The herbs & spices you cook with have a huge impact on your health. Use Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Italian Seasoning to give your family a health boost.
Everyone has their preferences on which herbs and spices they like to eat and cook with on a regular basis. After many years of preparing homecooked meals for my family, I’ve come up with a list that is essential to any kitchen. In addition to the flavor benefit from the spices, they all have significant health benefits.
Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Italian Seasoning are some of my most-used herbs in the kitchen. They are all similar, yet have very different flavors. To prove how much I like them, I have five herbs that I grow year-round and these are three of the five!

Originally Published On: August 14, 2018
Last Updated On: June 15, 2021
Basil

Health Benefits
There are many varieties of Basil and they each have slightly different advantages. Overall, Basil can help with the following:
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Blood Sugar Reduction
- Cancer-Fighter
- Immunity Booster
- Liver Protection
- Pain Reduction
- Stress Reduction
Cooking with Basil
Basil is used in many cultural cuisines including Italian, Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese. It’s used in sauces, to flavor meats, and as dressings. The most common recipes with basil are a marinara sauce, pesto, and with oil for a bread dipping sauce.
RELATED: Recipes using Basil
Growing Basil
Basil is an herb that is easy to grow at home. You can purchase the seeds at most home improvement stores and put it in a small pot or jar with some potting soil. I’ve learned that most of the herbs don’t like the intense summer heat in south Texas, so this year I moved everything inside. I water the plants about twice per week, which seems to be enough since they aren’t losing a lot of water.
As soon as some of the basil is ready (when it reaches about 6-8 inches), I go ahead and harvest it. If I need it within the next day or two, it goes into the refrigerator. If not, I hang it up until it dries out then store it in a jar and use it as dried basil. Always harvest the leaves from the top of the plant to help promote new growth. It’s also essential to pinch or cut it from the stem, not just the leaves when you are harvesting or pruning the basil plant.
Purchasing & Storing Tips
If you are buying fresh basil, look for leaves that are brightly colored and firm. This can be stored in the refrigerator in a damp towel as long as it is unwashed. As with most fresh foods, buying organic is always better as long as you can afford it.
Some farmers markets will also have fresh basil available, especially during the summer months. I like to support local farmers, and this is a great way to do that while getting the freshest foods and lowering the amount of plastic waste your kitchen produces since you aren’t buying it prepackaged.
Oregano

Health Benefits
Originating in the Mediterranean, oregano is a leafy herb that has been used for its flavor in foods and medicinal purposes for thousands of years. It was used as far back as Hippocrates and the Ancient Greeks. Oregano can be applied topically or ingested (such as in our foods).
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Antibacterial
- Blood Sugar Reduction
- Cancer-Fighter
- Insect Repeller
- Menstrual Pain Reduction
Cooking with Oregano
Oregano can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen. It’s great for adding flavor to meats or marinades and can be used in stuffing or bread dough. Too much can make food bitter, so add a little at a time until you have your desired flavor.
RELATED: Recipes using Oregano
Growing Oregano
Similar to Basil, Oregano will grow easily in a home herb garden. It needs plenty of sunlight but only a small jar and seeds that can be bought from the store.
Harvesting the oregano is best done just as the flower buds start to form. This is when it will have the most flavor before getting bitter. Use a pair of garden scissors to cut just about a set of leaves so it will branch out from that spot again.
Purchasing & Storing Tips
The type of oregano you purchase will have slight variations in the size, shape, and color of the leaves. But in general, you want leaves that are bright green and soft. If you plan to use the oregano within a few days, it can be wrapped in a damp towel and refrigerated.
Drying fresh oregano is a great way to save any extra and have for when your plant is not growing at the time. Cut entire stems and hang them in a dark place to dry. Then, once they are crispy, crush the leaves to remove them from the stems and store in an airtight jar.
Parsley

Health Benefits
Parsley could be considered another superfood among the herbs and spices. It benefits your health in so many ways and is easy to add to many different recipes.
- Anemia Fighter
- Anti-Fungal
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Antibacterial
- Antioxidant
- Bone Health
- Cancer-Fighter
- Detox
- Digestion Health
- Eye Health
- Heart Health
- Hormones Balanced
- Immunity Booster
- Kidney Stone Prevention
- Skin Health
Cooking with Parsley
Parsley is a versatile plant that can be used in pasta, soups, stews, dips, marinades, salads, and smoothies. It can be used to add flavor to meats, potatoes, rice, and vegetables. Parsley is often added as a garnish to many dishes but can be used as an ingredient in a meal as well.
RELATED: Recipes using Parsley
Growing Parsley
Parsley is one of my favorite herbs to grow in my indoor garden. Same as the previous two, the seeds can be bought at almost any home improvement store or garden center and planted in a small jar with some potting soil. Water a few times per week and make sure it gets plenty of sunlight.
Your parsley will be ready to harvest when there are three leaves on a stem and should be cut from the outer portions so the inner part will continue to grow.
Purchasing & Storing Tips
When you buy fresh parsley, there are usually two varieties: flat-leaf and curly-leaf. The flat-leaf is best for cooking because it has more flavor, but the curly-leaf is better as a garnish because it looks nicer. Parsley should also have soft bright-green leaves when it’s purchased and used within a few days. It can be stored in the refrigerator and does best to have the stems in a small amount of water.
If you want to dry out the parsley, harvest it when it is ready and hang it from the stems until completely dried out. Remove the leaves from the stems and store in an airtight container.
Italian Seasoning

Health Benefits
While “Italian Seasoning” isn’t one particular herb or spice, it’s a delicious combination of them that almost makes it a superfood of spices. The Italian seasoning that I have includes marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, and sage. A few of these are ones I don’t cook with individually, so I’ll list the benefits of those.
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Antimicrobial
- Antioxidant
- Blood Flow Increased & Oxygenation of Organs
- Memory Improvement
- Metabolism Booster
- Pain Reduction
- Red Blood Cell Formation
Cooking with Italian Seasoning
I feel like it’s obvious that the most common cuisines that use this are Italian dishes, but it can also be added to other Mediterranean meals as well. Having the mixed seasoning makes it easy to add a bit to a meal without having to purchase all of the individual herbs.
RELATED: Recipes using Italian Seasoning
Growing Italian Seasoning
Since Italian seasoning is a combination of multiple herbs, you can’t grow it outright, but you can grow the different herbs in the seasoning.
Purchasing & Storing Tips
The only way to purchase Italian seasoning is to buy it dried from the spice aisle of your local grocery store.

Want a printable version of the entire list of Essential Herbs and Spices and their health benefits? Click below to receive the list in PDF format. This includes Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Italian Seasoning, and all the rest from this series.
Sources for Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Italian Seasoning information:
- https://draxe.com/
- https://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-basil/
- https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/oregano/drying-oregano.htm
- https://www.almanac.com/plant/parsley
More Posts about Herbs
- 11 Ways to Use Fresh Herbs
- Essential Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Kitchen, Part 1: Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Italian Seasoning
- Essential Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Kitchen, Part 2: Black Peppercorn, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder
- Essential Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Kitchen, Part 3: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Red Chili Flakes
- Essential Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Kitchen, Part 4: Chili Powder, Cilantro, Cumin
- Essential Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Kitchen, Part 5: Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg
- The Key Differences Between Cumin and Paprika
- Allspice vs Nutmeg: Key Differences
- Bay Leaves vs Basil Leaves: Uses in Cooking, Gardening, and More
- Basil vs Parsley
- Red Pepper vs Cayenne Pepper
- Oregano vs Basil
- Rosemary vs. Lavender
- How to Start an Indoor Herb Garden
- AeroGarden Harvest Elite 360 Review + Tips
- DIY Herb Garden
Hi! I have a rather large spice garden in my yard, and try to cook with fresh herbs regularly. For TASTE. Never have I thought about the potential health benefits! Thank you for sharing- I feel so much better about my cooking choices now. 😀
That’s awesome! We had a lot of herbs and spices growing, but the SE Texas heat just kills everything in the summer. We are working on an indoor herb garden now!
I have just thought about starting our own herb garden, I love using herbs and spices in our cooking. We have grown a chilli plant which is a start!
They taste so much better when they are fresh! Good luck with your garden.
These are awesome tips! We started a mini herb garden last year but that didn’t last very long. I think we’ll try again with basil, we see lots of beautiful basil in pots. Can’t wait!
We didn’t have luck outside with how hot it gets most of the year here, but an indoor herb garden works well!
This is great information. I typically pick spices based on taste…I hadn’t thought to pick them based on the benefits!!
I know, there are so many health benefits to them that I hadn’t thought much about either!
This is such an awesome list. As a kid, my great grandma had a large assortment of herbs she grew. I have never tried to grow my own, but might at some point.
I have found that an indoor herb garden works better for me. The weather doesn’t affect it and I take care of it better when I don’t have to go out in the heat.
I want to start growing my own herbs in an indoor garden. I appreciate the tips on how to store them.
I love having an indoor herb garden. They are easy to take care of and easy to grab a piece for cooking!
Wow I had no idea that the seasonings I used most every day had so many health benefits! This was so interesting!
I found it so interesting, too, when I started researching the different herbs and spices and seeing how much they can do for our bodies.
i LOVE LOVE herbs! it is really fun to learn more about their potential health benefits here! look forward to the next post!
Thanks! I love being able to add healthy foods to our meals, and they add so much flavor, too.
I love all those herbs – particularly oregano – we use them all a lot in our house. I didn’t know they had so many health benefits though – that’s such a bonus!
We use a lot of oregano, too, and basil. We have some growing in our indoor garden.
We actually grow a ton of this in our garden! We love having them on tons of our food! So yummy!
That’s so awesome! We tried an outdoor herb garden but the Houston heat was relentless and killed everything. Now I grow a lot of these indoors.
This is so helpful! I love fresh herbs in my kitchen, I always have a basil plant and a parsley plant in my kitchen window. Most other herbs that I use I have dried because I so not use them as frequently.
We just started another indoor herb garden, and I have been using the dehydrator to dry out our extras to save for later. We use a lot of basil, here, so I love having it on hand.
I am obsessed with herbs and eat them daily!!! I want to add one herb to your list, Gardencrest, SO GOOD.
Oh, I’ve never even heard of that one! I’ll have to look it up and see what it is!!
I love herbs too and I’m a big fan of basil. I could add it to everything. I love your tips for us too.
Basil is probably the most-used herb in our house, too. We’ve been making a lot of homemade pizza lately and adding fresh basil leaves is delicious!
Thanks for the tips on herbs and spices. The Japanese Farm Association (or JA) offers herbs at the grocery store but I never know how to use them. But now I know!
You’re welcome! There are so many ways to use fresh or dried herbs. They add a lot of flavor and have so many health benefits!