Healthy Eating Hacks for the New Year!
It’s about that time in the New Year when resolutions begin to wane, so we’re bolstering your hopes of healthier eating with some inspiring recipes and ideas. Rather than focusing on all you have resolved to GIVE UP, our list of recipes and fantastic food combinations will provide you with a host of exciting new ways you can GIVE IN!
A variety of diet types are included: gluten-free, vegan, as well as recipes that exclude nothing—except for ho-hum cuisine BONUS: we also chose recipes that are convenient to make—many can be whipped up in 15 minutes or less!
Pack a New Pantry
You’ll have more success sticking to a healthy eating plan if you have the right staples on your pantry shelves. One aim is to delight in flavorful and unexpected ingredients. Pack some sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts in your pantry. Take a look at these recipes and note what ingredients show up over and over again—then add them to your grocery list.
You’ll feel decadent, not deprived, having dessert for breakfast. Make this vegan, gluten-free Blueberry Muffin, fresh-baked in the microwave in under five minutes. Make it in a ramekin or a coffee mug with a little ground flaxseed, a rich source of healthy fat, antioxidants and may help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease. It’s so good, it’s hard to believe it’s good for you.
Gourmet Breakfast Tacos in Minutes
These breakfast tacos from Ambitious Kitchen are naturally gluten-free if you use corn tortillas instead of flour. Boasting an unexpected combination of smoked salmon, dill, and avocado, these are not your average breakfast tacos. The calories in avocados come mostly from fat, but they’re a great source of vitamins C, E, K and B-6 as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, magnesium and potassium. Whew! Get the ingredients lined up the night before, and the only thing you need to do in the morning is scramble the eggs and put them all together.
Drink Your Fruits and Veggies
Smoothies are perfect for breakfast on the run, and you can pack most of your fruits and veggies for the day into one! Invest in a good blender that does a first-class blitzing job, then check out these irresistible smoothie recipes from Women’s Health, including Mint-Chocolate, Peanut Butter-Oatmeal, and Blueberry-Cinnamon-Chia.
And while this is more of a sit and spoon than slurp on the go, a smoothie bowl is another option. The best part is the toppings and Minimalist Baker likes coconut flakes, hemp seeds and chia seeds for added nutrients, fiber and protein.
No Lunch Slump
Lunch is the meal no one wants to waste precious time on, yet options can quickly become boring and repetitive. To get over the lunch slump, try recipes that offer a surprise ingredient or two, like this twist on grilled cheese by Eating Good 4 Life. You’ll feel like you’re on a spa vacation with this sun-dried tomato, pesto, and spinach grilled cheese. Come on, it’s not that hard, right? You don’t have to wait till your next trip to Panera. Expand your horizons, now, right in your own kitchen!
Hummus…More Than a Dip
Sure, hummus is yummy as a dip for veggies—and healthy, too—but when used as an ingredient instead of, say, mayonnaise or salad dressing,, it can take the most basic recipe to a whole new level! This chicken-salad hummus wrap from Kim’s Cravings substitutes hummus for the mayo in a tasty chicken-salad recipe for a more flavorful—and nutritious—wrap filling.
And a quick dinner recipe from the plant-based food blog Fooduzzi uses hummus as the “sauce” for this creamy spinach artichoke hummus pasta. Blogger Alexa is obsessed with cookies, oats and veggies and her plant-based food blog is full of tasty vegan meals and treats.
Don’t Give Up the Sweets!
A life without dessert is a life not worth living. Did someone say that? They should have! The sweets on DaDa Eats, the healthy eating blog that’s been featured on the Today Show, prove you can have your cake and eat it, too. Why deprive yourself of the big finish. There are so many great recipes here, but our favorites are Banana Bread Muffin Tops and Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie.
Embrace the Possibilities at Crystal Valley
Keep your resolutions for a healthier New Year by embracing the possibilities! The kitchens in the new homes of the master-planned community of Crystal Valley are nestled in a natural surrounding that inspires healthier choices. Check out this fast-growing community, with new homes from D.R. Horton, Kauffman Homes, Century Communities, and Richmond American Homes. There’s lots to do in the surrounding area, so stop by to find the new home of your dreams in ranch and two-story models, priced from the $300s.
