Herbs and Spices

Instructions: print and follow along these notes with the lecture
and fill in the blanks for interactive learning.

The reason we have grown accustomed to, and crave, our favorite comfort foods is because of
the fat, salt, and __________ content, as well as texture.

Which is why we see popular cooking shows teaching people how not only to cook, but to
drench their otherwise healthy plant foods in butter, cream, sugar, and salt.

When transitioning to a healthy whole foods vegan lifestyle, it can seem at first like plant-based
foods would be rather bland. That’s definitely not the case if you know how to spice things up!

Herbs and spices are a great way to add natural flavor to your favorite dishes without
significantly increasing the ______________ count.

Use fresh herbs in your cooking whenever possible, as they contain rich sources of vitamins,
minerals and _________________________.

One ounce of​ fresh​​ basil, for example, provides 30% of the DV for vitamin A, 145% of the DV
for vitamin K, 8% of the DV for vitamin C. It contains 88mg of omega-3 fatty acids and has an
ORAC value of 1200.

And ORAC ​stands for Oxygen _____________ Absorbance Capacity which is a labs
way to quantify the "total antioxidant capacity" which gives fruits and vegetables their
unique cancer fighting and anti-aging properties.

One tablespoon of ​dried​​ basil (which is roughly the same amount) provides just 4% of the
vitamin A, 43% of vitamin K, and only 2% of vitamin C. It only has about 33mg of omega-3 fatty
acids. Apparently, quite a bit is lost in the drying process–although a third of a day’s supply of
vitamin K is nothing to sneeze at. It’s also possible that the dried basil they analyzed had been
sitting on the shelf for a while and that a fresher sample would have fared better.

And despite the loss of certain nutrients, the ORAC value of equivalent amounts of dried and
fresh basil is actually about the ________________, which suggest that both are a significant
source of antioxidants.

So when fresh herbs are not accessible, dried herbs are certainly encouraged.
And when it comes to spices and spice blends to give your recipes a punch, the choices are
innumerable. And most, if not all, are vegan - even if they are marketed as a seasoning blend
meant for animal meat. And not only are spices an easy way to add amazing flavor to your
plant-based foods, but many pack a _____________________ punch as well.

For instance:

● Turmeric, used in tofu scramble and Indian dishes, has been shown to
reduce inflammation, among many other benefits.
● Cinnamon, mixed in oatmeal or vegan french toast, has been shown to
help modulate the rise in blood sugar after meals.
● Ginger can be used either as a fresh root or as a dried powder but either
way, has _____________________ benefits. Same with garlic and onions.
● Dried spices like cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper all have high
antioxidant potential. A teaspoon of these spices is comparable to a
serving of blueberries or strawberries.

One great resource for helping a new user to pair certain plant foods with what herbs
and spices for a delectable flavor profile is the book ​The Vegetarian Flavor Bible​. It
contains virtually endless combinations for foodies.

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Answers: sugar, calorie, phytonutrients, R ​ nti-inflammatory