try adding other flavourful oils such as the sesame oil used in this soy ginger salmon recipe.
The ginger and green onions used here can also give a dish a wonderful South Asian flavour as you find in the recipe below. Enjoy!
— Registered dietitian Andrea Kroeker
___________________________________________________________________
Soy Ginger Salmon Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 lbs salmon fillets
Marinade:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic crushed
1.5 tbsp grated ginger
Dash of pepper
Directions:
Whisk together all marinade ingredients and pour into a large freezer bag. Add salmon fillets. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 F. Arrange salmon fillets in a large baking dish, skin side down, and pour over marinade. Bake time depends on salmon fillet thickness—about 10 minutes per inch or until the salmon flakes with a fork. Remove the dish from the oven and garnish with green onions. Serve with brown rice and sautéed or steamed vegetables for a complete, balanced meal.
Tip: Try this recipe on the barbeque in summer as well!
— Recipe by Calgary Foothills PCN registered dietitians Kari Derbyshire and Andrea Kroeker
Find out about booking a group appointment with one of our registered dietitians or speak to your doctor about accessing a one-on-one appointment with a registered dietitian in our network.
