Roasted veggie grain bowl
When you buy them from a health food store, produce-packed grain bowls (sometimes called Buddha Bowls) can quickly put a dent in your wallet. But when you make them at home, they're pretty inexpensive. This bowl from Jeannette Ogden of Shut The Kale Up features roasted Brussels sprouts, peppers and asparagus, as well as brown rice. Over the weekend, bake the veggies for at 175°C, until browned (about 40 minutes) and refrigerate. Then, when you're ready to craft your bowls throughout the week, simply combine the ingredients and top with a spoonful of beans and some pickled cabbage.
PRO TIP: To make your own pickled cabbage, place sliced leaves in a large bowl and toss with 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp of honey, and 1 tsp of kosher salt. Set aside for 20 minutes in the refrigerator, and then drain the liquid. Easy!
Cauliflower pasta
Serving pasta with cauliflower (or other veggies) is the perfect way to sneak extra nutrition into dinnertime, as Sara Forte of Sprouted Kitchen demonstrates with this savoury dish. To make it, roast a large head of chopped cauliflower, seasoned with smoked paprika and nutmeg, for 20 minutes at 230°C. Then, stir the cauliflower into the pasta, and top with breadcrumbs and parsley, to taste.
PRO TIP: To make homemade whole-wheat breadcrumbs (a healthier alternative to the traditional processed kind), simply bake whole wheat bread slices in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 150°C. Then, slowly pulse the bread in a food processor with garlic, oregano, parsley and black pepper, to taste.
Stuffed collard wrap
Get stuffed—but not bloated—with this light vegetarian wrap that substitutes leafy greens for bread. Carina Wolff of Kale Me Maybe tops collard greens with quinoa, edamame, carrots, cucumber, avocado, low-sodium soy sauce and lemon before rolling everything up burrito-style. Like cauliflower, collard greens are part of the cruciferous family and are a low-carb alternative to tortillas and wraps. Collards are also a potent source of choline, which helps regulate sleep, memory and muscle movement. Delicious and nutrient-filled? That's what we call a win-win!
PRO TIP: Most recipes instruct you to rinse quinoa before cooking it, but it's actually not necessary. Rinsing this grain-like seed washes away its bitter coating, but if you prefer an earthier flavor and firmer texture, you can simply skip this step.
Sweet potato quinoa bowl
You may be identifying a theme: Healthy eaters love wholesome bowls! And it's easy to see why: It's perhaps the easiest way to load a variety of healthy ingredients into one place, and there are endless ways to get creative. In this colorful bowl from Courtney Swan of Realfoodology, sweet potatoes appear alongside chicken, roasted carrots, quinoa, pickled red cabbage and avocado. Whip up a batch of quinoa and roast the carrots, potatoes, and the chicken at the beginning of the week (45 minutes at 200°C), so you can assemble this healthy meal in minutes whenever hunger strikes.
PRO TIP: If you don't have time to bake your veggies, swap roasted carrots for raw ones, and cook the potato in the microwave. Simply puncture it a few times with a fork and zap it for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the spud at the halfway point to ensure even warming.
Butternut squash pasta
Sick of jarred tomato sauce? Take a cue from Jeanine Donofrio of Love and Lemons and saturate your favourite pasta with butternut soup, instead. In a high-speed blender pulse 1 can of butternut squash soup, ½ a cup of raw cashews (soaked and drained), ½ a cup of chopped raw carrots, 1 Tbsp of fresh rosemary, 1 garlic clove, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp of tomato paste and a ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Toss the mix with hot whole-wheat or chickpea-based pasta and a few scoops of starchy pasta water (i.e. the water that the noodles cooked in). And presto! You have a meal that boasts the healthy benefits of squash, which range from blood pressure control to reduced risk of death from stroke and heart disease.
PRO TIP: If you’re a fan of soft pasta, you may be losing some of its nutritional value. Just like scorching certain vegetables, cooking pasta for too long can strip it of good-for-you nutrients like fibre and water-soluble B vitamins. To retain the most nutrients, boil your pasta for less than 15 minutes, and don’t rinse it after, as doing so washes away precious vitamins.
Grilled avocado sandwich
Packed with creamy goodness and tons of flavor, this addictively delicious sandwich from Live Green Healthy is sure to become your new favourite. To make it, stuff a grilled cheese sandwich—made with mozzarella and goat cheese—with pesto, spinach and avocado.
PRO TIP: To get your sandwich to perfect golden-and-crispy status, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Press down on the sandwich lightly and cook until it’s golden brown on one side, then flip and repeat.
Combo plate
Healthy meals are all about balancing your macronutrients—including protein, carbohydrates and fibre—and this dish from Olia Saunders of PS.NY proves that it can be done in a simple and tasty way. Fill your plate with rice, chickpeas and hummus, and a plethora of colourful vegetables for a healthy meal any time of day.
PRO TIP: Aim to make your plate as colorful as possible. In the vegetable world, different colours translate to different nutrients. While red and purple veggies like capsicum and eggplant boast heart-healthy anthocyanins, green produce packs vitamin K, folic acid, potassium and isothiocyanates, which may have anti-cancer properties.
Potato stir-fry
Your staple stir-fry needn't centre around beef and thick, sugary sauces. This fresh stir-fry from Be Smart Eat Smart showcases sweet potato stir-fry with tofu, brown rice and peanut sauce.
PRO TIP: For crispier tofu, "press" it before cooking. Line a plate with a folded paper towel and place the tofu on top, followed by a small plate. Put a heavy weight on top of the plate (like a large can) and leave for 15 minutes to extract liquid. You can also use a tofu press.
Pineapple corn plate
If you love Mexican and Hawaiian foods, take inspiration from Josiane Marquis of Cafe Jojo. In this delightfully simple plate, roasted corn with lime juice and smoked paprika appears alongside quinoa, roasted pineapple (cover with fresh lime juice and bake at 230°C for 15 minutes), cucumber, coriander and avocado. It may be unexpected to pair corn with pineapple, but these yellow staples make a perfect pair. Not only is the flavour addictively delicious, but they both have important health benefits: Sweet corn is high in lutein, a phytochemical important for healthy eyes. Meanwhile, pineapple is even higher in vitamin C than an orange and is also rich in bromelain, an enzyme that may reduce inflammation.
PRO TIP: Look for a pineapple that’s plump with green leaves on the crown, and make sure the body is firm (not soft!). After picking, a pineapple won’t ripen any further, but it may lose freshness. If you don’t plan to eat them right away, store pineapples in the refrigerator, so they stay fresh.
Egg tacos
These savoury dinner tacos by Jared and Kezia Neusch, the husband-and-wife team behind The Whole Food Diary, prove eggs can—and should—be enjoyed around the clock. Top spelt or whole-wheat tortillas with roasted squash, cabbage, pumpkin seeds and fried whole eggs, a source of inflammation-fighting healthy fats.
PRO TIP: When you're frying an egg, cover the pan halfway through cooking. This allows the pan's steam to cook the top of the whites, so they're not runny.
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