We’ve rounded up 20 of our best easy and nutritious recipes to help you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions this year.
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The start of a new year means most of us are extra motivated to eat healthy, get fit, and be our best selves. But we all know that it’s nearly impossible to stick to those lofty New Year’s Resolutions for longer than a few weeks – especially without a game plan. To help you actually stick with your resolutions this time around, we’ve compiled a list of our best recipes for the new year, based on 3 criteria:
- The recipe is easy for anyone to make
- The recipe is healthy (read more on our definition of healthy here!)
- The recipe is flavorful and tastes like something you’ll actually want to eat
Ditch the plain vegetables, boring salads, and protein shakes you think you need to be eating and instead, start 2024 off right with these nutritious, flavorful, and easy recipes!
1. Mediterranean Chicken & Rice
Packed full of protein, this Mediterranean chicken with homemade hummus and rice is a flavorful spin on a classic chicken and rice dish. Making the hummus from scratch is a healthier alternative to store-bought and adds a creaminess to this dish that makes it feel more indulgent.
2. Spicy Udon Noodle Vegetable Stir Fry
Stir fry is the perfect way to load up on your daily serving of vegetables. The best part about this udon stir fry is you can add almost any of your favorite veggies to customize the flavor to your liking! The spicy sauce adds so much umami you won’t even realize you’re eating vegetables.
3. Sweet Potato Black Bean Rice Bowl
With sweet potato, black beans, avocado, pepper, and onion, this bowl is packed with flavor, protein, and nutrients while still being a vegetarian recipe. It’s so delicious and comforting, you’ll forget you’re even eating a healthy meal! Plus, the leftovers make an easy lunch for the next day.
4. Spinach Tomato & Olive Oil Pasta
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Adding these three fresh ingredients – spinach, tomatoes, and a high quality olive oil – to your pasta is a fun, light and healthy twist on a classic pasta dinner.
5. Southwest Chili Lime Salad With Chicken (Panera Copycat)
If you just can’t bring yourself to eat salad, but know that you should, try our Panera copycat southwest chili lime salad. This salad is packed full of flavor with bean corn salsa, tomatoes, and a creamy dressing – and lighter on the leafy greens – for a delicious and healthy lunch.
6. Strawberry Balsamic Avocado Toast
This fun twist on avocado toast is a sweet breakfast treat that you don’t have to feel bad about! This recipe is all about using fresh ingredients to help get your morning started on the right foot. Sub in whole grain bread for a healthy meal that will leave you feeling full and satisfied all morning long.
7. Cashew Crusted Fish Tacos
If you like fried fish, try swapping beer batter for a savory, crunchy crust made out of cashews. Served in corn tortillas with quick pickled cabbage and a lemon aioli, these seafood tacos are the perfect lighter dinner for special occasions – or Taco Tuesdays!
8. Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
A healthy yet comforting meal, this slow cooker vegetarian chili makes for a great dinner on a cold winter night. It’s packed with black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, and chili peppers for nutrient-rich and satisfying flavor.
9. Black Bean and Rice Bake
For simple, easy flavor on meatless Mondays, try this black bean and rice bake! Tomatoes, peppers, and a few spice rack staples bring tons of flavor and added nutrition to black beans and crispy rice in this family-style dish.
10. Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
This sweet potato breakfast hash is a healthy alternative to a traditional breakfast side dish. Serve this flavorful hash with an egg casserole or omelet for a well-balanced and nutritious breakfast.
11. Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
Slow cooker chicken tinga is the perfect healthy recipe for meal prepping. This flavorful yet simple recipe is perfect for adding protein to salads, burrito bowls, tacos, and more!
12. Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Bowl
Made with a simple store-bought marinade and glaze, it doesn’t get much easier than these Asian chicken and rice bowls. Cook the chicken while the rice steams and dinner will be on the table in just 45 minutes.
13. Vegetarian Mediterranean Rice Bowls
If you love Mediterranean flavors, you’ll love this nutritious rice and veggie bowl served with hummus and tzatziki. The best part? You can roast the veggies and chickpeas in the oven, which means you only need about 15 minutes of hands-on time to make this easy meal.
14. Dairy Free Acai Smoothie Bowl
Got a blender? Turn your morning smoothie into a protein-packed acai bowl with fresh fruit and peanut butter granola. This healthy breakfast will help you power through those Monday morning meetings – we promise.
15. Cauliflower Tikka Masala
If there’s one surefire way to make cauliflower taste amazing, it’s drenching it in a spicy tikka masala sauce. Served with steamed basmati rice and a side of naan, this one-pot vegetarian dinner is comforting and healthy at the same time. Pro tip: make plenty so you can enjoy the leftovers all week long!
16. Asian Chicken Salad
This Panera-inspired Asian salad with chicken and sesame dressing is ridiculously easy to make at home, and tastes better than the original. Prep all the ingredients at the beginning of the week for easy assembly day-of and enjoy healthy (and yummy) salads for days.
17. Vegetarian Quinoa Harvest Bowl
Still want to cozy up with fall and winter flavors this January? Try a simple harvest bowl, made with our fall vegetable medley, quinoa, and feta cheese. It’s nothing fancy, but it hits the spot when you need both comfort and nutrition.
18. Lemon Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash With Spinach
Spaghetti squash is no replacement for actual spaghetti. But it’s pretty darn close, if you’re willing to make the swap for a low-carb alternative! This easy spaghetti squash is irresistibly flavorful with its punch of lemon, garlic, parmesan, and spinach.
19. Gochujang Rice Bowl With Chicken & Pickled Cabbage
Can you tell we love a good rice bowl? This Korean-inspired bowl is like many of our other favorite healthy recipes for the new year – you can prep all the ingredients ahead of time, then simply assemble when you’re ready to eat. Perfect for your weekly meal prep.
20. Healthy Chicken Enchiladas
This healthier twist on traditional chicken enchiladas tastes just as good as any restaurant dish, but with way less calories and sodium. We swapped flour tortillas for tomato wraps, enchilada sauce for homemade ranchero sauce, and used plant-based queso for extra veggies without compromising the decadent saucy texture of true enchiladas.
Looking for more easy, healthy, and nutritious recipes? Check out these ideas:
- 17 Easy Weeknight Dinners For When You’re In A Pinch
- 7 Delicious Pasta Recipes You Can Make In Under 30 Minutes
- Slow Cooker Tomato Soup
- Shakshuka For Two
- Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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