Spices worth adding?

hey, new to this whole calories counting thing, so when i make my own recipes and such is it really necessary to add dry spices?

i remember hearing that dry spices were 0 calories somewhere.

am i totally off base? am i cheating?!?!

Spices = HEALTHIER than most vegetables because they are so concentrated so load them on ALL your foods, just make sure to read the ingredients closely because some brands add sugar to the mix when it's most definitely NOT needed... here are a few of my favorite spices & herbs:

- Oregano

- Garlic

- Thyme

- Basil

- Cinnamon

- Nutmeg

- Rosemary

- Onion

- Sage

- Bay Leaf

- Cilantro

- Parsley

most spices and herbs have no calories to speak of, many have fibre, and they make the difference between bland, boring meals and ineresting, exciting ones.  you really have to experiment and find out what you like; by in bulk so you can get small amounts and save the cost of jars.

to gia's list i would add:

coriander, cumin, tarragon, chilli powder, and chilli flakes.

and don't forget ordinary ground pepper and salt; just keep the salt to a minimum.

It's not necessary to add spices if you like the way food tastes without it...but it tastes so much better with them!!!  Herbs and spices offer such a wealth and variety of tastes and endless combinations you couldn't possibly list them all.  When I make salads at home I toss in lots of of chopped oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mint etc. straight out of my garden.   I love stuff like chili powder, tandoori spice, smoked or sweet paprika etc.

If you are using dry herbs one good piece of advice is to buy yourself a mortar and pestle to grind them up before you use them, it really brings out the flavour. Also, try not to add them until the last few minutes of cooking time.  All that wonderful pungent herb smell is the taste of the herbs evaporating in the steam of cooking...lol.  Wonderful smell, but most of the taste might be gone if you add the stuff in at the beginning. 

When buying spices, be aware that some stuff that is mostly salt with some added spice.  Lots of spice combinations are like that so you have to read the labels carefully for salt content.  You can use them if you like, but beware of eating too much salt.

I'm just going to add cardamom, cloves and turmeric to your list of spices to try.

Genuinely healthy food tends to be the simplest food.... vegetables, fruit, grains, lean meat/fish, beans, lentils etc.  Many people complain that they find wholesome food 'boring'...  usually because their regular diet includes a lot of artificially flavoured and heavily salted/sugared 'Frankenfood'.  If you choose fresh, good quality foods you get plenty of flavour but if you add herbs and spices (rather than salt) they become even more delicious.

A pinch of the right spices here and there is also very good for your health.  In mediaeval times your 'herbalist' was your doctor!   In India, for example, they swear by the health-giving properties of cumin and turmeric.  Cinammon is good for blood-pressure. Fresh herbs like basil, parsley and coriander also contain lots of essential oils that react positively with other ingredients to create benefits.  Garlic is well-known as a sort of bodily 'disinfectant'....  

Enjoy.

Should add that lots of herbs and spices have medicinal qualities.  Thyme oil is antiseptic.  Turmeric is anti-inflammatory.  Cinnamon is anti-microbial.  All good reasons to enjoy flavor in your food.

Savory is great with beans and dill is nice with fish and potatoes.