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When I started my clean eating journey many years ago, one of the best things I ever did was clean out my pantry. I took out everything and carefully read the ingredients on each product. If I didn’t know what an ingredient was I got rid of it… and never looked back!
Grind yourself is easy and powerful! You can control what is in!
For example we see often “No MSG Added” or "No sugar Added" label on the front of many prepackage seasoning, but if you check the ingredient list you’ll find that it contains “Yeast Extract”. This ingredient contains free glutamic acid – the main component of MSG. Food companies don’t want to get a bad rap by putting monosodium glutamate (MSG) on their ingredient list, so they use ingredients like Yeast Extract to secretly add this potent flavor enhancer to your food right under our noses. WHAT A TRICK!
Cooking spices are nature’s delicious herbal pharmacy. Many studies show that including even small pinches of fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano in a daily meal, like salad, for example, enhances your metabolism (and even help with weight loss), improves immunity, and boosts your body's natural detoxification processes and reduces inflammation.
They may be one of the “secret” ingredients in Blue Zone diets – diets that lead to the greatest health and longevity in the world.
I hope through my spicy video tour, it will inspire you to love your spices and use them every day!
If you are fortunate to find authentic homeland grown herbs where people have harvested them in the mountains, or other pollution free areas, then please make those purchases. Sometimes authentic restaurants in the US will use imported dry herbs and spices, so ask if they are willing to sell you some.
Most herbs and spices have been sitting on a grocery store shelf for so long that their nutritional value has been almost depleted. I recommend buying quality spices in bulk and grinding them yourself whenever possible. This way you are paying less for packaging and gaining in quality. But if this isn't an option for you, please choose organic brands from the supermarket for the most nutrient dense spices.
Buying a large quantity of different spices all at the same time can get expensive, but so is buying chai tea at a coffee shop! Homemade definitely saves money and is better for you because they contain more nutrients.
Old Bay Seasoning
I make all my spice mixes from scratch. I don't like premade mixes because I like to know everything that goes in my body. Making my own spice mixes means I avoid MSG, unnecessary sugars, and calcium silicate, etc. It's so easy, and I like to keep all my spices in glass Mason jars.
Old Bay Seasoning Ingredients
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground celery seed
2 teaspoons pink salt
Old Bay Seasoning Directions
Mix everything together and store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.
For more information about why and how, see this blog.
Are there any other seasoning packets you buy which you’d love to replace with a homemade recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
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