21 Healthy Recipe Staples That Everybody On A Diet Needs To Know!
There’s a few simple recipes that every person looking to get healthy and lose weight need to know. Knowing your way around the kitchen is a big part of keeping your diet interesting and delicious, which will make it much easier to stick to for the long term.
We have collected 21 healthy, staple recipes for you to learn, from the perfect overnight oatmeal, to a delicious, green salad, to how to cook chicken breasts perfect every time!
Learn and use some of these recipes in your diet and watch your meals get more interesting and enjoyable instantly!
21 Healthy Recipe Staples That Everybody On A Diet Needs To Know!
1. Healthy Pasta Dish
Combining delicious wholewheat pasta with vegetables and pesto is the perfect vegetarian dinner and a great weight loss meal for you to enjoy when you want a little extra carbs! Recipe: http://www.carlasconfections.com/2013/05/skinny-veggie-pesto-pasta.html. Here is another 29 delicious wholewheat pasta dishes for you to try out too: http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/whole-wheat-pasta-recipes
2. The Perfect Baked Chicken Breasts
Like the whole roast chicken, baking the perfect, juicy chicken breasts is a must have recipe in every serious healthy eaters locker. Chicken is one of the most popular proteins, and is a recipe that if you can make right, can make any dieting meal enjoyable! Check out this technique to get the perfect chicken breasts. Recipe: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/baked-chicken-breast/
3. A Big, Healthy Filling, Green Salad
Another staple that you need to have in your repertoire of healthy eating recipes. A salad is healthy, low in calories and full of nutritional benefits. It can be made at the time or prepared earlier in the day to take for lunch. This one is full of kale, quinoa and avocado. It is also a good idea to try out different combinations of ingredients and different styles of salads so you never get bored and always have a delicious, clean eating meal to look forward to. Try this, Greek Salad, Asian Broccoli Salad With Peanut Sauce, or this Thai Quinoa Salad.
4. Delicious Salad Dressing
Having a great, healthy salad dressing can turn ‘some salad leaves’ into a delicious, weight loss meal that you actually enjoy eating. A vinaigrette helps keep the calories down, while maximising the flavour, which is something you need when trying to stick to a diet that helps you lose weight! Recipe: http://www.theskinnyfork.com/blog/skinny-balsamic-vinaigrette Here are another 6 great salad dressings for you to add to your skills also: http://www.skinnymom.com/6-healthy-homemade-salad-dressings/
5. Perfectly Grilled Fish
If you don’t want to go to the extra length of preparing fish in paper or foil, it’s another skill to learn how to cook it on a grill or a pan. Perfect for pairing it with some asparagus (or other greens) and rice, for a quick, healthy meal you can whip up in 15 minutes. Recipe: http://gimmedelicious.com/2013/12/14/mediterranean-grilled-salmon-lemon-herbs-2/
6. A Whole Roast Chicken
A classic, whole roast chicken, is something everybody should learn how to get right! Healthy, delicious, easy to cook and (depending on the size) can provide enough protein for almost a whole week’s work of meals. Don’t deal with dry, bland and flavourless chicken ever again! Recipe: http://www.justataste.com/simple-roast-chicken-garlic-lemon-recipe/
7. Boiled Eggs
Another popular way to cook eggs that many people struggle to get right. Hard (or soft) boiling means you can also take them with you to work or on the go, as a healthy snack or part of a larger meal. Recipe: http://www.practicallyfunctional.com/how-to-hard-boil-eggs-perfectly/. Use this handy chart from Greatist to make sure your eggs are boiled to your liking every time: http://greatist.com/eat/perfect-boiled-eggs-tips
8. Fish In A Bag
Fish is another delicious protein, full of healthy fats (while still being relatively low in calories). It is important to know how to properly cook fish, to retain all the moisture and flavour. Cooking fish ‘in a bag’, is an amazing cooking technique to do this, while adding some healthy vegetables and flavourings, can give you an all in one, ‘ready’ weight loss meal for any night of the week. Try this one from Jamie Oliver. Recipe: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/fish-in-a-bag/
9.Overnight Oatmeal
Overnight protein oatmeal is one of the simplest, tastiest, and most well-balanced quick breakfasts that can be prepared the night before you need and is ready whenever you need it in the morning. No excuses for leaving home without a healthy and filling breakfast again! Recipe: https://dashingdish.com/recipe/brownie-batter-overnight-protein-oatmeal/
10. Protein Pancakes
Protein pancakes are the perfect start to any day. Healthy pancakes made with protein powder, eggs, oats and bananas, that taste great, fill you up and set you up right for the day. Can be made more decadent by topping with more peanut butter and various fruits. Recipe: http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2014/05/skinny-chocolate-banana-oatmeal-pancakes/ Here are another 5 variations of protein pancakes for you to try: http://www.skinnymom.com/rise-and-shine-5-sinless-protein-pancake-recipes/
11. Homemade Protein Cookies
In any diet plan, there is usually some form of ‘cheat’ meal or day that rewards you for sticking to your diet for the majority of the week. These are important, as they keep a balance in your diet and your life and don’t restrict you totally. These protein cookies are a great way to feel like you are ‘cheating’, but are actually eating something you can fit in your diet. Healthy, gluten free, no sugar and full of complex carbs, it’s a great snack or treat to enjoy anywhere or at anytime. Recipe: http://thebigmansworld.com/2015/01/16/healthy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-breakfast-cookies/
12. A Really Good Stir Fry
A stir fry is a quick and delicious way to prepare dinner on those nights that you really don’t feel like cooking. Throw in your favourite meats, with some vegetables and sauce and you have a fast, weight loss meal that’s ready before you know it. Try this ginger beef, mushroom and kale stir fry. Recipe: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/ginger-beef-mushroom-kale-stir-fry-recipe/
13. A Healthy Chilli
A spicy bowl of chilli is a great weight loss dinner when you want something with a little more flavour, you have some left over ingredients that you want to use up and want a delicious, high protein hit! Try this turkey chilli recipe as soon as you can! Recipe: http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2013/09/the-best-turkey-chili-youll-ever-taste.html
14. Perfectly Roasted Vegetables
Vegetables are one of the most important components to anyone’s diet. Full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and all sorts of other good stuff that can help you lose weight and feel healthier. Roasting vegetables is the best, simplest and most delicious way to cook vegetables and retain all their flavour and nutrients. Simply chop up the vegetables you love, some olive oil, herbs and other flavourings and roast in the oven until they are cooked and crispy at the edges. A great addition to the side of any meal, that fills you up with minimal calories. Recipe: http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/roasted-vegetables/
15. Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potatoes have become a staple in every healthy eating diet. Low GI (which means it doesn’t spike your blood sugar), full of nutrients and fibre and a ‘better’ source of carbs than it’s white relatives. Cutting them up and roasting them into fries have become an even more delicious way to enjoy them. Try this one, baked with garlic. Recipe: http://damndelicious.net/2014/05/21/baked-garlic-sweet-potato-fries/. Here is a shoestring version as well.
16. Cauliflower Base Pizza
Everybody loves pizza and by now, most know this little low carb trick of using blended cauliflower to form the pizza base. Cutting the carbs, fat and calories down massively, while still allowing you to enjoy that delicious pizza taste! Try this one tonight. Recipe: http://gimmedelicious.com/2014/03/30/magimix-food-processor-review-the-best-low-carb-cauliflower-pizza-crust-recipe/
17. Classic Vegetable Soup
A favourite and a classic that really can’t be beat. Everyone remembers those times as a child, being sick and having a warm bowl of comforting vegetable soup, that made you start to feel better instantly. Full of delicious and nutritious vegetables, it’s an amazing lunch or dinner to have when you are looking to lose weight. Recipe: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/10/vegetable-soup/
18. Fruit Salad
No real recipe needed, but something that many people don’t really think about making. Chop up all your favourite fruit into equal sized pieces, add a little honey and a twist of lime and you have a quick and healthy snack for you to enjoy! Recipe: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/06/honey-lime-rainbow-fruit-salad/
19. Protein Smoothies
Again, like the smoothies above only add in a scoop or two of your favourite protein powder! Protein shakes/smoothies are brilliant addition to any weight loss diet. They pack in a lot of protein, fats and fruit into your diet, keep you full for longer and can be taken with you on the go, so there is no excuses for reaching for an unhealthy snack. Try this brilliant recipe from ProteinWorld. Recipe: http://www.proteinworld.com/recipes/raspberry-banana-protein-smoothie/
20. Fruit Infused Water
A delicious and healthy way to drink more water. Chop up fruit, herbs and other flavourings and add them into a big container of water and allow it an hour or two to infuse. We all know the benefits of drinking more water and staying hydrated and fruit infused water recipes are a brilliant way to do it! Try this orange and cucumber one! Recipe: http://www.nogojisnoglory.com/refreshing-detox-water/
21. Homemade Protein Bars
The perfect high protein snack that every fitness addict should know how to make. Simple to make, portable and delicious, it can be used in any situation when you need a healthy snack. This one has almond butter, oats and vanilla protein powder. You can search around for other delicious recipes and flavour combinations! Recipe: http://www.runningwithspoons.com/2014/01/07/soft-and-chewy-protein-granola-bars/
