There are some triathletes that eat almost exclusively junk foods and never look back. There are others of us that try to eat super healthy foods without any flavor, and then there is a combination of both. I have been cooking for a long time and have found how we can “have our cake and eat it too”. Below are 5 tips I use to incorporate into my super healthy diet, to help take the edge off of cutting out the “good stuff”(junk food).

Mayo is your friend- Mayonnaise is very versatile and underrated. It can be used to help bind foods together when making cakes or salads such as chicken salad or salmon cakes. It can also be used as a base for a ton of different spreads, or salad dressings. My personal favorite is mixing with chipotle peppers and some chili powder. If you substitute light mayo, it is healthier and a little bit goes a long way in terms of flavor.

Fresh Herbs- I cannot stress enough the potency of fresh herbs. They can change the flavor profile dramatically. The best time to incorporate fresh herbs is at the end of cooking process as a finishing agent, but just long enough to draw out the flavor. Dried herbs however, should be incorporated at the beginning because the flavor takes longer time to draw out. Dried herbs are best used for rubs and sauces, while fresh are good for variety of uses.

Fresh Ingredients- Many people try to make super complicated dishes with all of these flavors and spices and end up with crap. KISS-keep it simple stupid. If you use very fresh ingredients, you let the flavors of the food speak for itself and there is no need to go nuts. Always use ripe fruits and fresh vegetables, the taste will be a world of difference.

Salt-use it! Salt enhances flavor. Some people are so scared of sodium that they don’t put salt on anything. Well I am here to say a little wont kill you and it goes a long way. Do not use table salt!! Table salt is very fine and can be overused easily, it also has a taste that isn’t very appetizing. I prefer kosher and sea salts. They have a cleaner taste, and are also larger granules. This makes it easier to control the amount when sprinkling on by hand.

High Heat = more flavor. This is especially true with proteins. There is a complex chemical reaction that takes place when browning meat called the maillard reaction. It has to do with the proteins and chemical compounds, but essentially the meat turns brown and tastes better. When proteins are subjected to high heat the outside “carmelizes” and has a crispy texture and better taste.