6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (2024)

January is the month where webegin to think about our health and fitness. Achieve your wellness goals this year while still satisfying your taste buds with these six tasty recipes fromNaked Nutrition: Whole Foods RevealedbyAnnie Miller and Amy ChoateandThe 100% Natural Foods Cookbookby Caleb Warnock.

Quick Turkey Supper Pie

6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (1)

Makes a 1.5 ­quart round casserole dish| Start to finish: 30 minutes

"Nothing is as cozy as a turkey supper pie on a cold autumn or winter evening. Only one thing can improve the experience: being able to make the pie in 25 minutes. There are two secret ingredients in this pot pie. The first is oatmeal flour, which gives the gravy the old-­fashioned flavor and texture like grandma used to make it. Oatmeal flour is available at health food stores. If you can’t find oatmeal flour, you can use regular rolled oats instead. The second is the phyllo dough crust. I love the flakey layers of crunchy filo, but if the papery texture doesn’t please you, use puff pastry instead. While turkey is my favorite way to make this dish, you can use any protein. If you choose steak or hamburger, use beef stock."

- 1 onion

- 1∕2 teaspoon salt

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- dash of pepper

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 1∕4 teaspoon thyme

- 2 beets or turnips, diced

- 2 cups of stock (turkey, chicken, or vegetable)

- 3 carrots or parsnips, diced

- 1∕4 teaspoon marjoram

- 2 potatoes, diced

- 1∕2 cup Swiss chard ribs or celery, diced

- 1∕2 cup corn kernels

- 1 cup cubed cooked turkey chicken, or vegetable)

- 2 tablespoons oat flour

- 1∕2 cup peas

- 1 roll of prepared filo dough pastry (also called phyllo dough)

1. Chop the onion. In a heavy pan (enameled cast iron works best) soften the onions.Over medium heat in the butter and olive oil. This will take about 5 minutes.

2. Add the vegetables (except the peas), meat, herbs, and spices, to the onions and cook another 3 minutes.

3. Pour the stock into the pan and cook until the stock is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the oat flour. The mixture will quickly thicken. Turn off the heat. Stir in the peas. Pour the mixture into a round 1.5­-quart glass or stoneware baking dish.

5. Cut a square of prepared filo pastry. Cover the casserole dish, allowing the four corners to stick up. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until filo dough is golden brown. Serve warm.

Found inThe 100% Natural Foods Cookbook.

Alphabet Vegetable Soup

6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (2)

Serves: 6–8 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Start to finish: 1 hour

Ingredients:

- 2–3 onions, roughly cut

- 2 celery stalks, sliced

- 2–4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 Tbsp. salt

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1∕4 cup fresh parsley, or 2 Tbsp. dried parsley

- 1∕2 tsp. turmeric

- 8–10 cups sliced or chopped vegetables of choice (carrots, celery, potatoes, and so on)

- 4–6 fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp. dried sage

- 2–3 bay leaves honey, to taste

- 1 zucchini (for alphabet letters), optional

This is the classic plant­-based version of chicken noodle soup. My children love to cool this soup by adding frozen peas. Steam fry (in 1∕4 cup water) or sauté onions, celery, garlic, and salt in olive oil until onions are translucent, 5–7 minutes. Transfer onion sauté to blender. Add 2 cups water, parsley, and turmeric. Process until smooth. Return stock to the pot. Add 4–6 additional cups water (less for a thicker broth, more for a thinner), prepared vegetables of choice, sage, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10–15 minutes.

Optional Alphabet Letters

While soup is simmering, make alphabet letters by thinly slicing zucchini in rounds. With small 1­inch cookie cutter shapes or alphabet letters, cut into each zucchini round. Place on a tray and set aside. Use either or both the alphabet letters and shadow cut. Five minutes before serving, add shapes or alphabet letters to the soup to cook. Salt and pepper soup broth to taste (it will need more salt). If the variety of chosen vegetables leave the soup slightly bitter, add honey 1 teaspoon at a time to reach desired balance. Remove sage and bay leaves. Serve immediately. If not serving immediately, reserve cut letters for when soup is reheated.

Found inNaked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

Sun ­Dried Tomato Lasagna or Spaghetti

6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (3)

Serves: 4–6 | Prep time: 25 minutes | Start to finish: 30 minutes

Sun­ Dried Tomato Sauce:

- 2 cups sun­dried tomatoes or 2 (3­oz.) packages

- 2 1∕2 cups water (for soaking tomatoes)

- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced 3 onions, diced

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1∕2 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. dried oregano

- 2 tsp. dried basil

- 1∕2 tsp. dried winter savory

- a handful of fresh herbs, optional (thyme, marjoram, basil, oregano)

- pinch of cayenne

- 2–4 roma or small tomatoes, quartered, optional

- 2–6 tsp. honey, to taste salt and pepper, to taste olives, sliced

If you plan to make the lasagna, use less water for a thicker sauce. Sun­ dried tomatoes vary in saltiness, so be sure to wait until the end to salt the sauce. Also, the amount of honey will vary from time to time because sugar content depends on the seasonality and variety of the tomato. Lastly, if adding olives, look for brands like Santa Barbara that don’t use ferrous gluconate as an additive. Soak sun­dried tomatoes in a bowl with water until soft (10–20 minutes). Save the water. Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil and salt. Cook until translucent and soft, about 5–8 minutes. Keep sauté warm until tomato sauce is done. Food processes the soaked tomatoes, dried and fresh herbs, and cayenne until chunky. Add fresh tomatoes and pulse until mostly smooth. Add the tomato soak water 1∕2 cup at a time to reach desired flavor and consistency. Additional water may be necessary if sauce is thick. Combine the tomato sauce with the warm sauté and stir. Salt, pepper, and add honey to taste. Add sliced olives last.

Pasta Variation

- 1 recipe sun­dried tomato sauce

- 6–8 small zucchinis or 2 spaghetti squashes

For zucchini, spiralize or peel strips with a peeler. For spaghetti squash, cut each squash in half, place on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees for 45–60 minutes, until a fork easily pierces squash flesh. Scoop squash’s spaghetti strings into a serving bowl after baking. Pour sauce over squash of choice and serve garnished with fresh basil and hemp seed.

Fresh Lasagna Variation

- 4–6 small zucchinis

- 1 recipe sun­dried tomato sauce

- 1 handful fresh basil

- 2 tomatoes, sliced

- Cashew basil butter

With a peeler, shave zucchini into long strips. Fold in half and cut in two pieces (each piece will now be 3–4 inches long). Lay 3 strips next to each other, edges slightly overlapping. Spoon tomato sauce over the first layer of zucchini strips. Add another layer of zucchini strips, and then spoon cashew basil butter over the zucchini. Add another layer of zucchini and layer fresh basil leaves and tomato slices. Continue adding layers of zucchini, alternating with tomato sauce and basil butter. Finish with basil butter on top and garnish with fresh basil and hemp seed. Serve immediately.

Found inNaked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

Versatile Hummus

6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (4)

Serves: 10 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Start to finish: 30 hours

Ingredients:

- 2 cups garbanzo beans, sprouted and cooked (see pp. 8–11)

- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, raw

- 1∕2 cup water

- 1∕4 cup sesame seeds

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1 Tbsp. lime juice or 1 Tbsp. water with 1 drop lime essential oil

- 3∕4–1 tsp. salt, to taste

- 1∕4 tsp. garlic powder

- 1∕4 tsp. onion powder

- 1∕4 tsp. cumin powder

- 1∕4 tsp. chili powder

For a fun variation, try adding one or several of these:

- 1–2 handfuls spinach

- 1∕2 cup chopped cilantro

- 1 small avocado

- 1∕2–1 small jalapeño

- 1∕4 red bell pepper, chopped more salt to taste

This hummus is perfect because it is heartier than a dressing dip. I like to prepare large batches of garbanzo beans and freeze them so I have them on hand. Helpful hint: 1 cup dry garbanzo beans = 3 cups cooked. Place garbanzo beans and all other ingredients (basic and variations) in a food processor with the “S” blade. Process until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days.

Found inNaked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

The “Man” Salad

6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (5)
Photo from iStock

"After marriage, I discovered that not all men can live on salad. After a few years of trial and error, Josh and I figured out the salad that satisfies a man. There are 3 main components to creating the “Man” Salad: Sprouted lentils/Beans: they are a heavy food and require more work to digest, which creates heat in the body and thus acts similar to meat in the body. The other two components are sprouted or toasted seeds and rich and creamy nut based dressings."

Directions:

Create a salad base with greens: 4–6 ounces of greens, per plate for an adult. Add sprouted seasoned lentils or beans (see p. 14). Add a combination of vegetables, ensuring there is at least one root vegetable (carrot, radish, onion, beet, sweet potato). Here are some ideas:

- avocados, dressed in lime juice

- beets, skins off or left on, spiralized

- grated carrots, julienned or spiralized

- chard, cut into ribbons

- collards, cut into ribbons

- corn, raw and cut off cob

-cucumbers

- ginger, freshly grated

- herbs, fresh, chopped fine or cut into small pieces jicama, cubed

- kale, cut into ribbons

Add in any of these mix-ins:

- olives (black or green, without ferrous gluconate, a color enhancer)

- onions, thinly sliced

- peas, thawed under warm water and then drained

- peppers, colored

- pickles (raw, fermented)

- sauerkraut (raw, fermented)

- sprouts (radish, alfalfa, buckwheat, pea shoots, sunflower greens, broccoli)

- tomatoes

- zucchini or yellow squash, sliced and quartered or spiralized

Drizzle with a dressing of choice and top with sprouted or baked seeds. Enjoy a hearty salad!

Found inNaked Nutrition: Whole Foods Revealed

Japanese Gyoza Potstickers

6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (6)

Makes: 40 potstickers | Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Potstickers are crunchy comfort food at our house. Cooked perfectly, they are crisp on one side and delightfully chewy on the other. Served hot and dipped in gyoza sauce, these are easy to fall in love with. Gyoza is one of a handful of Japanese comfort foods that have taken the western world by storm, and with good reason.

Ingredients:

- 1∕4 cup water

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 1∕2 onion

- 1 carrot or parsnips 1 beet

- 1 potatoes

- 1∕2 lb. ground pork

- 1 egg

- 1 package prepared round wonton wraps

- 2 tablespoons water (additional)

Blanch the vegetables by steaming or boiling. Mince or mash the blanched vegetables. Mix in the meat and egg. Lightly wet one round wrap with water. Put 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrap. Seal the wrap by using a potsticker press or by pressing the edges closed with the tines of a fork. Put a tablespoon of oil into a frying pan. Heat on medium high. Add about 12 potstickers to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and add 2 tablespoons of water. Immediately replace the lid. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the potstickers are puffy and golden brown on the bottom. Serve hot with gyoza sauce.

Gyoza Sauce

- 2 teaspoons soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

This recipe is per person. This sauce is usually served in a small dipping bowl (available at Asian food stores) at each place setting at the table. Hot potstickers are typically dipped into the sauce using chop­ sticks. If you are not comfortable using chopsticks, this sauce can be poured over a serving of 10–12 potstickers. The three ingredients in this sauce are not stirred. Simply pour the ingredients into a bowl.

Found inThe 100% Natural Foods Cookbook

Find more healthy, delicious recipes to try this year inNaked Nutrition: Whole Foods RevealedbyAnnie Miller and Amy ChoateandThe 100% Natural Foods Cookbookby Caleb Warnock.

6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (9)
6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (10)
6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (11)
6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (12)
6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (13)
6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (14)
6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (15)
6 Healthy Recipes That Don't Taste Like They're Good for You (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthy food for people who don't like to cook? ›

Ways to Eat Healthy Without Having to Cook
  • Precooked Whole Grains. 1/13. ...
  • Frozen Veggies. 2/13. ...
  • Precooked Chicken Strips. 3/13. ...
  • That's a Wrap. 4/13. ...
  • Deli Chicken. 5/13. ...
  • Lower-Sodium Soups. 6/13. ...
  • Canned Salmon. 7/13. ...
  • Ready-to-Eat Boiled Eggs. 8/13.
Aug 28, 2023

How do you eat healthy when you hate the taste? ›

Pair with foods you already like: Start by adding a slice of tomato to a beloved hamburger or mushrooms into an omelette. Play with texture: If you hate mushy vegetables, try raw, shredded, roasted or stir-fried versions instead. Love crunchy foods? Try baked kale or beet “chips.”

What is the least healthy cooking method? ›

If you want to be at an increased risk of heart disease at all times, deep frying is for you. Not only this, frying also adds saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. High temperatures end up destroying the nutrient value of your food.

What is a healthy food to eat without cooking? ›

Canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) Canned beans. Frozen pre-cooked chicken strips (not breaded, no sauce) Pre-cooked whole grains, like brown rice or quinoa.

What are 15 unhealthy foods? ›

List of Unhealthy Food that you must avoid
  • White bread. White bread is one of the most commonly consumed food by Indians. ...
  • Ready-to-eat Breakfast Cereals. ...
  • Fried Food. ...
  • Bakery Products. ...
  • Pizzas. ...
  • French Fries and Potato Chips. ...
  • Processed Meat. ...
  • Ice creams and Frozen Yoghurt.
Mar 25, 2022

What should I eat if I crave junk food? ›

There are plenty of nutrient-dense, whole foods that can satisfy a craving for something sweet or salty. Fresh berries, a fruit smoothie, peanut butter on a celery stick, or one slice of whole grain toast with almond butter can help conquer cravings for junk food and add important nutritional value.

What to eat when you don't want to eat healthy? ›

Add grilled vegetables or a creamy avocado sauce, or trade classic toppings for healthier choices. With time, your body will develop a taste for healthy foods and you'll want to eat more of them! You'll make healthier choices without even realizing it!

Do I really need to eat healthy? ›

Eating healthy help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and many other diseases and conditions. The good news is, eating right doesn't have to be hard or require you to give up all the foods you love. And it can be easy, affordable and delicious.

How to eat healthy if you don't like vegetables or fruit? ›

Nuts, seeds and avocado — a fruit masquerading as a vegetable — also contain healthy fats. Choose low-fat dairy products. You can get your much-needed calcium from leafy green vegetables, but in their absence, good supplies of calcium can also be found in low-fat dairy products.

What is the healthiest meat to eat? ›

While meat can be a part of a healthy diet, not all sources are created equal. The leanest and healthiest meats to eat include poultry, pork, fish, and seafood. Eating a balanced diet is one of the keys to a healthy lifestyle, which means choosing various foods from different food groups, like proteins.

What foods to eat before bed to lose weight? ›

What to eat if you're hungry before bed and don't want to gain weight
  • A small bowl of plain yogurt topped with berries.
  • A low-fat, sugar-free protein shake.
  • A handful of nuts.
  • Two tablespoons of peanut or other nut butter and an apple.
  • Coconut yogurt topped with a handful of nuts or berries.

How can I be healthy and not cook? ›

  1. Stock Up on Easy Breakfast Foods. Start the day right with a healthy breakfast. ...
  2. Easy Lunch and Dinner with Protein and Carbs. ...
  3. Buy Ready to Eat and Frozen Vegetables. ...
  4. Stock Up on Health Snacks. ...
  5. Use Spice Blends. ...
  6. Cook Once and Eat Twice. ...
  7. Keep Convenience Foods on Hand. ...
  8. Outsource the Grocery Shopping.
Aug 10, 2022

What are some foods that don't need to be cooked? ›

Food Group Examples
  • Canned tuna or salmon, tuna/salmon/chicken pouches (e.g., Starkist Creations)
  • Rotisserie chicken.
  • String cheese or Babybel cheese.
  • Frozen turkey burgers, frozen veggie burgers (e.g., Beyond meat)
  • Greek yogurt.
  • Cottage cheese.
  • Frozen cooked shrimp, or seasoned fish fillets.
  • Peanut butter.
Oct 21, 2021

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Trent Wehner

Last Updated:

Views: 6240

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Trent Wehner

Birthday: 1993-03-14

Address: 872 Kevin Squares, New Codyville, AK 01785-0416

Phone: +18698800304764

Job: Senior Farming Developer

Hobby: Paintball, Calligraphy, Hunting, Flying disc, Lapidary, Rafting, Inline skating

Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.