There really is a health benefit to adding spices to our food, say nutrition researchers. Besides making foods that are good for us taste even better, herbs and spices are surprising sources of antioxidants — natural plant substances that protect our cells from "free radical" damage and help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. Here's one example: According to the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Content) scale that was developed to measure the antioxidant activity of different foods, one-half teaspoon of dried oregano has as many antioxidants as three cups of fresh spinach.

It's been estimated that we can double or triple the health value of a meal just by seasoning our food liberally with good herbs and spices. (Salt and sodium-free, please.) These tiny bursts of flavor contain virtually no calories and are powerful allies against the daily stresses of life.

Herbs and spices do not help us when they sit in our cabinets for years and years, however. According to the McCormick Spice people (www.mccormick.com/spices101) most dried herbs and spices will retain their potency for 1 to 3 years if stored in tightly-capped containers away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight. By the way, if you still have any Schilling products lurking in your cabinets, they are at least 7 years old, says McCormick. And if you have anything in an original tin container (except black pepper), it's probably at least 15 years old...

I'm not the brightest student in the class when it comes to remembering what seasoning goes well with what foods. So here are some simple suggestions from the McCormick folks to deliver a healthful Mediterranean flair to food:

Stir 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves and 1 to 2 tablespoons reduced fat feta cheese into 1/2 cup bottled vinaigrette salad dressing. Viola! Greek vinaigrette.

Saute 1 pound of sliced mushrooms in 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. (Thyme brings out the flavor of mushrooms.)

Add rosemary leaves to vegetables like asparagus, spinach, and tomatoes.

Mix up a batch of Mediterranean spiced olive oil: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper and a dash of sea salt. Pour into a small shallow dish and serve with bread. Yum!

Other tips from McCormick's Web site: Use whole spices in longer cooking recipes like soups and stews because they take longer to release their flavors. Use ground spices in recipes with shorter cooking times or add them near the end of cooking.

Fresh or dried? Some antioxidant compounds (such as vitamin C) are higher in fresh herbs. Others, known as "phenolic compounds" may be higher in dried herbs because they are more concentrated. Solution: Use both!