We know, you’ve seen this movie before: Right out of the New Year’s gate you start all hot and healthy, downing chicken and broccoli every night, only to crash hard into a pile of pizza boxes six weeks later. And the reason your diet has the half-life of a Tinder fling? Your food sucks.
But healthy food can, in fact, be really delicious. To prove it, we’ve put together five dishes that are not only so good for you—high in protein and micronutrients and low in calories, fat, and sugar—but also so plain good you’ll never miss junk food again. Trust us, in a few months the new you will be looking in the mirror and telling the old you: “Hey, thanks for the abs!”
1. Loaded Chicken Fajitas
Makes: 2 Fajitas
Ingredients
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
7 oz chicken breast (weighed uncooked)
1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of sea salt
2 taco-size sprouted-grain tortillas, thawed in fridge
1/4 avocado, sliced
2 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp salsa, no sugar added
2 tbsp shredded lettuce
1 tbsp shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375°F.
2) In a small baking pan, spread sliced peppers and onion on the bottom. Then slice chicken breast into long strips about an inch thick, and spread strips on top of peppers and onions.
3) Add olive oil and spices to chicken, peppers, and onions. Toss mixture until it’s well coated. Completely cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
4) While chicken is cooking, heat tortillas in the microwave (about 30 seconds) or oven (60 seconds).
5) Fill 1 warm tortilla with half of the chicken mixture, 1 to 2 slices of avocado, 1 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1/2 tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp lettuce, and a pinch of cheese. Repeat with the other tortilla.
Nutrition (each fajita)
510 calories, 40g protein, 45g carbs, 20g fat
The Best Healthy Lean Beef Recipes >>>
2. Coconut-Curry Buffalo Fried Rice
Makes: 1 Serving
Ingredients
1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/2 tbsp diced garlic
5 oz ground bison
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
1/2 cup brown rice (cooked)
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 tbsp shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger paste (or 1/2 tsp ginger powder)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 egg
2 egg whites
Directions
1) Place a large sauté pan over medium heat and add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Stir and let onions start to caramelize. Then add ground bison. Break up bison with a large spoon as it cooks.
2) Once meat is starting to brown, add frozen vegetables. Stir and cover for 3 to 5 minutes.
3) Uncover and stir in cooked brown rice, soy sauce, Sriracha, shredded coconut, curry powder, ginger paste, and sea salt.
4) Make a hole in the center of rice mixture (revealing the bottom of the pan), and carefully crack egg and egg whites in the center. Scramble eggs in the hole, then incorporate and mix into the rest of the dish. Serve in a large bowl.
Nutrition (per serving)
487 calories, 37g protein, 36g carbs, 22g fat
50 of the Healthiest Recipes Known to Man >>>
3. Turkey, Bacon & Kale-Stuffed Sweet Potato
Makes: 1 Serving
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for sautéing
1 tsp sea salt
1 dash garlic powder
1/4 cup finely sliced sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 slice turkey bacon, uncured, nitrate-free, sliced into thin 1-inch strips
6 oz ground turkey, 93% fat-free
1 cup chopped kale
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of black pepper
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash sweet potato and coat with 1 tsp olive oil, sea salt, and garlic powder. Bake sweet potato for 45 to 50 minutes. It’s done when a fork can pierce the skin easily. Let cool for 10 minutes.
2) While sweet potato is baking, place a large skillet on medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil, onion, garlic, and turkey bacon. Let onions caramelize for about 3 minutes. Then mix in ground turkey.
3) Once turkey begins to lightly brown on the edges, add kale,paprika, and pepper. Stir and cover for about 5 minutes to let kale wilt and the flavors develop.
4) When potato has cooled, carefully cut off a thin layer on top. Scoop out about 2 oz of potato, forming a hole in the middle.
5) Spoon turkey mixture in the hole and serve.
Nutrition (per serving)
440 calories, 37g protein, 46g carbs, 12g fat
5 Protein-Rich Ways to Make Eggs Even Better >>>
4. Blueberry-Almond Overnight Oats
Makes: 1 Serving
Ingredients
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp all-natural almond butter
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 scoop protein powder
2 packets sugar-free sweetener
Dash of cinnamon
Directions
1) Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 to 4 hours.
Nutrition (per serving)
495 calories, 45g protein, 49g carbs, 19g fat
Freekeh: The Heartier, Tastier, Better-For-You Grain >>>
5. Chocolate–Peanut Butter Banana Pudding
Makes: 2 Serving
Ingredients
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Dash of cinnamon
1 tsp sugar-free sweetener
1 scoop protein powder (preferably chocolate)
1 tbsp peanut butter powder
1/2 tbsp peanut butter
Directions
1) In a bowl, combine chia seeds, mashed banana, vanilla extract, and almond milk.
2) Slowly add cocoa powder, cinnamon, sweetener, protein
powder, and peanut butter powder, whisking with a fork as you go. Protein and cocoa tend to clump, so make sure to stir enough to make smooth. Top with peanut butter.
3) Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Chia seeds expand in liquid due to their gelatinous properties, so mixture will thicken in the fridge.
Nutrition (per serving)
384 calories, 32g protein, 27g carbs, 14g fat
