Recipe Roundup: Clean Eating Recipes

Ring in the new year with meals that showcase whole, natural foods at their most delicious. Focus on recipes with fresh, seasonal vegetables, nutritious whole grains and lean proteins, and you’ll be surprised how easy healthy eating can be. Here are some of our favorites!

 

Chopped Salad with Broccoli, Egg and Radicchio Whenever you make hard-cooked eggs, cook a few extra to have on hand for adding protein and heft to salads like this one. For a lower-fat version, omit the cheese and remove the yolks from the hard-cooked eggs.

Wheat Berries with Roasted Parsnips, Butternut Squash and Dried Cranberries This hearty dish combines wheat berries (whole wheat kernels) with roasted root vegetables for a quick side dish or light dinner.

Chicken with Squash, Turnips and Shiitakes Braising chicken with earthy mushrooms and root vegetables allows all the flavors to mingle, creating something that’s even better than the sum of its parts. Serve with brown rice to soak up the juices.

Toasted Quinoa with Chicken and Mango This protein-packed dish is simple to make. It features pan-seared chicken with a mango-cucumber-yogurt raita, with flavors influenced by the cooking of India.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Pecans and Green Onions This colorful roasted root vegetable salad is delicious alongside roasted meats and poultry. Sweet potatoes are high in nutrients and vitamins and they keep well, so they’re great to have on hand for healthy meals.

Salmon with Quinoa and Parsley Vinaigrette Salmon is a terrific source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with heart health. Here, it pairs well with fresh parsley and quinoa, which has a mild flavor and light, fluffy texture.

Zucchini “Pasta” with Butternut Squash In this clever twist on classic spaghetti, long strands of zucchini, made with our spiralizer, stand in for the pasta. It’s a delicious way to cut back on fat and up your intake of fresh vegetables.

Beet and Watercress Salad with Farm Eggs Assertively peppery watercress is a good foil to the sweet, earthy flavor of beets in this salad. For the best taste and vibrant yolk color, seek out eggs from a local egg farm.

Butternut Squash Barley Risotto This version of risotto replaces traditional Arborio rice with barley; high in soluble fiber, it helps process cholesterol in the body. We also swapped out butter for olive oil, which is high in healthy fats. The cooking method remains the same so your final dish is still the creamy, comforting texture that defines a good risotto.

Cauliflower-Kale Soup with Crispy Kale Topping Kale lends a beautiful green color to this silky cauliflower soup, which is completely vegan if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken. A garnish of crispy kale chips and pine nuts adds a satisfying crunch.

Crab and Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Oranges Showcasing fresh crabmeat and shrimp, this bountiful main-course salad makes an impressive dish for guests. A citrusy vinaigrette and a mix of greens keeps it light and fresh.

Spicy Simmered Eggs with Kale This simple, rustic dish is both healthy and hearty. Kale is braised with fragrant garlic, green onions and lemon juice, then protein-rich eggs are nestled into the greens, where they gently simmer to perfection.

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cherries and Pistachios Grain salads like this one — with sweet-tart dried fruit and crunchy nuts — will last for several days in the refrigerator and will take on even more flavor as they sit. You can make the salad on a Sunday and pack it for lunch any day of the week.

Parmesan Broth with Lemon, Chicken and Spinach Chicken soup soothes the soul, and our version will help you start the year off on a comforting, cleansing note without sacrificing flavor. This recipe comes together quickly when you use shredded rotisserie or grilled chicken; add the rind from a piece of Parmesan cheese during cooking to add depth to the soup.

Halibut with Grapefruit, Parsley and Fennel Halibut is a great fish to cook because it’s firm and stays nice and juicy when panfried or roasted. Paired with shaved fennel and fresh citrus segments, this recipe is as elegant as it is satisfying and refreshing.

 

Find more clean eating recipes here.