Spices of Life

2026
Written By Tracie Rose

Heart-healthy eating doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor. Using herbs and spices is a simple way to make meals tasty without extra sodium or unnecessary ingredients. Discover how you can enjoy delicious, nutritious food while staying true to your health goals.

Important Education Takeaways

Reep the health benefits of herbs & spices. Regularly including a variety of herbs and spices in your eating plan may help to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes as these tasty add-ins also possess a number of beneficial phytonutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds.

  • Cinnamon: Aids in blood sugar control, improves blood lipid levels

  • Turmeric: May help reduce cancer cell growth, fights inflammation

  • Rosemary, Sage: May reduce cancer and heart disease risk

  • Garlic: May reduce risk of cancer and heart disease

  • Paprika, Cayenne, Red chili pepper: Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects

  • Ginger: Helps with upset stomach, relieves pain and swelling, hinders blood clotting

  • Oregano: Antioxidant activity

  • Vanilla: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, may help lower cholesterol

Add flavor without the guilt. Fresh and dried herbs and spices can enhance the taste of almost any meal. They can offer savory, spicy, sweet, sour, and fresh flavors to your dishes, without the added salt, sugar, or fat.

Fill your spice cabinet with seasoning classics such as:

  • Basil

    • Used in Asian, Mediterranean, and Italian cuisines

    • Has a fresh, sweet, peppery flavor

    • Goes great with tomatoes, soft cheeses, poultry, eggs, veggies

    • Pairs well with mint, parsley, cilantro, lemongrass, oregano

  • Cilantro

    • Used in Asian, Mexican, and South American cuisines

    • Has a fresh, citrusy, peppery flavor

    • Goes great with avocados, chilies, tomatoes, seafood, citrus

    • Pairs well with lemongrass, parsley, basil, mint

  • Dill

    • Used in Scandinavian and Greek cuisine

    • Has a bright, fresh, tangy flavor

    • Goes great with soft cheeses, seafood, potatoes, cucumbers, chicken, salads, yogurt, tomatoes

    • Pairs well with onion, garlic, lemon

  • Thyme

    • Used in Mediterranean, French, Middle Eastern, and Creole cuisines

    • Has a savory, earthy, floral flavor

    • Goes great with chicken, veal, pork, green veggies, marinades, soups, stews

    • Pairs well with rosemary, parsley, sage, marjoram

  • Oregano

    • Used in Mediterranean, Italian, and Latin cuisines

    • Has a strong, warm, slightly bitter flavor

    • Goes great with chicken, fish, lamb, pork, mushrooms, zucchini

    • Pairs well with basil, bay leaf, cilantro, thyme, chili powder

  • Rosemary

    • Used in Mediterranean, Italian, Greek, and French cuisines

    • Has a woody, earthy flavor

    • Goes great with meats, poultry, seafood, soups, stews, grains, potatoes, mushrooms, onions

    • Pairs well with oregano, basil, sage, thyme, cumin, star anise, garlic, mint

  • Cumin

    • Used in Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, and African cuisine

    • Has a smoky, earthy flavor

    • Goes with meats, poultry, beans, lentils, soups, curries, marinades, rubs

    • Pairs well with garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, oregano

  • Paprika

    • Used in Mexican, Indian, and Cajun cuisine

    • Has a sweet, warm flavor

    • Goes with meats, poultry, seafood, bell peppers, cauliflower, potatoes, rice, soups, marinates

    • Pairs well with chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, garlic

  • Cinnamon

    • Used in American, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Mexican cuisines

    • Has a sweet-spicy, warm, woody flavor

    • Goes with apples, pears, root vegetables, squash, chicken, lamb

    • Pairs well with ginger, cardamom, coriander, allspice, cloves, nutmeg

  • Ginger

    • Used in African, Thai, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines

    • Has a sweet, warm, spicy flavor

    • Goes well with citrus, root vegetables, meats, fish, tofu, curries, marinates, stir fries

    • Pairs well with garlic, curry, cinnamon, nutmeg, mint, coconut

  • Turmeric

    • Used in African, Thai, and Indian cuisine

    • Has a peppery, bitter, earthy flavor

    • Goes well with beans, lentils, chicken, fish, rice

    • Pairs well with cardamom, garlic, black pepper

Kitchen how to. Practice makes perfect when it comes to cooking with herbs and spices. Try adding new and different varieties to your foods as you get more comfortable with their flavor profiles and your taste preferences.

  • Fresh Herbs and Spices

    • Add hardier varieties during last 20 minutes of cooking

    • Add more delicate varieties towards the end of cooking or just before serving

    • Use in a 3:1 ratio of fresh to dried

    • Store wrapped in a dry paper towel in an open bag or place cut stems in a jar of water and cover loosely with a bag in the fridge

    • Keep for 1-7 days

  • Dried Herbs and Spices:

    • Add towards the beginning of cooking to allow the flavors to “bloom”

    • Use in recipes with longer cooking times

    • Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place

    • Keep for 6 months to 1-3 years

Find your favorite flavor combinations.Create your own seasoning blends, marinades, and sauces for the most quality ingredients and personalized flavor experience.

Experiment with different herbs and spices, new flavor combinations, and innovative food pairings. Use herbs and spices with meats, poultry, seafood, legumes, grains, veggies, and fruits or in rubs, marinades, sauces, dressings, and dips. Herbs and spices can be enjoyed in snacks, desserts, and beverages too!

Common spice blends:

  • Taco seasoning: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano

  • Italian seasoning:Dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder

  • Everything bagel seasoning: Black and white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion

  • Pumpkin spice: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg allspice, ground clove

  • Bouillon: Garlic powder, oregano, rosemary, basil, red pepper, onion powder, paprika, celery seed

  • Cajun seasoning: Smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, white pepper, oregano, thyme

  • Chinese five-spice: Star anise, clove, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper or white pepper, fennel seeds

  • Curry: Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cayenne pepper

  • Garam Masala: Cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg

Easy sauces, marinades, & dips:

Recipes

  • Recipe of the month: Savory Seafood Boil

    • As always, this recipe is the showcase of our live taught, virtual cooking class. Our chef and registered dietitian bring the recipe to life as they walk you through food prep, swaps to meet dietary or taste preferences, plus tips and tools to support you being your own healthy chef at home.

  • Bonus recipe: Spice Blends

    • From Jamie’s kitchen to yours, our monthly bonus recipes are published on our website and social media the 4th Wednesday of each month. We invite you to browse our recipe collection and come back often to find more flavorful and heart-healthy recipes.

We invite you to join us for the live taught, virtual nutrition classes each month to gather more information on our nutrition topics. This is also an opportunity to ask topic-related questions of our experts as well as connect socially with attendees for idea sharing. As a registered participant for our In the Kitchen program, you receive a few reminders ahead of each scheduled monthly classes, but here’s an easy to remember schedule: Nutrition Education (30-minutes, 2nd Wednesday, 12pm), Cooking Class (up to 60-minutes, 3rd Monday, 12pm).

Contributing authors: Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, registered dietitian, Providence.

Tracie Rose
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Meal Patterns + Snacking