Adding Flavor to Low-Fat Meals

There are endless ways to add more variety and flavor to your diet, without using salt or high-fat ingredients.

• Keep plenty of fresh fruit on hand and experiment with adding it to your main dishes. For example, peaches go well with chicken and can be a very flavorful addition to chicken casseroles or roasted poultry. Bananas or raisins add authenticity and flavor to curry dishes with a Caribbean flair.

• Look for fruits and vegetables you haven’t tried before when you go shopping. Often, especially with the more exotic or unusual items, recipes or suggestions about their use will be displayed in the produce department.

• Check out the cookbook section on your next trip to the bookstore or library. Many of the distinctive and inviting flavors we associate with Thai, African, or Caribbean dishes come from the blends of seasonings used in their preparation. If you try one new recipe a week, you’ll soon know what spices to add to a dish to give it the taste of exotic places.

• Marinate meats, poultry, and fish in mixtures of wine, fruit juice, low-sodium tomato juice, vinegar, lemon juice, herbs, and spices before grilling or baking. Soy sauce and teriyaki sauce are high in sodium—use low-sodium varieties and use a smaller quantity. Ginger, dry sherry, and sesame seeds can also add Asian flavor to foods.