Eating right isn’t just about choosing healthy foods, but also cooking them in a healthy way. This is one of the main reasons why eating at home is so much healthier than eating out. At home, you are 100% in control of how your food is being prepared and cooked.
For example, zucchini is most commonly cooked in two different ways, one of which is healthy and the other – not so much. Deep fried zucchini can be delicious, but a better way to fill your zucchini craving would be to chop it up and quickly sauté it with a small amount of olive oil.
Deep fried zucchini is a perfect example of how we can ruin a healthy food option by cooking it in an unhealthy way. When cooking at home and following a recipe, try to scan the recipe to see if there are any unnecessary calories. Anywhere you can cut out sugars or butter is a great place to start.
Of course there is always the option of following healthy recipes instead of trying to alter the less-healthy ones.
Below are 3 healthy recipes that could fill an entire day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. I guarantee you these dishes will have your mouth watering and your waist shrinking in no time.
Breakfast
Since most people are usually in a rush to eat breakfast, especially during the week, I chose a recipe that is healthy but also quick and easy to make. The main ingredient is oatmeal, which is always an excellent breakfast choice and one you should consider choosing every day.
There are numerous oatmeal combinations that make for an easy and balanced breakfast, while also giving your body things it needs like fiber and important minerals. I have no doubt this oatmeal recipe will give you a delicious reason to jump out of bed every morning.
Creamy Blueberry Pecan Oatmeal
Number of Servings: 1
Total Time: 10 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
- 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon toasted chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Stir in oats, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cover and let stand 2 to 3 minutes.
- Top with blueberries, yogurt, pecans and syrup.
Nutritional Info
Per serving: 291 calories; 8 g fat; 1 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrates; 9 g added sugars; 18 g total sugars; 9 g protein; 6 g fiber; 165 mg sodium; 298 mg potassium
Lunch
Nobody wants to take an hour to make their lunch, except maybe on a Sunday afternoon, which is why this lunch recipe is also quick and easy to make whether you want to bring it with you to work or whip it up for a quick meal at home.
In most cases, sandwiches, wraps and salads are always healthy lunch choices that don’t consume a lot of time when it comes to preparing them. This salad recipe will have you counting down the minutes until your lunch break.
Chicken Waldorf Salad
Servings: 4
Total Time: 15 min
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
- 1 medium red apple, diced
- 1 cup halved red or green grapes
- 1 cup sliced celery
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted if desired, divided
Instructions
- Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl.
- Add chicken, apple, grapes, celery and 1/4 cup walnuts.
- Stir to coat well.
- Serve topped with the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts.
Nutritional Info
Per serving: 356 calories; 16 g fat; 78 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 31 g protein; 3 g fiber; 408 mg sodium; 537 mg potassium
Dinner
If you’ve ever been on any kind of serious diet, then you’ve probably been instructed to avoid pasta while on it. I’m not saying you should have pasta every day, but it is important to know that there are many ways to prepare pasta as a healthy, low-calorie meal. It all depends on how you cook it and what ingredients you use.
That is why I chose to include a pasta recipe as a healthy option for dinner. This dish will be delicious and won’t leave you feeling guilty after eating it.
Lighter Spaghetti and Meatballs
Servings: 4
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
- 1 slice whole-wheat sandwich bread, ground into coarse crumbs
- 8 ounces ground sirloin
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 Portobello mushroom, stem removed and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 large egg white
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 small bunch fresh basil
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
- Parmesan, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Pulse the sandwich bread in a food processor to form coarse crumbs.
- Add the beef, 1/4 cup onion, mushroom, 1 tablespoon garlic, parsley, and egg white; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; pulse again to finely chop and combine.
- Portion into about 20 meatballs (about 1-inch in diameter) and place on a plate.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat; add the remaining garlic and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes and broth.
- Tie sprigs of basil and thyme together with kitchen twine; add to the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
- Add the meatballs and continue to simmer, without stirring, until the meatballs are partially cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Turn the meatballs; cook 10 minutes more or until fully cooked.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; serve the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti.
Nutritional Info
Per serving: 413 calories; 11 g total fat; 2.2 g saturated fat; 6.2 g monounsaturated fat; 1.4 g polyunsaturated fat; 24 g protein; 59 g carbs; 10 g fiber; 30 mg cholesterol; 639 mg sodium
