Before you start pressing the exit button, hear me out.

Yes, I concur that salt, sugar, and fat are the wholly trinity to making all food lick-your-fingers good. When we are thinking about delicious food, our minds often drift to fast foods (done right) like burgers, steaks, fries, BBQ, hot dogs, pizza… Must I say more?

However, this combo of flavors threatens our health. Too much salt increases the risk of hypertension while excessive fat and sugar can lead to weight gain and the development of chronic diseases like diabetes. Hélas, it seems like every food that satisfies our taste buds is bad for our health.

What to do?

Much like everything in life, we can train our taste buds to adapt and accustom to eating less salty, sweet, and fatty meals at any point in our lives. The logic is somewhat similar to when we become insensitive or numb to the effect of drugs as we built up a tolerance. In this case, it is not so much as the tolerance but more the habit that we need to rid off.

With that said, there are culinary techniques to enhance the flavor of food without turning to the ingredient giants.

#1. Spice It up!

Have you ever enjoyed a meal so deliciously spicy that you can barely taste the salty or sweetness of the dish (but don’t miss it nevertheless)?

I’m a huge fan of spicy food. Hot chilies and black peppers are my secret weapon to elevate any bland dish. Of course, the world of spices goes beyond these two basic ingredients. Cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, paprika, turmeric—you can go on experimenting your whole life and still won’t reach the bottom of the well. I never thought that spices can hike up the taste of the dish until I first tried Indian cuisine.

#2. Go Crazy with Herbs

Like spices, dry and fresh herbs give your dishes an aromatic, delicate punch.One thing you need to careful:  mixed herb blends may contain a significant amount of salt. Opt for salt-free seasoning like Mrs. Dash.

#3. Substitution

Some recipes are just overkilling with the fat. I sometimes wonder, “Do I really need that much butter?”

More than often, the answer is no. In most baking recipes, you can partially replace butter with avocado, banana, apple compote, pureed fruits, or oil. Replace the cream with whole milk, Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese.

I’m telling you: these subtle swaps won’t compromise the taste of your creations and are good for your health!