By Lyssa Balick, MS
What is Spice MyPlate?
Spice MyPlate was a nutrition education concept co-developed by The Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and The Institute for Integrative Health in 2012 (1). The premise was to combine best practices for nutrition from the MyPlate food model with hands on educational experiences using spices and herbs to make flavorful meals and snacks (2).
In 2013, students from two Baltimore City High Schools learned about 12 core spices and herbs and how to incorporate them into their meals. They were compared with a control group who learned about MyPlate, but did not learn about spices and herbs or how to use them in their meals. The study showed that when students learned about spices in an interactive way that included meal prep and cooking, they were more likely to consume whole grains and protein foods and their attitudes towards eating vegetables were more positive compared to the control group(3).
Can Spices Make a Difference?
Spices and herbs have been used to season food since ancient times. Traditional medicine incorporated them for health benefits and used spices in the wild to improve taste and extend the shelf life of fruits, vegetables, and meats (6).
In today’s adventure-minded eating culture, spices and herbs can create flavor inspired meals and snacks for families. Research indicates that families are motivated to try fruits and veggies more when they are presented as flavorful and inviting. One study that surveyed parents in Chicago indicated that kids were more likely to try vegetables and seasonings when they were given opportunities to sample them and the dishes were given catchy names (7). And another study at a University campus in Chicago found that people were more likely to choose vegetables when they were seasoned as compared to when they were prepared with no added flavoring (8).
Can Spices Dress Up Our Family Meals?
Spices and herbs are fun and easy to use for the whole family! Ellen Satter, a family nutritionist, suggests that when families provide a variety of foods for their children in a stress free and relaxed environment, children and adolescents will eventually learn to eat a well-balanced diet. From toddlerhood through adolescence, Satter suggests parents decide what to make and where the food is eaten and children decide whether they want to eat the prepared food. With time and experimentation, children will learn to eat healthy food modeled by the parents (9).
If you’re not accustomed to using spices and herbs, start small by adding ¼ teaspoon and then flavor to taste. You can buy dried spices and/or plant some fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, or oregano outside or indoors in pots. Here are a few ideas to get started.
To keep things simple, make small changes and try one or two things at a time. And buy seasonally to keep costs down. By developing nourishing traditions, you can add fun and flavor to your family history.
About the Author: Lyssa Balick, MS
Lyssa is a nutritionist with over twenty years of experience planning, conducting, and evaluating nutrition programs. Past experiences include a country wide evaluation of breastfeeding practices for UNICEF, writing parts of a national hunger prevention curriculum for Share Our Strength, and conducting an award winning, comprehensive preschool nutrition and cooking program for Port Discovery. She has taught nutrition at Community College and to Baltimore City teachers, counseled women and their families on nutrition and helped with program evaluation and implementation on a national, international and local level. Lyssa has a Masters Degree in Nutrition from the Tufts School of Nutrition and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist. When not working on nutrition projects, Lyssa can be found hiking, cooking, hanging out with family and friends, or collecting pieces for her midcentury modern side business.
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