Favorite Spices + Their Health Benefits

All the herbs and spices to add to any meal.

Hey there! If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that I recently bought my own kitchen herb garden, which sparked the idea for this blog post! I love the idea of being a gardener, but I’m not sure if I have what it takes. Currently, I’m just trying to keep them alive. I cut a couple of basil leaves off this past weekend and little baby leaves are already starting to grow back. I love it, they are so cute!

Let’s talk herbs and spices. It wasn’t that long ago that I used to throw chicken on the George Foreman and that was it. Plain frickin’ chicken. Talk about boring. Now, I can’t think of a day that goes by that I’m not tossing in 50 different spices to add flavor! They totally change the game. You could have chicken 10 days in a row and make it taste different every time.

Has anybody been to the AllSpice store in the East Village? It’s the bomb.com. I highly recommend you plan a visit. They have all the herbs and spices you could think of. They also have cute little boxes of pre-packaged spices for popcorn, meat or pizza. It’s one of my favorite stores! 🙂

Today, I’m bringing you my favorite herbs and spices, the health benefits of each and the dishes you can use them in. Enjoy!

Basil – boosts heart health and calms inflammation.

• Uses: caprese salad, homemade pesto, on top chicken or pasta.

Cayenne – rich in vitamin A and C, helps with arthritis and sore muscles.

• Uses: roasted veggies, homemade taco seasoning (like my spicy shrimp taco bowl), or chili.

Cinnamon – packed with antioxidants and an anti-inflammatory.

• Uses: any dessert like peach crisp, almond butter brownies, chocolate chip cookies, smoothies, like PB Banana Smoothie or on top of fruit like apple slices with honey.

Cumin – excellent source of dietary fiber, helps with digestion and an anti-inflammatory.

• Uses: Indian dishes, roasted veggies or homemade taco seasoning.

Garlic – fights sickness, reduces blood pressure and an anti-inflammatory.

• Uses: EVERYTHING! I love garlic, so it makes an appearance quite frequently. Pasta, stir-fry, marinade, roasted veggies or soup.

Ginger – cleansing properties and an anti-inflammatory.

• Uses: post workout green smoothie, Asian dishes or your side with sushi 🙂

Oregano – high in antioxidants, fiber and omega 3.

• Uses: Italian dishes, like pasta, pizza, roasted veggies or salads.

Turmeric -anti-inflammatory and soothes digestive system.

• Uses: roasted veggies, eggs, popcorn, Indian foods or rice.

Thyme – boosts immunity, reduces blood pressure and high in antioxidants.

• Uses: meatballs, soups, chicken dishes, pasta, or rice.

Rosemary – boosts immune system to fight everything from colds to cancer and calms digestive system.

• Uses: meat dishes, potatoes, roasted veggies or in rubs.

What dishes do you love adding herbs and spices to?