As a Dietitian my mission in simple: Help others to eat foods that promote healthy bodies and minds. Time and time again, I hear people say “eating healthy is boring” or ‘vegetables taste bland.” I cringe a little bit inside, every time I hear those words, yet, I get it. For the longest time eating healthy meant consuming a plate of brown rice, steamed broccoli, and plain grilled chicken. Ugh. This was considered the quintessential diet meal of the past and unfortunately a lot people still associate eating healthy with unappealing, dull options like this.
Countless studies show taste compared to any other factor (convenience, price, healthfulness, etc.) is the primary driver for food choice. So as a Dietitian I’ve learned that the one of best strategies for getting my clients to eat more healthfully is by leading with flavor first, NOT nutrition facts. Most people want to make healthy choices but they believe they will be sacrificing taste for nutrition. I am hear to let you know that sticking with a healthful diet doesn’t mean you need to be eating tasteless, bland food.
How to Get Out of Your Food Rut
One of the most common reasons we get in a food ‘rut’ with healthy eating is because we are eating the same things over and over. One of the best ways fight ‘healthy eating’ fatigue is by seeking inspiration from others, starting with everyone’s friend—Google.
Just this morning, I typed ‘healthy recipes sites’ into Google’s search bar and over 300 million results were returned. Umm, yeah—we are certainly not short on ideas for healthy eating. But as we all know, it can be tedious and even overwhelming sifting through so many option. Anyone here experience ‘paralysis analysis’ when they have too many choices? Yeah, me too.
Which Is exactly why I’ve done some research for you and have gathered a list of my favorite ways to gain inspiration in the kitchen.
Seek Inspiration from Food Bloggers
Some people think food blogs are dead (I thought that for a while), however, I could not be more wrong. As of 2020, more than 500 million blogs exist. I don’t know what percentage of those blogs are focused on food but I’d imagine it’s an impressive figure. Which made deciding which blogs to share with you tough job— but I persevered.
4 of My Favorite Health-Focused Food Bloggers
Below are four bloggers you need to follow right now. These sites include everything from lightened up comfort classics like King Ranch Chicken to creative veggie-based entrees like Korean BBQ Style Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps.
Well Plated – Erin Clark (the name behind Well Plated) focuses on crafting flavorful, nutritionally balanced recipes using whole foods and minimally-processed ingredients. If you are craving something-sweet try her guilt-free Peanut Butter Banana Cookies. She also has a cookbook filled with over 130 fast, healthy recipes for every meal of the day.
Eat Yourself Skinny – I love this site not only for it’s clever name but the story behind it. Kelly, the creator of the site, started this blog shortly after she met Chris (her now husband). The ‘honeymoon period’ of dating caused them both to pack on more weight than they liked – so Kelly started creating weight-friendly recipes to get their health back on track. Try Kelly’s Asian Shrimp Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing
The Real Food RD’s – My list wouldn’t be complete without featuring this duo of Registered Dietitians–Jessica and Stacie. They “have combined their love of nutrition, health and real food with the concepts of ease and convenience to bring you recipes that are big on flavor but short on ingredients.” If you are short-on time this week, try out their 7 ingredient One-Pan Chicken Caesar Veggie Bake.
Pinch of Yum – The name of this site is a bit misleading because Lindsay’s recipes are anything but just a ‘pinch of yum.’ I’d say a more apt title would be ‘I’m pinching myself because I can’t believe healthy food tastes this good!’ I’ve tried more recipes from Pinch of Yum than any of the other blogs mentioned here. And let me tell you, her food tastes as good as it looks….hello, Coconut Curry Salmon.
Peruse Some Tried-and-True Publications
Before blogging was ever a thing, most of turned to online and print publications- devoted to nothing but recipe development. News flash…these still exist! And the perk of publications is that the recipes have gone through rigorous recipe testing before editors ever hit ‘publish.’
Check out these Oldies but Goodies
REAL SIMPLE – As the name implies, the recipes here are real simple. I truly believe that eating healthy doesn’t need to be complicated or labor-intensive for that matter. What I love about Real Simple’s recipes is their focus on using good quality ingredients, simple preparation techniques, and combining ingredients that simply make sense together. Take these Twice-Baked “Burrito Style” Sweet Potatoes for example. I will be making these soon.
Eating Well – This site is all about catering to the health-conscious eater. It’s jam-packed with recipes and meal plans ranging from Mediterranean, Vegan, Clean Eating lifestyle, and so much more. They also have a ton of helpful information on diet as it relates treating diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and weight-management. Since soup season is upon on us, consider their Chicken and Kale Soup.
Food Network – Forget about watching your favorite Food Network star in action, get in the kitchen and start cooking yourself! Sure Food Network has some chefs that don’t exactly cook healthy (i.e., Paula Dean – bless her butter-loving heart), but not every recipe here calls for 2 pounds of sugar and butter. In fact, they have a whole section of their site devoted to healthy cooking. Swap out that steamed broccoli for these Zucchini Parmesan Crisps from Chef and Registered Dietitian, Ellie Krieger.
Get Pinning on Pinterest
Some say ‘pictures can speak a thousand words’ which is probably why Pinterest continues to gain popularity as a place for not only ‘pinning’ your favorite recipes selections from various sites but perusing other people’s recipe portfolios. Search for ’30 minute healthy dinners’ or ‘one-sheet pan’ meals and you will gain a ton of ideas to add to your recipe repertoire. Also, be sure to check out the recipe collection I’ve started compiling for my own clients to use.
Crack Open a Cookbook
Lastly, remember those cookbooks collecting dust on your kitchen shelves? Yeah, me too. I have a whole stack I often forget about. Consider pulling out a few and seeing if anything gets your creative juices flowing. Also, be sure to checkout the list of Amazon’s top selling healthy cookbooks this year. Below are the links to a few of my favorites.
I hope you are feeling a little more inspired after today’s post! I’ve given you a lot ideas to think outside of the ‘chicken-rice-broccoli’ box. However, don’t feel like you need to overhaul your diet all at once. Choose just one or two new recipes this week to shake up your meal routine.
Still feeling a bit overwhelmed as to where to start to get back on track? No prob. That’s what I’m here for. Drop me a line, I’d love to figure out how we can work together to make healthy eating a regular part of your routine. Ps. Let me take care of the meal planning for you
Cheers,
Alisa