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Healthy Catering Options

Health + Catering

When it comes to creating healthy catering options and delicious dishes that keep your customers coming back for more, quality ingredients are key. While most people tend to focus on the protein or main ingredient in a dish, herbs and spices used can be just as important. When buying seasonings, freshness matters, especially when you're looking for healthy and low sodium seasoning options.  We'll explore why freshness is important when buying seasonings kits  and how you can find healthy and low sodium seasoning options.

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Low Sodium Seasonings Benefits

Cooking with Low Sodium Seasonings

t’s almost impossible to eat without salt, but keeping health and wellness in mind, there are several salt substitutes you can use to help control your daily salt intake and still get the flavor you need for your food.  Here is a list of common salt substitutes:

  • MSG: The FDA website explains what MSG is and the background information of the product. There are studies that show how MSG can enhance flavor, contains significantly less sodium than table salt, and is likely safer than diets high in table salt. MSG does however contain gluten, which can be an issue to those with gluten allergies or sensitive stomachs.  Our low sodium seasonings are MSG-free and can be a great option if you are looking to add flavor to your dishes without sodium or MSG.
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Healthy Soul Food Prepared Meals

Healthy Soul Food

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or just Sunday dinner, soul food is often associated with soul warming dishes that are nostalgic and evoke cherished memories. However, traditionalsoul food prepared meals recipes tend to be high in sodium, which can negatively impact our health. With the changes over the years to promote healthier lifestyles, you can learn how to explore and savor the essence of food traditions while maintaining a low sodium intake. Meal prepping is an essential way to consistently get healthy meals withfood low in sodium.You also need to use low sodium seasonings to give your food flavor.

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Health & Wellness


 

Gourmet Herbs and Spices to Add to Your Smoothie!

 

a picture of a tall glass of a mango juice smoothie sitting aside a skewer filled with mango chunks

 

Smoothies are a great way to get your daily vitamin requirements by combining fruits and vegetables and blending them. Fruit and vegetables are important parts of your diet and also have plenty of fiber. This can help bridge the gap between your normal fiber intake and the USDA's suggested fiber intake, lowering your risks of chronic illnesses and increasing your overall health. 

In addition to fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices are great additions to smoothies. Gourmet herbs and spices are a great way to add flavor, color, and fragrance to dishes and smoothies without adding extra fat, sugar, or salt. They also provide powerful antioxidants, and have a range of other health benefits. Herbs, like parsley, sage, rosemary, basil, thyme, and dill, are leaves and can be used fresh or dried. Spices come from the bark, root, or other parts of tropical plants and trees, and are typically used dried or ground. 

Spices in smoothies are great options for quickly including healthy flavor and nutrients to your diet, and many of the ingredients we cover are already included in The Base Blends!. Below is a list of salt-free herbs and spices that are great additions to your smoothie. 

 

What is a good salt substitute to add to smoothies?

Garlic may not sound incredibly appealing as a smoothie ingredient, but a small amount can go a long way toward developing a nutritious health routine. Garlic naturally includes a small amount of sodium, and when combined with ginger, the taste can actually be quite complementary in a green smoothie or citrus and carrot blend.

Garlic has been shown to improve cholesterol levels, and may also help to fight heart disease, which affects 80 percent of individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Even if you aren’t using garlic for diabetes, it’s a great source of vitamin C, and B-6.  Garlic has also been shown to decrease blood pressure, deter growth of cancer cells, and provide antifungal and antibacterial benefits.  

 

a tasteful picture of ginger root and lemon slices on a wooden chopping board

 

 

Healthy Spices and Seasonings for Fruit Smoothies

Ginger

Ginger is packed with plenty of vitamins and nutrients perfect for the body, also adding flavor to your beverage or food. The ginger root has been around for centuries; people used ginger for its tremendous health benefits and unique taste. Many researchers believe the most important chemical compound found in ginger is gingerol, but there are more than 400 chemical compounds in ginger. The communities of the African diaspora, in addition to Rome, China, and Greece, historically tout ginger’s benefits for gastrointestinal issues; especially diarrhea and nausea. 

Basil 

Basil is a popular herb that comes from the mint family; it has shiny, oval-shaped leaves that can be slightly pointed or rounded at the edges. Similar to the other members in the family, which include peppermint, rosemary, lemon balm, and lavender, the leaves have an amazing smell and can be eaten. Basil can be found almost anywhere and it’s easy to grow at home even without a full garden.

Basil comes in many different styles and variations, you have sweet basil, thai basil, cinnamon basil, and others just to name a few. Basil also provides several health benefits, which include supporting liver health, fighting cancer, and reducing blood sugar. You can find low sodium herbs and spices like basil in each Deuce’s Seasonings blend.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that comes from the root of the curcuma longa plant, which is a perennial in the ginger family. Turmeric is most commonly sold in a dried and powdered form, usually in the section of the grocery store with the rest of the spices. With loads of antioxidants, turmeric is said to possess anti-inflammatory qualities, so it's a health standout. 

Parsley

The Mediterranean is known for many different herbs and low sodium spices, but one particular spice that’s unique to the region of Algeria, Tunisia, and southern Italy is Parsley. The green, leafy vegetable is a staple in many Mediterranean dishes and cuisine worldwide, and is included in our Garlic Schmarlic Blend!.

Parsley is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, plenty of nutrients can be found in fresh parsley, which may include calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. It is a good source of vitamin A, C K, and E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, iron, and zinc. Parsley is known to have tremendous health benefits, powerful disease fighting properties, and has been used to treat inflammatory diseases and high blood pressure. 

Mint

The first thing you probably think of when you think of mint is toothpaste or chewing gum. Mint is an extremely popular ingredient that’s used everywhere, including ice cream, smoothies, alcoholic beverages, and salads. Mint comes from the Mentha family, 25 species of fragrant herbs that are found in Eurasia, Africa, North America, and other locations. Mint is a perennial and wide-spreading herb. In addition to its cooking uses, mint has many other uses, from a breath freshener to a nausea killer, so it’s a great herb in smoothies. Each respective mint plant is distinct, and each variety of mint has its own unique flavor, but the two most well-known are spearmint and peppermint.

 

a picture of a vibrant red seasoning being contained by large spoon

 

Spicy Gourmet Seasoning Blends to Use in Smoothies 

Looking to spice things up a bit? Spicy health drinks and blends are popular for antioxidant properties and promoting healthy digestion. However, the taste can be off-putting if the wrong spices are used, so it’s advisable to use gourmet herbs and spices, and add these flavors in moderation. Here are some ingredients for your veggie or fruit drinks that will add some kick to your blends

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper isn’t paprika and it isn’t hot paprika.  It is cayenne pepper; a thin pepper, which is usually red, but sometimes green. The fiery pepper can grow between two and five inches long. Cayenne pepper is usually the main ingredient in healthy cajun seasonings. Cayenne peppers have a lot of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Polyphenols, the antioxidants found in cayenne peppers, have amazing health benefits by protecting your cells from damage. Cayenne pepper also contains vitamins A, C, E, and B6, and minerals such as copper, manganese, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. 

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a popular spice that is used on fruits, vegetables, breakfast food, and more. It comes from the seed of the nutmeg tree. You can purchase nutmeg in different varieties – either whole seed or grounded. When using fresh, whole seed, nutmeg will enhance the flavor and offer an authentic taste. Along with its beautiful smell, nutmeg provides a plethora of health benefits.

Cumin 

Cumin is a popular spice that is used heavily in Indian dishes, which include many variations of curry dishes.  In addition to India, cumin is prominent in Middle Eastern, South and Central America countries, and North African cuisine.

Similar to other spices like turmeric and cayenne pepper, cumin provides several health benefits. Cumin contains antioxidants, can help control blood sugar and high blood pressure, and assists in lowering cholesterol. Cumin is a great spice if you’re looking to curb high blood pressure or trying to control blood sugar levels.  

Allspice

Allspice is made from the dried berries of the Pimenta plant. Allspice can be used on sweet or savory dishes–it is very similar to cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Like a lot of herbs and spices, allspice has several vitamins and minerals that provide health benefits. It is known to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and treat nausea. Allspice is used all over the world; however, it is a main feature in Caribbean and Middle Eastern dishes. Allspice is a great spice you can use in smoothies, which will provide flavor and aroma, similar to cloves or cinnamon.

 

Thanks for checking in and reading our health page!  Keep up with Deuce’s Seasonings for health tips, recipes, and more!