I used to be one of those people who thought that cooking healthy food was all about bland, boiled dishes. But that’s not so! By using spices and herbs instead of added sodium, extracted oils and refined sweeteners, healthy recipes can indeed be delicious. Learning to cook with natural flavors will open you up to a whole new world of food!

Fall, with its warm and hearty dishes, is a great time to experiment with herbs and spices. Most of our stores sell spices in our bulk section, so you can buy as much or as little as you like, which is especially convenient if you’re playing with new flavors.

Even a simple sprinkling of sage can really elevate a dish, but for extra wow factor, try a spice blend. Spice blends are easy ways to add worldly flavor to everything from beans to roasted vegetables, and make it so you won’t have “veggie fatigue”!

Get started with some of these combos:

• Italian: garlic, onion, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley and marjoram
• Thai: garlic, shallot, basil, lemongrass, curry, ginger, mint, cilantro and chiles
• Mexican: cumin, cilantro, garlic, coriander, onions, chiles and cinnamon
• Moroccan: garlic, onions, cinnamon, ginger, cilantro, mint, saffron and cumin
• Asian: ginger, garlic, coriander, miso, scallions, soy, rice vinegar and sesame
• Greek: garlic, mint, oregano, dill, chiles, cinnamon, parsley, thyme and marjoram
• Indian: garlic, ginger, onion, turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry blends and garam masala (a blend on its own, garam masala can be used alone or with other spices)

Now that you know some yummy flavor combinations, try them out in a few of these recipes:

What spices do you use to kick up the flavor in your fall dishes? Share in the comments!