You probably use a variety of herbs and spices to season your food without thinking about the health and wellness benefits they might provide. These fantastic plant-based food flavorings are a great choice for improving the diet without making huge changes. Some spices are considered “superfoods” because of their high nutrient content and positive effects on health.

Today we’re going to share 10 of the best DIY spice blends that you can use to boost your health and satisfy your palate. These combinations are easy to make at home, provide amazing health benefits, and offer great flavors for your meals.

Herbs, Spices, and Health

If you’re not using herbs and spices extensively in your cooking, you’re missing out on some great nutritional benefits – not to mention the fantastic taste. Many of these amazing plant-based compounds are used in traditional medicine for illness and poor health, and modern science has vindicated these amazing compounds.

We’ve covered some of the main benefits of important spices like curcumin before, but most herbs and spices have similar (if less significant) health benefits. By adding some of these simple spice blends to your food, you will boost the intake of key nutrients like iron and manganese without any animal products and with almost no added cooking time.

Did you know that oregano can help boost your immune system?

DIY Spices are Easy to Prepare

Creating these DIY spice blends is simple: simply combine the powdered form of the herbs and spices listed in a new shaker or container. The best results will come from using the purest ingredients for your spice blend. Try to avoid spices that are high in added salt, as this can contribute to heightened blood pressure and increased water retention.

All of these recipes are subject to change depending on your taste. For example, if you dislike oregano you can reduce the quantity in the recipe or eliminate it entirely. Similarly, any spice blend that uses chili powder can be made spicier or milder by increasing or decreasing the amount used. Try the recipes as written to start and experiment with personalizing the flavors as you become more confident.

How to Make Spice Blends: Our 10 Favorites

These are 10 of the best spice blends for both health and taste – they include some of the most potent and delicious herbs and spices. The variety of flavors and nutritional benefits make them great for almost any occasion. There is some overlap between certain spice blends because of their nutritional or culinary context, but they serve different purposes and have slightly different nutritional profiles.

1. Taco Spice Blend –3 tbsp. of this mix is similar to 1 packet of store bought taco seasoning.
   • ¼ cup chili powder
   • ¼ cup cumin
   • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
   • 1 tbsp. onion powder
   • 1 tsp. oregano
   • 2 tsp. paprika
   • 1 tsp. black pepper
2. Curry Powder – use a few tbsp. of this mix in any curry recipe – especially good for a classic chicken curry.
   • ½ cup paprika
   • ¼ cup cumin
   • 1 tbsp. fennel powder
   • 2 tbsp. fenugreek
   • 2 tbsp. mustard powder
   • 1 tbsp. chilli powder/ red pepper flakes
   • 3 tbsp. ground coriander
   • ¼ cup turmeric
   • 1 tsp. cinnamon
   • ½ tsp. cloves
3. Fajita Spice Blend –use about 1tsp. of this mix per portion of protein when making the fajitas (e.g. tsp. per chicken breast or steak).
   • ¼ cup chili powder
   • 2 tbsp. paprika
   • 1 tbsp. onion powder
   • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
   • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
   • 1 tbsp. cumin
4. Italian Seasoning – this can be used with many Italian recipes, such as chicken parmesan and lasagna.
   • ½ cup basil
   • ½ cup marjoram
   • ½ cup oregano
   • ¼ cup rosemary
   • ¼ cup thyme
   • 2 tbsp. garlic powder (optional if fresh garlic is used in the recipe)
5. Cajun Seasoning – great with chicken or salmon, but can even be sprinkled over freshly popped popcorn.
   • ½ cup paprika
   • ¼ cup garlic powder
   • 2 tbsp. black pepper
   • 2 tbsp. onion powder
   • 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
   • 2 tbsp. oregano
   • 1 tbsp. thyme
6. Ranch Dressing Spice Blend – mix 1 tbsp. of this blend with 1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt for a homemade ranch dressing
   • ¼ cup dried parsley
   • 1 tbsp. dill
   • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
   • 1 tbsp. onion powder
   • ½ tsp. basil
   • ½ tsp. black pepper
7. Chili Spice Blend – ¼ cup of this mix is approx. the same as 1 pack of store bought chili seasoning
   • ½ cup chili powder
   • ¼ cup garlic powder
   • 3 tbsp. onion powder
   • ¼ cup oregano
   • 2 tbsp. paprika
   • ¼ cup cumin
   • 1 tbsp. thyme
8. Jamaican Jerk Spice Blend – this can be used as a rub on meat when combined with honey
   • ¼ cup onion powder
   • 2 tbsp. thyme
   • 2 tsp. allspice
   • 1 tbsp. cinnamon
   • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
9. Asian 5-spice – great for many Asian themed dishes such as stir-fry
   • 2 tbsp. anise powder
   • 1 tbsp. black pepper
   • 1 tbsp. ground fennel
   • 1 tbsp. cinnamon
   • 1 tbsp. ground cloves
10. Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend – also great for a variety of pumpkin recipes such as pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin spiced lattes
    • ¼ cup cinnamon
    • 1 tsp. ground ginger
    • 2 tsp. nutmeg
    • 2 tsp. allspice
    • ½ tsp. cloves powder

Download all the 10 DIY Spices Blends here!

Spice blends are a great way to add some excitement and micronutrients to your food – these 10 examples are a great place to start. Be sure to experiment according to taste and develop your own blends according to your palate and the foods you like to eat.