Spice up your meal

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Spice up your meal
Mon, 02-04-2008 - 8:33am
Spice up your meal

Herbs and spices can help boost your weight-loss efforts. Eating one tablespoon of cinnamon each day has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, a compound that has a small stimulating effect on metabolic rate.


Although it's questionable whether these actually burn enough calories to make a difference, adding a variety of herbs and spices to your diet can enhance the flavor of low-calorie foods, like chicken, fish and vegetables, providing a flavor intensity to keep you satisfied. Here are some ways to add more herbs and spices to your diet.


1. Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon (mixed with a low-calorie sweetener) on a sliced raw apple, and microwave for a minute or two; you'll have the taste of apple pie without the extra calories.


2. Add your hot pepper sauce of choice to some steamed green vegetables for an intensified taste.


3. Sautee chopped garlic. Buy it prepared and water-packed in convenient jars if you like, and put over sliced tomatoes, or add to a mix of vegetables, like carrots, onions, and green beans. Roast them all in a 400-degree oven for twenty minutes.


4. Add fresh basil and oregano to any tomato-based sauces.


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