Eating healthy means different things to different people, depending on what program you are following, or if you even are following one. Most of us need something that fits into our daily routine if we expect to stick with it. Healthy eating nourishes the body and provides wholesome ingredients. While they may not have the traditional ingredients, they still have the same taste.
Time and taste tend to be the biggest drawbacks to healthy eating. Not having enough time or being too hungry prevents most of us from consuming a healthy diet or can prevent us from sticking to it. However, you don’t have to cook elaborate meals to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There are many ways you can incorporate these quick and easy meals into your daily routine.
These recipes will provide healthy, tasty alternatives to popular dishes to help you stick to healthy eating. While you may initially think there’s no way this food will taste good or can’t fathom eating them, make sure you try them before making that judgment. You might just be pleasantly surprised!
When it comes to breakfast and lunch, your mornings might be rushed, leaving you with not enough time before work to make a meal. In these cases, it helps to prepare the food beforehand, like the previous night or on the weekend. This way, all you need to do is grab it and go.
Smoothies
Need something quick for those days when you’re on the go? Try these easy-to-make smoothie recipes for a grab-and-go breakfast or a snack in between meals.
Yogurt and Berry Smoothie
Total Time: 5 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 2
This recipe is delicious and simple to make. It takes less than five minutes to blend frozen or fresh fruit and Greek yogurt. Add your choice of beverage (coconut water, milk, juice, soy milk, or whatever you like) to the mixture for creamy goodness.
Since this recipe makes two servings, you can freeze one of them overnight and thaw it during the day to enjoy a refreshing treat during the day.
Peanut Butter/Banana Smoothie
This ideal on-the-go snack is the perfect blend of frozen bananas, soy milk, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, honey, and ice cubes that leaves you thinking you are drinking a milkshake.
For an early morning boost, keep this mixture in a tightly sealed container. For an afternoon snack, make this recipe the previous night and freeze it. Take it out in the morning, and it will be ready to eat around 3 pm for a perfect afternoon snack.
For additional protein, add one scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder.
Breakfast
Breakfast is an important meal. Hunger can prevent you from fully concentrating on morning tasks before lunch. If time is an issue, you may appreciate these easy recipes as you rush to get out the door.
Garden Egg Salad
Total Time: 25 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
Egg salad doesn’t have to be a calorie-dense meal. With a few substitutions, you can generate a lighter take on the traditional egg salad recipe. Divide your egg salad over lettuce leaves, place sprouts over the egg salad, and roll it up with the lettuce leaves for a great hand-held meal on the go.
Tomato Toast and Macadamia Ricotta
Total Time: 15-20 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 3
This vegan classic breakfast sandwich swaps out mayo for a rich, fluffy mixture of garlic, nuts, miso paste, and nutritional yeast on whole-grain bread. Slices of ripe tomatoes are layered over the paste. For added color, use yellow and red heirloom tomatoes.
The sandwich can be seasoned using shiso, basil, kosher salt, or cracked black pepper. This can be an open-faced sandwich.
Berry Parfait
Total Time: 5 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 2
This parfait is the easiest, healthiest breakfast meal available, and you can prep it ahead of time. It layers classic fruit with a yogurt parfait. You can make it with your choice of toppings. While fresh is always best, frozen will still provide you with a great, easy breakfast meal.
Lunch
Want to spice up your lunch or are tired of the usual? We often don’t have much time to make that perfectly balanced lunchtime meal, causing us to grab something close to where we work.
Unfortunately, that may not be the healthiest option, and we quickly regret our decision. Yet, we don’t have to with these easy recipes.
Thai Curry Noodles (Veggie) with Chicken
Total Time: 40 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
While they look like noodles, they are not. You may think this vegetable-heavy dish is bland, but thanks to the red curry paste, cashews, and almond butter, the taste is kicked up a notch in flavor. You will love this healthy, elevated dish.
This dish is also great for Whole30 diets.
Kimchi and Egg Rice Bowl
Total Time: 20 minutes (10 minutes for prep and 10 to cook)
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
This quick 20-minute meal extracts the maximum flavor possible. Before eating the meal, break the yolk and mix it with your rice. The richness pairs beautifully with a spicy yet vinegary kimchi sauce.
Greek Burgers
Total Time: 35 minutes (20 minutes for prep and 15 to cook)
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
Some people have an issue with healthy burgers. They are either crumbly and difficult to eat, dry, hard, or a combination of any of the three. This burger contains feta and spinach stuffing to make the burger very juicy. It is especially satisfying when topped with lemon and dill yogurt sauces.
Grilled Vegetable and Hummus Wrap
Total Time: 23 minutes (15 minutes for prep and 8 to cook)
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
For this recipe, you can purchase store-bought hummus, fresh vegetables, and a whole-wheat wrap to roll everything up. It makes an easy, portable lunch that you can make in a fraction of the time.
Dinner
Do you regularly work late? Do the kids have so many extracurricular activities that it is hard to make a healthy, well-balanced meal? We offer some quick, easy recipes for a healthy dinner all in about thirty minutes.
Cajun Cabbage Skillet
Total Time: 35 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 2-3
This recipe is made in a skillet and comes together quickly. It is the perfect weeknight option since it is so quick and easy. Spicy andouille sausages can provide heat, but any sausage works equally well. Cooking this dish at medium-high heat will allow the vegetables and sausage to caramelize in a short duration.
If they overcook, splash a bit of cool water to cool the pan.
Pasta Scampi and Ribbony Shrimp
Total Time: 30 minutes (15 minutes for prep and 15 to cook)
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
Craving carbs but don’t want to put on weight or feel the heaviness afterward? This dish is nice and light. It is also easy to make and completely healthy.
Medium-sized shrimp is a perfect size for a single spaghetti twirl. The spaghetti is blended with ribbons of squash, making them perfectly healthy and tasty. If you are a vegetarian or cooking for someone who is, you can double the number of tomatoes. Serve with only a spoonful of partly skimmed ricotta cheese on top for added flavor.
Beef Stir-fry
Total Time: 30 minutes (15 minutes for prep and 15 to cook)
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
Do you struggle to incorporate veggies into your meal? Maybe you aren’t a fan of vegetables but know they are an important part of a well-balanced diet. So, how do you get around a general disdain for vegetables?
Beef stir-fry is an excellent way to get both your veggies and meat into a meal while having it taste delicious. It is packed with veggies and is great if you are craving late-night take-out food. It looks like something you would buy but is much healthier.
To make this beef stir-fry, you can use the vegetables outlined in the recipe or choose your own. You can use only bell peppers and corn. You can also add alfalfa or bean sprouts. Lean cuts of beef are used in the dish, and you can fry them in a variety of low-calorie (or no-calorie) marinades/seasonings for added taste.
Tangy and Sweet Chicken Burgers
Total Time: 20 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
Do you think that just because you are eating healthier, you can’t enjoy a good burger? It’s not true! This flavorful burger is both delicious and effortless to put together. Yogurt and sauteed onions keep your lean chicken patties moist. Creating a blend of spices generates a tasty, fragrant aroma that will no doubt whet your appetite.
This widely used Middle Eastern recipe features pomegranate molasses, which adds a subtle sweetness to the dish. All these ingredients are tied together to create a delicious, mouth-watering patty.
Pork Tenderloin Combined with Sugar Snap Peas
Total Time: 40 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 4
Sugar snap peas are a great summertime vegetable that is sweet, crisp, and palatable by themselves, whether they are pickled or served with hummus. If you have never tried them before, let this recipe introduce you!
The juicy pork tenderloin has a beautiful outer crust, and the sugar snap pea salad makes this dish extra special. It is a very light yet refreshing meal. The salad is a combination of steamed snap peas, watercress, sliced almonds, and steamed carrots with a mustard-parsley garlic vinaigrette.
Appetizers
Looking for a treat in between meals? Perhaps you aren’t hungry but still want to munch on something healthy. We have a few appetizers that you can incorporate into a busy day that are effortless to make.
Coconut-Crusted Shrimp in a Pineapple Chili Sauce
Total Time: 25 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 6-7
Just because you have chosen a healthy eating method doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your food. This recipe is a little more indulgent tasting, but it is not off-limits! This rendition allows you to consume it without the guilt, down to the dipping sauce, which is sweet and sour tasting.
This dish is also a great option for Whole30.
Grilled Chicken Skewers Accompanied with Avocado Pesto
Total Time: 30 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
Servings: 6
This is the perfect summertime appetizer! You can fill the pesto with fresh herbs like parsley and basil. The avocado provides a fun upgrade to the dish with its refreshing taste, making the pesto very creamy and providing additional heart-healthy fats to the meal.
Final Thoughts
No matter what time of day it may be, there are simple, healthy recipes that you can make in a fraction of the time. They aren’t difficult to fit into your daily schedule and are easy to make!
So, what should I eat today? Well, the choice is yours. With this vast selection and more out there, it is easy to find meals that you can prep and cook in 30 minutes or less. If time is an issue, make your meals beforehand, so you can grab them as you head out the door.
Programs like Noom and Healthi provide tons of healthy meal choices for busy lifestyles. They offer a plethora of options suitable for any diet or dietary restrictions. With their thousands of recipes, you can quickly find something suitable for your palate.