I have a teeny tiny feeling you’re stuck. Maybe you fell off your healthy cooking bandwagon…or maybe you’re lost on what to do with the food in your fridge. Am I right?

You’re ready for more flavor in your meals.

You’ve cut out gluten and dairy and soy and sugar.

And frankly, you’re out of good ideas for what the heck you can make taste good.

Before your taste buds go on strike, let’s chat. I’ve got a few things to help you bring back your magical taste bud mojo.

Here are my favorite tips:

• Use fresh herbs. Basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, parsley, cilantro….the list goes on. Fresh herbs are SO much more flavorful and naturally sweet.
• Use unrefined, virgin coconut oil for baking in place of butter AND when cooking instead of using olive oil for maximum nutrient absorption.
• Use sea salt or Himalayan sea salt.
• And freshly ground peppercorns.
• Toast your raw nuts and seeds in a dry skillet on the stovetop or in the oven.
• Use filtered, pure water.
• Use raw honey.
• Grade B maple syrup has the most nutrients and best flavor.
• Fresh lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit juice.
• Roast a head of garlic with olive oil.
• Keep a paper bag handy while you’re cooking to toss in food scraps then freeze them and use them when you are making vegetable stock.
• Try red, green, brown, beluga and French lentils.
• Experiment with Forbidden black rice.
• Use ice cube trays for single-serve portions of soups, sauces, purees, cooked grains, herbs, juices, broths and more.
• Try Lacuma powder for homemade ice creams.
• Add in Acai powder to smoothies.
• Add pureed (and cooked) black beans to brownie recipes for more fiber and a punch of protein!
• Use Cacao powder in frozen hot cocoa made with almond milk.
• Use herbal teas to cook veggies or animal proteins such as chicken in place of broth or water.
• Use more coriander, cloves, thyme, fennel seeds, cardamom and turmeric.
• Add a few pitted Medjool dates to your smoothies.
• Try seaweed in your soups and salads; I love kelp, nori and dulse.
• Use hemp seed oil, chia seed oil and flaxseed oil on salads in place of olive oil.
• Experiment with drizzling avocado oil over grilled or roasted veggies with fresh herbs like marjoram.
• Play around with coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. It’s got lots of amino acids (building blocks of protein).
• Try vanilla, lemon, orange, peppermint, hazelnut, cacao and almond extract in place of sugar in smoothies and other recipes such as oatmeal instead of sugar.
• If you’re allergic to eggs, try the flax/water combo in place of your eggs in baking recipes. Check out my Egg Substitutes page for more ideas!
• Add sriracha or hot sauce to your dishes for a spike of hotness.
• Use stone-ground (gluten-free) mustard for making marinades and dressings- just mix with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
• Check out my Sugar-Free How To Page for more tips.
• Check out my Gluten-Free How To Page for more tips.
• Check out my Gluten-Free How To for Kids Page for more tips.
• Check out my Dairy-Free How To Page for more tips.
• Check out my Soy-Free How To Page for more tips.