Happy New Year! We hope you enjoy our selection of twelve recipes for the year ahead which take a fresh approach to some of our favorite eats. If you made a resolution to improve your cooking or nutrition, we hope these recipes support you, and feel like a celebration of good choices.
Black Bean & Quinoa Burger
These are one of the best meatless burgers we’ve tried yet, and they’re only half an hour away.
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Banana Bread Pancakes
Saturday morning pancakes are a beloved ritual. Why not take the nutrition and flavor up a notch by bringing banana and spice to the mix along with some whole grain?
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Classic Macaroni & Cheese
Evaporated milk is the secret to a creamy sauce using low-fat cheese. The next time you’re craving good ol’ mac & cheese, see if this recipe hits the spot.
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Oven Fried Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parmesan is a classic dish, a favorite comfort food, and surprisingly easy to adapt for a nutritious eating plan. Cooking the chicken in the oven, aside from being the easiest method for home cooks, also lets you get a crispy cutlet without the oil involved in deep frying.
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Garlic Rosemary Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Potato chips are good, and sweet potato chips are better. Made at home, where you can control the salt, fat, and seasonings, they’re unbeatable as a snack.
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Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie
If you’re looking for a simple breakfast option, make a big batch of these smoothies and freeze in single-serve portions. Take one out of the freezer when you take one out of the fridge, and you’ll have smooth sailing for a tasty grab-n-go meal when you need one.
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Weeknight Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a popular dish in the Middle East. Richly spiced tomato sauce is used to poach eggs. The dish is often served with a flatbread such as lavash.
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Comfort Food Meatloaf
This healthy makeover of a well-loved comfort food is a recipe worth having in your rotation. Using spices, herbs, and zest to punch up the flavor, this recipe will be requested by your family time and time again.
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Peanut Butter & Fruit Rolls
This easy snack is perfect for kids to make themselves and perfect to pack in a lunchbox. If your child’s classroom is peanut-free, sunflower seed butter makes a nice, allergy-safe alternative.
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New Year’s Soba
Toshikoshi soba, loosely translated as “year-turning noodles,” is a traditional Japanese meal used to ring in the new year.
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Cream of Celery Soup
When you make your own celery soup from scratch, you’ll find it to be not only dead simple, but also worth the effort and worth repeating.
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Ginger Sesame Salmon
Whether used for an appetizer or an entrée, this recipe is sure to be a hit. You can use the leftover meat (hot or cold) as a filling for a sandwich made with whole-grain bread or to add protein to a simple salad.
View recipe »More thinking about New Years
If you’re interested in learning more, here are three great, applicable, New Year blogs to read.
New Year, New You?
According to surveys, 41% of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions, and roughly 21% of those involve eating more healthfully and losing weight, while working out more often is a resolution of about 5% of people. Clearly, improving oneself is a goal—and not inherently a bad thing. In fact, those who set goals are more likely to achieve them—even if it takes multiple attempts. I have no problem with goal setting; it’s a great tool. I do, however, have a problem with the magazine cover line “new year, new you.”
Passing on New Year’s Resolutions
I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. I mean, think about it. What could possibly happen on January 1 that doesn’t exist on December 31 that makes it possible to make a change that has been on your mind for months? Yet many magazines, TV personalities and the like will be talking about how to stick to these supposed resolutions.
Affordable Nutrition for the New Year
As we all transition from the extra expense and calories of celebrating the holidays into the belt-tightening (in more ways than one) of the new year, nutritious recipes that are easy on the budget are worth their weight in gold…or coins, at any rate. This roundup is easy on the wallet and the waistline, but doesn’t skimp on flavor for a minute. Enjoy this jumpstart for a healthier new year!