Reinvent Heart Healthy Diet through Culinary Medicine

A heart-healthy diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats while minimizing saturated fats, trans fats, sodium, and added sugars. Unfortunately, a heart-healthy diet has become notorious for bland steamed chicken and other meals that lack flavor, texture, and overall deliciousness. However, heart-healthy food does not need to be a bland affair. Using a few culinary medicine techniques can help apply the principles of a heart-healthy diet without sacrificing quality, transforming meals into dishes you want to eat.

Salt at The End

Classic cooking techniques often encourage salting to taste throughout the cooking process to help layer flavor. However, this technique can be challenging for people who need to limit their salt intake or follow a specific sodium requirement for health reasons. Using the culinary medicine trick to “salt at the end” helps let flavors fully develop before tasting and salting. Furthermore, allowing salt to be more bioavailable (or physically closer to your taste buds) makes the salt more potent, eliminating the need for additional salt at the table. For example, when roasting a tray of vegetables, wait until they are caramelized and done cooking before sprinkling with salt. When making a sauce or soup, wait until the soup has simmered for 20-30 minutes and the flavors have married together before salting to taste. Although this hack may break the hearts of classically trained chefs, the results of this technique will help promote a healthy heart diet and a well-seasoned dish.

Bloom Aromatics

Salt is not a flavor but more of a flavor enhancer. Blooming aromatics can have a similar effect. Aromatics are spices and fresh ingredients like garlic and onion that enhance food flavor through aroma or smell. Blooming is the culinary technique of cooking aromatics in oil or fat to release their flavors and aromas to help intensify the flavors. Next time you make a sauce, sauté your ginger, cumin, chili powder, garlic, or whatever aromatics you are cooking with a bit of olive oil on medium or medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until just fragrant, and then add your additional ingredients. A word of advice: cook at a lower heat to avoid burning. Burning aromatics enhances the flavor of “burning” throughout your dish.

Dash With Herbs

An herb is the green, leafy part of the plant that can be enjoyed fresh or dried and that offers various health benefits that support immune function, reduce inflammation, aid digestion, and improve heart health. Fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or cilantro add a bright freshness to a dish. Store fresh herbs wrapped in a wet towel and stored in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Dried herbs add a savory flavor and can hold up to high cooking temperatures, unlike fresh herbs, which wilt and dull. Dried herbs can be purchased individually to make your own flavor combinations or blends like Italian Seasoning, Herbes de Provence, or Za'atar. Add fresh or dried herbs throughout the cooking process to help add flavor without needing more salt.

Finish With Citrus

Finishing a dish with citrus can add brightness, acidity, and a refreshing aroma, enhancing flavors and balancing richness, while also providing a burst of vitamin C. Citrus can add complexity to dishes by activating taste receptors on the tongue, stimulating saliva production, and enhancing the perception of other flavors. Instead of reaching for the saltshaker, consider using a slice of lemon, lime, or even orange to enhance the flavor of your meal. However, although cooking with citrus is delicious, heat can reduce the impact of citrus on flavor enhancement, so it's best for non-cooked meal components like dressing or added at the final stage of cooking.

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