When people ask for healthy recipes, that can mean very different things for each person because their needs will vary. As we start a new year, however, I wanted to give a few insights into how to eat healthy overall as people are trying to make changes in their life for the new year.
For me personally, I focus on a low-carbohydrate diet because I have followed a low carbohydrate diet since November 2020 due to being diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Since then, I have lost 80 pounds and feel much better! It’s helped me get my sugars under control, which is better for my overall health.
A few tips I would suggest for being successful at starting a new way of eating:
Focus on recipes that use seasonal ingredients
Buying food when it’s in season is an easy way to find less expensive options. It also helps with not getting bored with the same ideas for your meals every day as your menu will change as the seasonal offerings evolve.
Shop local as much as possible
I will always encourage shopping local when it comes to food! This will also help with focusing on seasonal food. Some items, like citrus fruit and seafood, will naturally be imported from states or countries farther away from here. Shopping with your neighbors and regional growers will help the local economy, plus they also will make sure you know how their food is grown or made.
Stay simple!
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated! Both the recipes I share below are easy to do and don’t take a lot of time. Trying to be overly elaborate will make it harder to stick to a plan.
Two delicious healthy recipes ideas
These are two of my favorite low-carb options for recipes!
Roasted Salmon with a Dill Mustard Sauce
Serves 4
1 carbohydrate per serving
3 Tablespoons of Greek yogurt
1 ½ Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 ½ Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill or jarred dill
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (6 ounces) fresh or frozen salmon fillets, skinned
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl and stir well.
Place fish skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Spread mixture over fish.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until desired doneness.
Herbed Cheese Mini Peppers
Makes 20 servings
2 carbohydrates per serving
10 red, yellow, and orange mini peppers
1 lemon
1 8 oz Neufchatel or cream cheese (softened)
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, rosemary, tarragon, or thyme if using dried use 1 tsp. of each
2 Tbsp. finely chopped Serrano peppers
1 Tbsp. Milk
Cut each pepper in half, remove and discard seeds.
Mix all ingredients together and spread in each pepper.
Cover and chill before serving.