There are many ways that you can enhance a meal, make it delicious and nutritious, without adding a ton of carbs and fat. These are some of the methods that can make dinner more "interesting" and keep your revived taste buds truly enjoying your meals. The best part is that in most cases it is not making the more complicated dishes but, more often than not, just preparing foods simply with some care in the seasonings. Matol Diet Daily Meal Planners                 Progress Charts                                            Basic Rules Buy fresh! - When you are on the Matol Diet you will have a heightened sense of taste and getting the freshest of ingredients is always a good idea. We have all had that old bagged salad at the restaurant and thoroughly remember that awful flavour. Don't do this to yourself at home. Go to the market every day if you have to and visit your local farmers markets to get the freshest veggies that you can. It makes a SIGNIFICANT difference and you and your family will enjoy your meals more. Assemble a Spice Selection - This is very important. Having a variety of flavour enhancers around is not difficult and will add to your meals. Some of these basic spices are: Ground ginger and fresh ginger   Ground aniseed   Ground rosemary   Herbs de Provence   Sea salt   Whole peppercorns in a grinder   Whole nutmeg and a grater   Paprika - Sweet, hot or smoked depending on your taste.   Cayenne pepper - A little dash will pick up even the most tired dish but be careful with this "powdered napalm" as a little dash will do you.   Chili Powder - A variety of chili powders such as chipotle, Serrano and some others.   Fennelgreek - This is the spice that makes curry taste like curry. By itself it has no heat but it can add an exotic flavour.   Cumin - This is another essential as it can enhance curry and chili.   Creole and Dijon mustards - These can add a nice zip and body to salad dressing and marinades.   Splenda and Stevia - I list these as seasonings because it helps to add a little sweetness to some vegetables and meats but you don't want to add sugars. These are heat stable and so for cooking they are great.   Fresh Herbs - Fresh herbs add a big flavour boost to your meals and salads.   Methods: Barbecue - A preferred method is to use the barbecue for meats and veggies. It gives a lot of extra flavour without adding any extra fat or calories. A simple prep method is to use some grape seed or olive oil to allow your spices to cling to the food you are seasoning. Use a zipper seal bag because it allows you to add your spices and oil with some vinegar or mustard and then work the spices into the food you are about to prepare. Vegetables that are great on the grill are zucchini, peppers, anise or fennel, mushrooms, asparagus, and others. Pan Fry - Pan frying or stir frying is great because it is so quick. Never season or oil a cold pan, even non-stick. Always get your pan up to speed heat wise while you are prepping your veggies and meats. When you are ready to start cooking, add a little grape seed oil (better heat resistance) to your pan and then add your spices. If you are doing veggies with pre-cooked meats or uncooked seafood , add your oil, some sea salt, cayenne pepper, splenda, pepper and then my spices such as fennelgreek, nutmeg, etc., or perhaps a prepared spice blend like the "Magic" Vegetable seasoning. Toasting your spices like this will flavour the oil and add to the overall flavour of your dish. Then add the vegetables that you want to be caramelized into the pan such as celery or zucchini and let them go for about 5 minutes by themselves. Next add your other vegetables based on how long you would like each to cook. Generally it is helpful to have your precooked meats frozen after you have already prepared them on the BBQ and then freezing them in zipper seal freezer bags in portion size amounts. This sounds like a lot of work but from chopping to chewing generally takes about 20 to 25 minutes when you take your time, under 15 minutes when you are pressed. Oven - The oven is a great way to get some of the BBQ flavour inside. You can use the broiler as your grill and lay out your veggies on a pan lined with non stick foil. Steam - Using steam is a great way to cook veggies on the stove or the BBQ. In the stove, steam broccoli or cauliflower until just a little more tender than raw. Never overcook these vegetables as the "crunch" is a very satisfying part of the meal.