Best 3 Healthier Substitutes to Maggi, Knorr, and Bouillon Cubes in your Cooking | Best Alternative to Maggi

There are healthier alternatives to using bouillon cubes in your cooking. Many people use bouillon cubes in there cooking that contain high levels of sodium and MSG to flavor their food. There has been much research about the negative effects MSG may have on our body. And it is a well know fact that consuming excess sodium in your diet can lead to high blood pressure. Consumption of excess MSG has even been linked to cancer and other ailments.

Check out this website MSGtruth.org or my blog post to read more about the harmful effects MSG may have on the body. With so many accustomed to the umami flavor bouillon cubes give their food, they think without them they can not cook food that taste good. But this is not the case. I have not used bouillon cubes in my cooking for over 10 years and I always get compliments about how tasty my food is. 

Here is a list of what I use to flavor my food, and what I think are the best healthier substitutes and alternatives to using bouillon cubes in your cooking.

1. Fermented Oil Seeds

Research shows that adding fermented oils seeds like ogiri, dawadawa, and iru to your cooking add nutritive value to the food unlike bouillon cubes which add no nutritive value and actually make your food less healthy. Fermented oil seeds have been found to be rich in minerals, protein, probiotics, and fiber. Adding protein and fiber to your meals helps to keep you fuller longer and slows down the absorption of sugars in the body decreasing insulin spikes aiding in preventing diabetes. Probiotics help with digestion of food by maintaining and restoring good bacteria in your gut. Other Potential benefits of consuming probiotics include treatment and prevention of:

• diarrhea 
• irritable bowel syndrome
• ulcerative colitis
• H. pylori (the cause of ulcers)
• vaginal infections
• UTIs
• recurrence of bladder cancer
• infection of the digestive tract caused by Clostridium difficile
• eczema in children.

 For those of us living in the diaspora it may be difficult to find fermented oil seeds, however I've found dawadawa in african supermarkets in NYC. Now you can conveniently buy dawadawa powder and other african food products on Amazon! 

Click Here to buy dawadawa powder on Amazon.

2. Herbs and Spices

I don't skimp when it comes to using herbs and spices. I use them quite liberally in my cooking without even measuring. Using quality and fresh herbs and spices can take your cooking to a whole new level of flavor! Not only does herbs and spices make your food taste better, but research has shown that many herbs and spices have anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antihypertensive medicinal properties. And may also help boost your bodies immunity to fight off potential infection from bacteria and viruses.  My favorite herbs and spices to use are nigerian dried red pepper, ginger powder, garlic powder, turmeric, basil, thyme, and fresh onions among others. 

3. Meat Stock or Bone Broth

Meat stock is kind of self explanatory. Boil some meat or bones from meat and add the herbs and spices you just learned about above lol. Save the water with all the spices in your freezer for future use. I always save meat stock to make jollof rice with at a later time. However if you don't have time or don't have any plans or need to boil some meat you can always buy meat stock. I would suggest buying organic varieties just to make sure you are getting the healthiest alternative. Research suggest that consuming bone broth may have anti-inflammatory properties on the body helping to prevent osteoarthritis and inflammation in the gut.

Conclusion

There are other alternatives to using bouillon cubes in your cooking like fermented oil seeds, herbs, spices, meat stock, and broth that can actually add nutritive value to your food making it more healthy as opposed to bouillon cubes which make your food less healthy.

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