Nutrition and healthy eating

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Guide to spices

Spices play a big role in adding variety, flavor and enjoyment to food and beverages. Some spices even boast health benefits because they're good sources of antioxidants. Spices come from a variety of tropical plant and tree parts, such as seeds, fruits, roots, buds, stems and bark. They're usually available in dried forms.

Spices add a negligible amount of calories to your food but lots of flavor. Learn more about six common spices and how to use them to create flavorful dishes and desserts. Experiment to see how you most enjoy using spices. Keep in mind that ground spices release flavor faster than do whole spices. And remember, spices are meant to enhance the flavor of a dish, not overwhelm it.

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