The Paleo diet emphasizes consuming foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. This means focusing on whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats. Seasonings play a vital role in making Paleo meals exciting and flavorful. This article delves into the world of Paleo-approved spices and herbs, exploring their benefits and how to incorporate them into your diet.
Are Spices Paleo?
The short answer is yes, spices are Paleo. They are a natural way to add lots of flavor to Paleo meals without adding any junk-like sugar or processed condiments. Spices are essentially dried and ground plant foods that contain a lot of flavor. Think of cinnamon, thyme, oregano, basil, and curry - these are all derived from fresh herbs, flowers, or other plants.
The Benefits of Using Spices on the Paleo Diet
Spices bring more than just flavor to the table; they also offer a range of health benefits. They are generally low in calories, carbs, sugar, fiber, protein, and fat. This makes them a perfect addition to your meals without racking up the carbs, sugar, or excess calories.
Spices allow you to take unprocessed, high-nutrient Paleo foods (things like fruits, vegetables, and good quality meats) and make them a hell of a lot tastier, so you can keep things interesting and not feel like your Paleo meals are getting boring.
Top Spices to Incorporate into Your Paleo Diet
While nearly all spices are Paleo-friendly, some stand out due to their exceptional health benefits:
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- Ginger: This ancient herb has been used for its healing properties for thousands of years. It’s one of the best-known relievers of digestive distress, thanks to its ability to reduce nausea, bloating, heartburn, and acid reflux. By stimulating saliva production, ginger helps to speed up digestion when we have eaten too much or when we have eaten something that gives us stomach pains.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a great source of magnesium, calcium, fiber, and powerful antioxidants. It is believed to be a healing spice that reduces inflammation, which means it can decrease your risk of developing autoimmune diseases like arthritis, Chron’s, and colitis. In fact, cinnamon has been shown in studies to reduce the effects of arthritis better than any other herb. It is also powerful at protecting the heart, thanks to its ability to regulate lipids in the blood and its ability to prevent plaque from building in the arteries. Cinnamon is also very good at managing blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes.
- Thyme: This herb is known for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It's also a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants.
- Oregano: Another potent herb with antibacterial and antiviral properties. It's rich in antioxidants and may help boost the immune system.
- Garlic: While technically a vegetable, garlic is often used as a spice. It has powerful medicinal properties, including boosting the immune system and reducing blood pressure.
- Turmeric: Contains curcumin, a compound with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Creating Your Own Paleo-Friendly Spice Blends
Many grocery store spice combinations contain added salt, sugar, and preservatives. I like to keep it simple and buy pure dried herbs and spices to mix together at home. That way, seasoning meat, veggies, and eggs takes half as much time as usual. The great thing about making your own spice and herb combinations is that there are no rules (except no added salt or sugar). Start by thinking about your favorite recipes and the spices you frequently use together to flavor your dishes. We’ve found that oregano and rosemary, for example, are often used in combination and in equal amounts.
Drying Your Own Herbs
You don’t have to spend a fortune on dried herbs. You’ll need a dehydrator and fresh, preferably home-grown herbs. Note that most fruit and vegetable dehydrators offer an option for drying herbs. Alternatively, some dehydrators are specifically designed for small, leafy greens.
Start by thoroughly rinsing your herbs to remove dirt, then blot completely dry with paper towels and set in a single layer on the dehydrating tray. Remove any trays that you aren’t using for optimal air flow.
Dehydrate herbs at a low temperature, usually between 95° and 115° Fahrenheit. You’ll know your herbs are thoroughly dried when the leaves crumble easily, about 1-4 hours.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven instead. Set the temperature to about 100-115ºF. Place the herbs in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 30-60 minutes.
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Paleo Spice Blend Recipes
Dr. Cordain’s cookbooks, Real Paleo Fast and Easy and The Real Paleo Diet Cookbook, offer multiple spice combination recipes to use while preparing delicious dishes. The ease for mixing the spices and storing for use while cooking is key to efficiency in the Paleo kitchen. Now that you’ve got your herbs on hand, it’s time to get mixing!
Here are a few recipes to get you started:
Chili Spice Blend
This recipe is ideal for use in chili, eggs, or as a dry rub for steak and chicken.
- Cumin seeds
- Other spices
Toast cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant, shaking skillet occasionally. Transfer to a spice grinder, blend, then transfer to a small bowl. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.
Fennel Spice Blend
Toast fennel seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant, shaking skillet occasionally. Transfer to a spice grinder, blend, then transfer to a small bowl. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.
Read also: Paleo Mayonnaise Recipe
Exotic Spice Blend
This exotic blend will add warm, spicy goodness to chicken, fish, or vegetables. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to six months.
Foods to Avoid on the Paleo Diet
Most foods that have ingredients that don't seem to come directly from nature.
Dairy and the Paleo Diet
Note that some people still like to include forms of dairy like cheese, heavy cream and/or yogurt into a healthy Paleo diet template. In other words, dairy falls into a gray-area. While a lot of people do better without dairy products at all, others tolerate them perfectly well. You can consult our FODMAPs food list for a list of foods to avoid if you're trying to limit the amount of FODMAPs in your diet. Not sure what FODMAPs are?
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