Eating healthier is a massive part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. An easy way to eat healthier is by learning to use seasonings better. That means less salt, more combinations of seasonings, and more garlic powder. 

According to the National Institutes of Health website garlic powder loses some health benefits during its processing stage but it’s still a great option to help maintain a healthier life. It helps reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and boosts your immune system. This, alongside many more benefits, makes this seasoning a must have in your lineup of spices. 

Some simple recipes include the following:

Simple garlic bread

The absolutely delicious and not always healthy; garlic bread. It’s a perfect side for most meals and can be made healthier. Start by picking your choice of bread, it can be in slices or vertically cut. Next, drizzle extra virgin olive oil (or an alternative healthy substitute of your choice) lightly. Follow it by sprinkling garlic powder to your liking, I would recommend lightly. Next, sprinkle dried parsley; a couple of sprinkles go a long way. Lastly, add a pinch (or less) of salt to give it a punch of flavor. Turn on your oven at 350° and when ready bake it for about 10-15 minutes depending how toasted you want the bread. You can also choose to use the stove top method instead. Put your prepared bread in a pan on low heat, cover it and wait a couple minutes. That’s it. When you’re happy with the crispiness, take it out of the pan, let it cool and enjoy!

Mashed potatoes

For great mashed potatoes you can simply follow recipe instructions in the back of the potato flakes box. I would recommend lowering the salt portion and using a healthy oil substitute for butter. If you prefer using real potatoes simply find an online recipe or youtube recipe you like. Again, less salt than they suggest and using a healthy oil substitute for butter. To any recipe you use you can add garlic powder to enhance the flavor and make it healthier. 

Honey glazed chicken

Honey glazed chicken is a simple recipe that is sometimes called Asian style chicken. A simple way to make it is by seasoning chicken of your choice with a little soy sauce, honey, garlic powder and black pepper (going light on the soy sauce and honey). Choose the appropriate oven heat and time depending on the cut of chicken you use and enjoy a light, flavorful meal, with the addition of rice and some oven roasted vegetables.

Any form of garlic is great to incorporate into your culinary world. Garlic powder is less of a hassle to use for a quick addition into recipes. Cooking healthier doesn’t have to equal bland tasting meals, instead, learning to use flavorful seasonings like garlic powder can boost your culinary experiences.