At a restaurant, you are likely to get delicious meals with calorie-laden ingredients. There are plenty of ways to create delicious, chef-inspired meals at home, with complex flavours that keep out extra calories and sodium. Here are a few examples:

Miso Paste: A great addition to any dish, this gives your cooking a rich, salty flavour. Perfect for adding to marinades and glazes!

Chicken Stock: Adding chicken stock to dishes brings out a home-cooked quality that many people strive for. Perfect for adding to any protein dish, pasta, grains, veggies and soups.

Scallions, Shallots, Leeks and Ramps: These veggies are part of the bulb family, like garlic, and add rich aromas and flavours to any dish. Not only will these add plenty of flavour, but the added vitamin C and antioxidants are good for you, too.

Spices: Plenty of taste tests have confirmed that adding spices can be just as wonderful for enhancing a meal as adding fatty ingredients for flavour. Dried spices, like oregano, basil and paprika are commonly used in pasta dishes, salads, and in meat dishes, and can really bring out wonderful flavours. Blend them, and try other spices, and experiment to find out what you really love!

Herbs: Add herbal flavours like mint or basil to your water by steeping the leaves overnight. You will find that you are more eager to drink the amount of water that your body needs to stay healthy, and it will taste great! No need to reach for sweet, sugary drinks when you can have wonderful natural flavours instead.

Lemon and Lime Juice: A quick squeeze of lemon or lime juice adds no calories, but packs a great flavour punch for pasta, meat and veggie dishes. These citrus fruits bring out many different flavours in your favourite dishes. 

No need to add fatty ingredients or extra sodium to make your meals tastier! Try these suggestions and enjoy the results!

SOURCES: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/boost-flavour-not-calories; Image courtesy of xura / FreeDigitalPhotos.net