Healthy Recipes

The benefits of cooking and preparing your own food

In today's fast-paced culture, the prospect of planning, cooking, and savoring a home-cooked meal can seem daunting. The "quick-and-easy" way of life full of microwaves, fast-food restaurants, and packaged meals easily overshadows the importance of cooking and preparing food the old fashioned way: at home in your own kitchen. Many prepared foods, whether from the drive-thru or a microwave-safe package, can contain a myriad of unhealthy ingredients.

In addition, many of us have been put on special diets to address specific health concerns ranging from heart disease prevention and diabetes, to weight loss. Diets often have you eating the same things over and over which can become monotonous over time. Being exposed to different types of foods and creative methods of preparation can infuse your diet with a new twist and give you the delicious tastes you've been craving.

Taking the time to prepare quick and healthy meals gives you more control over what you and your family are eating. Seeking out a variety of healthy recipes and preparing nutritious meals can help prevent common medical conditions and concerns, and engages your senses in a sumptuous world of flavors, textures, aromas, sights, and sounds!

Making your favorite recipes healthier

What if I just don't have time to cook? Or prepare my lunch? Or eat breakfast? All common refrains from people who don't realize how easy and fast it can be to prepare your own meals. Cooking doesn't have to be complicated.

Recipes for a heart healthy diet

Harvard Medical School breaks down the basic guidelines for heart healthy eating into the following 5 steps:

If you are focusing on a heart-healthy diet, you may want to choose recipes that are low in sodium, high in fiber and protein, and low in saturated fat (unsaturated, "good" fats, like Omega-3 and Omega-6, can actually be beneficial to heart health.)

Recipes for heart healthy breakfasts

• Muesli — With oats, bran, and flax, this high-fiber treat makes a great breakfast. (Waukesha Memorial Hospital Heart Healthy Recipes)
• Applesauce-oatmeal pancakes — Made with egg whites and fat-free milk, these are a delicious low-fat alternative to ordinary pancakes. (About.com: Low Fat Cooking)
• Broccoli-cheddar breakfast burrito — Broccoli is a powerhouse vegetable, and by using a whole-wheat wrap and added flax, you'll get some extra fiber as well. (Discovery Health National Body Challenge)
• Egg and avocado wrap — Avocado is a wonderful source of "healthy fat". (Discovery Health National Body Challenge)

Recipes for heart-healthy lunches

• Open-faced sardine, watercress & carrot sandwich — Sardines are full of healthy omega-3, and carrots pack an antioxidant punch. (Reader's Digest Food & Recipes)
• Chicken veggie pita — Made in 10 minutes flat, this recipes uses whole-wheat pita and heart-wise grilled chicken, along with crunchy cucumbers and tomatoes (which have the added bonus of lycopene, a cancer-fighter, and vitamin C). (Discovery Health National Body Challenge)
• Edamame and summer bean salad — Edamame are full of soy protein, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. (Mayo Clinic Healthy Recipes)

Recipes for heart-healthy dinners

• Southern Catfish Filets – Curb boredom with this peppery, low-sodium seafood dish (American Heart Association - Delicious Decisions).
• Chicken supreme — This recipe uses low-sodium chicken soup and low-fat cheese, for a creamy taste without being unhealthy for your heart. (North Suburban Cardiology Group Recipes)
• Pasta with ricotta and tomatoes — By using whole grain pasta in this easy dish, you can make it even better for your heart. (Heartscreen.com)

Weight loss recipes

Healthy weight loss is about avoiding restrictive or "starvation" diets, and focusing instead on consuming better foods and controlling portion sizes. Incorporating a variety of healthy recipes into your eating plan will keep diets from becoming boring or repetitive. Healthy snacking is also a smart way to stave off hunger and avoid bingeing on fattening, processed foods — so we've included some recipes for filling, weight-loss appropriate snacks, as well as quick and easy meal ideas.

Snacking for healthy weight loss

• Cucumbers & cottage cheese — A crunchy, creamy snack with a protein and calcium boost. (Eating Well.com)
• Banana, apricot and bran smoothie — Fiber helps fill you up; the natural sweetness of fruit can curb sugar cravings. (WeightLoss.com — Australia)
• Spice-roasted almonds — Almonds are great sources of vitamin E, protein, and healthy fat, and are thought to lower LDL cholesterol. (MedicineNet.com)

Breakfast recipes for healthy weight loss

• Spinach scramble — Thanks to flavorful pepper and spinach, you won't miss the fat in this recipe, (About.com — Walking Recipes)
• Quick apple muesli — Chock full of fruits, nuts, and fiber, this muesli combines with low fat yogurt to give you a healthy, delicious and filling start to your day. (Delicious Low Fat Recipes — commercial site)
• Low-fat apple bran muffins — If you're always on the go, these fiber-filled low fat muffins are a perfect solution. (Family Oven.com — commercial site)

Lunch recipes for healthy weight loss

• Turkey and broccoli crepe — A light, easy meal with nutritional powerhouse broccoli. (Mayo Clinic Healthy Recipes)
• Grilled chicken Caesar salad — This remake of a popular salad uses heart-healthy olive oil and grilled chicken which cuts the fat to 10 grams. (Food Network)
• Zesty minestrone — Pairing some whole grain bread with this flavorful, vegetarian soup makes for a hearty but healthy lunch. (Low Fat Recipes.com)

Dinner recipes for healthy weight loss

• Pan-seared halibut with lemon-herb mayo — With only 7 grams of fat and 231 calories per serving, this seafood feast works well with any diet. (Food Fit.com — commercial site)
• Tofu manicotti — Vary your protein sources with silken tofu, which can be a great substitute for cheese in Italian dishes. (Better Homes and Gardens)
• 15-minute chicken & asparagus stir-fry — Diet meals don't need to be time consuming. Not only is this chicken dish quick and easy, it's stir-fried to provide taste without added fat or calories. (World's Healthiest Foods - The George Mateljan Foundation)

Preventing cancer through diet

New research is strengthening the link between healthy eating and the prevention of certain types of cancer. Eating more fruits and vegetables, limiting red meat, and incorporating more "healthy fat" and fiber into your diet can help fight many forms of cancer, while strengthening your immune system and general health.

Cancer-fighting recipes

• Flaxen French toast — Flax contains lignans, a substance thought to prevent breast cancer, as well as healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. (Alive Magazine)
• Linguine with sautéed veggies — This delicious pasta has broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, jalapenos, garlic and turmeric — all known cancer fighters. (BFeedMe.com — commercial site)
• Berry blender blast — Berries contain ellagic acid , found to prevent cancers of the skin, bladder, lung, esophagus and breast. This smoothie has the added benefit of soy protein from tofu. (Walgreens.com Health Corner)
• Mashed sweet potatoes and turnips — With beta-carotene, fiber and vitamins A, C and E, sweet potatoes are a true super food. Turnips are in the cancer-fighting cruciferous family of vegetables. (American Institute for Cancer Research)
• Tofu creamed spinach — This recipe is not only high-protein from the tofu, but thanks to the cartenoids, folate and anti-oxidants in spinach, it is an anti-cancer delicacy. (AllRecipes.com)

Recipes to prevent osteoporosis

The treatment plan for osteoporosis always includes ensuring that there are sufficient amounts of calcium and Vitamin D in the diet. Foods rich in calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, tofu, sardines, salmon, turnips, and some green and leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli and kale. The main food sources of vitamin D are cold saltwater fish (e.g., salmon, halibut, and herring), fortified milk, egg yolks, liver, and especially fish oils.

Osteoporosis-fighting recipes

• Raspberry popsicle parfaits — Made with high-calcium yogurt. (FoodFit.com — commercial site)
• Cottage cheese cantaloupe salad — Cottage cheese is a great source of calcium. (Reader's Digest Food & Recipes)
• Three-cheese spinach frittata — Between the spinach, cheese, and eggs, you'll have much of your calcium and vitamin D needs taken care of by breakfast! (Good Housekeeping)
• Sauteed tofu with bitter greens — A filling combination of calcium-rich tofu and bitter greens. (Martha Stewart.com)
• Sauteed chard and salmon — Salmon provides vitamin D, while the swiss chard adds some much-needed calcium. (Whole Foods Market)
• Fettucine with mushroom sauce — By using evaporated milk, you can create a creamy, calcium-rich comfort food without all the fat. (OBGYN.net)

Recipes for a diabetes diet

A diet for diabetes should keep blood glucose from rising too high or dipping too low. Eating too much can cause blood glucose to elevate to unhealthy levels. Conversely, the consequence of glucose levels dropping too low is hypoglycemia , or low blood sugar. This can manifest as nervousness, trembling, weakness, and "brain fog." Thus, the key is to stabilize blood glucose at a healthy level.

In addition, diabetics are at significant risk for increased blood pressure and high cholesterol, two of the main risk factors for heart disease. Besides managing blood glucose levels, eating a heart healthy, low-cholesterol diet can help diabetics further reduce their risk of heart problems.

A selection of recipes appropriate for diabetes

• Cran-apple oatmeal (American Diabetes Association — Virtual Grocery Store)
• Banana bars (American Diabetes Association — Virtual Grocery Store)
• 7-minute egg casserole (DLife.com — commercial site)
• Chicken-chutney wraps (Diabetic Gourmet Magazine)
• Upside-down taco (Diabetes Self Management — commercial site)
• Slow-roasted butternut squash & carrot soup (Liberty Medical — commercial site)
• Parmesan-crusted pork tenderloins (Fabulous Foods.com — commercial site)

Related links for healthy recipes

General healthy recipes

The World's Healthiest Recipes — Database allows you to search for recipes based on particular ingredients that you'd prefer included or excluded in the meal. The majority of these recipes have preparation and cooking times of 30 minutes or less. (The George Mateljan Foundation)

5 A Day Recipes — Search for recipes that contain fruits and/or vegetables based on type of meal, preparation time, season, and color. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute)

Meals for You (commercial site) — Advanced search finds recipes based on particular diets (i.e., vegetarian, diabetic, etc.), taste, preparation time, and nutritional requirements. (Point of Choice)

Recipe makeover — Learn "how to convert typically unhealthy western style foods into healthier, lower calorie versions — without sacrificing the taste." Recipes include nutritional analysis. (Mediterrasian.com)

Healthy recipes for heart disease prevention

Delicious Decisions — Online "cookbook" from the American Heart Association.

Cooking the Heart Healthy Way — Collection of recipes that are low-fat and promote heart health. (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute)

Heart-Healthy Recipes — Large and diverse collection, including appetizer and beverage recipes. (Mayo Clinic)

Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss

Weight-Loss Recipes — Recipe ideas for a well-balanced diet. (Readers Digest)

Heart Healthy Recipes —List of recipes and foods for people who are on a low-fat or low cholesterol diet plan. Includes cakes, main entrees, and snack foods. Recipes include nutritional analysis. (Waukesha Hospital)

My Recipes — Healthy Diet — Website offering searchable, healthy recipes from Cooking Light and Health magazines.

Healthy recipes for cancer prevention

Recipe Corner — Contains numerous healthy recipes for a variety of meal types including appetizers, breads, beverages, soups, entrees, and desserts and provides diet and health guidelines for cancer prevention. (American Institute for Cancer Research)

Recipes — Browse healthy recipes by type of meal including breakfast, appetizers, soups & salads, entrees, side dishes, beverages & shakes, and desserts. Recipes include nutritional analysis. (Stanford Cancer Center)

Cancer Center Recipes — Offers numerous cancer-preventing recipes. (University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center)

Healthy recipes for a diabetes diet

Recipes and Virtual Grocery Store — Offers a number of nutritious recipes searchable by ingredient, keyword, or meal type and provides an overview of the importance of a healthy diet for diabetic patients. (American Diabetes Association)

Diabetic Recipes — A collection of over 800 recipes which are both diabetic-friendly and heart healthy. (Diabetic-Recipes.com)

Diabetic Gourmet Recipe Archive — Recipes divided into categories such as "Regional and Ethnic," "Sauces and Condiments," and "Holidays and Special Occasions." (Diabetic Gourmet Magazine)

Recipes to prevent osteoporosis

Calcium-rich recipes — Includes guidelines on calcium needs for osteoporosis, and recipes incorporating significant calcium and vitamin D. (ObGyn.net)

Recipes for Healthy Bones - Online cookbook of international recipes rich in calcium and vitamin D. (International Osteoporosis Foundation)

Suzanne Barston created this article with contributions from Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Gina Kemp, M.A., Robert Segal, M.A., Heather Larson, and Deborah Cutter, Psy.D. Last modified on: 3/19/08.