Zero Calorie Seasonings for the Military Diet

Seasonings add a lot of zest to otherwise bland food. On the Military Diet, you may want to add flavor to your food but not extra calories. Adding white sauces, cheese, butter or fresh cream is not allowed on the Military diet, but don’t despair, all of the following ways of spicing up your food add 5 calories or less… 

Lemon is a favorite with chefs all over the world for enhancing the flavor of meat and veggies. Lemon juice is loaded with Vitamin C and is a natural health booster.

Garlic is the old standby for adding deep and aromatic flavor to any dish. Each clove of garlic contains less than 5 calories and one clove is usually all you need for a small meal. With its powerful antimicrobial properties, garlic can help ward off colds and other viruses in the winter.

The flavor of ginger is a subtle blend of warm and sweet that adds gusto to anything it accompanies. Consuming ginger keeps blood sugar balanced and is recommended for diabetics. With its anti inflammatory properties, ginger also lessens the symptoms of arthritis. We suggest grating ginger and adding the juice to salads, to roasted veggies or using the juice as a marinade on meat and fish.

Adding cinnamon to your coffee creates a low calorie specialty drink that puts you in a holiday mood, even on a Monday morning. Cinnamon may taste sweet, but it actually helps control blood sugar and insulin spikes. The Cleveland clinic also found cinnamon reduces bad cholesterol and increases the beneficial type. 

For those who like to add some heat to their food, Cayenne pepper and chili flakes turn up the temperature on dull food. Capsaicin, found in cayenne pepper, boosts circulation and fights infections. Consuming cayenne pepper also boosts your metabolism and burns calories. 

Commercial seasonings like Mrs Dash, Tajin, Oh My Spice and Flavor God provide a prefackaged low effort way to add huge flavor to food. Flavor God and Oh My Spice are marketed as healthier alternatives to other spice blends because they focus on natural ingredients without added sugar, fillers, preservatives and high sodium.

Any kind of fresh herb like basil, cilantro, rosemary, and parsley adds tremendous flavor to food without many calories and the health benefits of fresh herbs are many.  Dried herbs like oregano, thyme, cumin, turmeric or paprika are almost zero calorie seasonings that are safe to add to food without blowing your diet and your calorie count.