Let’s face it, bland food is boring, and no one wants to eat it! The great news is, there are multiple ways that we can season our food for taste, without sacrificing our fitness progress. This could be a spice we toss in while cooking, or a condiment we add once our meal is ready.

To demonstrate, I am going to walk you through a sample day of eating and potential seasonings that make meals much more exciting. I will also provide you with a list of seasonings and condiments you can find at a local grocery store or online to spice things up. Let’s get started!

Sample Meals

Meal 1
• Egg Whites + Minute Oats Pancakes
• Seasoning/Condiments: Cinnamon + Walden Farm’s Pancake Syrup

Meal 2
• Hash Browns
• Egg Whites + Bell Peppers
• Seasoning/Condiments: Black Pepper + Sugar-Free Ketchup

Meal 3
• Sliced Grilled Chicken + Onions + Bell Peppers
• Carb Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Seasoning/Condiments: Salsa

Meal 4
• Spinach + Romaine Grilled Chicken Salad
• Toppings: Spoonful of Crushed Almonds + Feta Cheese
• Seasoning/Condiments: Light Italian Dressing

Meal 5
• Steak + Plain Baked Potato + Broccoli
• Seasoning/Condiments: I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter Spray + Pink Himalayan Sea Salt + Black Pepper + Hugh’s BBQ Sauce

Meal 6
• 1 Scoop of Labrada Nutrition Iso Whey Protein Powder
• Seasoning/Condiments: Ceylon Cinnamon + 1 Spoonful of Peanut Butter

Try These Seasonings/Condiments

Product | Nutrition Facts (Protein, Carbs, Fats, Sodium)

• Hill Country Fare Peanut Butter | 7 g P, 8 g C, 15 g F, 170 mg Sodium
• Heinz Mustard | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 60 mg Sodium
• Heinz Sugar-Free Ketchup | 0 g P, 1 g C, 0 g F, 190 mg Sodium
• Hugh’s BBQ Sauce | 0 g P, 2 g C, 0 g F, 200 mg Sodium
• Low-Fat Italian Dressing | 0 g P, 3 g C, 0 g F, 340 mg Sodium
• Himalayan Sea Salt | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 0 mg Sodium
• Cinnamon | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 0 mg Sodium

Find At: H-E-B/Kroger

• Pancake Syrup | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 95 mg Sodium
• Thousand Island Dressing | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 290 mg Sodium
• French Vanilla Coffee Creamer | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 5 mg Sodium
• Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 260 mg Sodium
• Sesame Ginger Dressing | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 260 mg Sodium

Find At: www.waldenfarms.com

• Bulk Black Pepper | 0 g P, 0 g C, 0 g F, 0 mg Sodium
• Bulk Cayenne Pepper | 0.2 g P, 1 g C, 0.3 g F, 0.5 mg Sodium
• Bulk Pace Salsa | 0 g P, 3 g C, 0 g F, 230 mg Sodium
• Bulk Truvia | 0 g P, 2 g C, 0 g F, 0 mg Sodium

Find At: SAM’s Club

As you can see, the recommended seasonings/condiments above have very low calories from protein, carbohydrates, fats, and sodium. This allows for the consumption of more protein, carbs, and fats within the meal. This allows you to stay full for longer, and also helps you to make the most of your calories for the day.

Conclusion

Eating meals with our macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) in mind includes the seasonings and condiments we eat them with. If we fail to track these nutrients, our progress will undoubtedly suffer.

An easy rule of thumb when eating out at a restaurant is to request food be cooked in as little oil as possible, with no butter. When it comes to salad dressings, ask for the lowest fat option on the menu. A quick search/review of the calories on the menu should alert you to the best option to keep on track.

Works Cited
Heb.com, www.heb.com/.
Sam’s Club, www.samsclub.com/?xid=hdr_logo.
Walden Farms: Nutrition Facts, www.waldenfarms.com/nutritional-facts.php.