Tasty Recipes That Will Fit Into Your Healthy Diet

Living healthy is equal parts exercise and eating, neither of which are as straightforward as they may appear. There is a common misconception that if you want to live a healthier lifestyle, you need to forgo pleasure in favor of pain. Pain in this sense is about the struggle and conquering of personal goals at the gym, and the struggle of eliminating foods from your daily diet.

It stands to reason that there are a lot of ways that this is true. You can’t gorge on chips and chocolate every day if you want to get fit, even if you are exercising plenty. Calories in versus calories out do apply, but you can’t deprive yourself of the joys of food too. Food is intrinsic to our lives and there are still plenty of ways you can eat food that isn’t bland and still remains healthy.

Fitting healthier options into your diet isn’t restricted to plain chicken, broccoli, and rice every day. You have a wide range of variety in the culinary world to choose from that won’t hurt your efforts, so here are some exceptionally tasty recipes that will fit neatly into your healthy diet and lifestyle.

Sirloin Steak Fajitas

A classic recipe that is neither hard to make, nor unhealthy if done right. Sirloin steak contains plenty of essential nutrients like protein and iron, but it’s also tasty too. The professionals https://cleaversorganic.com.au/ recommend looking for meat parcels or you can try your luck with grocery-bought as well. Either way, fajitas are a simple recipe that you can see here:

• 1 beef sirloin (1lb)
• 2 tbsp fajita seasoning
• 1 large sweet onion
• 1 red pepper
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Cilantro
• 1 avocado (sliced)
• 1 lime (wedges)

First, season the steak with fajita mix. Grill steak and vegetables on a rack for 4 to 6 min each side. Steak should be rare/medium rare/medium-well (internal temp of 135 – 145 degrees), vegetables should be tender. Slice steak into strips and cut vegetables similarly, add to fajitas, top with cilantro, avocado slices, and spritz lime wedges.

Eggplant Casserole

Eggplant is an excellent source of vitamins for your diet. It’s also very versatile if you know what you are doing. This dish is inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine, which has a broad range of flavors. Here is how to make an eggplant casserole:

• 2 or 3 eggplants (large)
• 3 or 4 potatoes (medium/large)
• 5 tbsps of vegetable oil
• 5 tsp of salt
• 1 white onion (large)
• 1 red pepper
• 5 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses (if unavailable, you can cook it regardless)
• 5 cups of hot water
• 1 tsp of salt
• 5 tsp of black pepper
• 5 tomatoes (large)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and peel eggplant into strips, then cut into circles. Peel and wash your potatoes then cut into ¼ circle pieces. Coat/sprinkle eggplant and potato pieces in olive oil (3 tbsp) and salt (1 tsp), then put on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel onions, wash pepper, cut into thin slices. Cook in a skillet or pan with remaining olive oil on medium heat until soft/tender. Mix your water, tomato paste, salt, and pepper with diced tomatoes. Layer the casserole with the eggplant, onions, peppers, and potatoes, then finish by pouring tomato sauce on top. Bake for 45 minutes and let sit for 10-15.

Lemon Garlic Salmon

Salmon is a classic ingredient that is incredibly versatile, delicious, and healthy. This lemon garlic salmon will allow you to shock your taste buds without shocking your diet. Here is how to make a simple lemon garlic salmon dish:

• 2lb salmon fillet
• Salt (kosher, table, sea salt)
• 5 lemon, sliced
• Parsely
• 1 large lemon for zest
• 2 lemons for juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves of chopped garlic
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 5 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, paprika, black pepper in a bowl, whisking well. Brush a large piece of tinfoil with the rest of the olive oil, place it on a baking sheet. Pat dry salmon fillet, season with salt, brush sauce onto both sides evenly. Fold foil over the fillet, making sure the seam is facing up. Bake between 15-20, checking more frequently if the fillet is thinner. Unfold tinfoil and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

Shakshuka

If you’ve never heard of shakshuka, that’s okay, because it’s not that well known to too many outside of the Middle East and Mediterranean region. Shakshuka comes from Tunisia, in North Africa, but it is common in Egypt, Israel, etc. It’s a simple, yet decadent meal that will be worth the effort:

• Olive oil
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 or 2 green peppers
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• Coriander
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Red pepper flakes (if you prefer spicy, otherwise not needed)
• 6 vine tomatoes (chopped)
• 5 cup of tomato sauce
• 6 eggs (large)
• Parsley (for garnish)

Heat olive oil in a skillet, add chopped onions, minced garlic, and peppers. Add spices (coriander, cumin, paprika), a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce to the skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, let simmer for about 15 min. Uncover and cook until thickened. Make indents in sauce with the back end of a spoon (wooden, preferably). Crack and add eggs to the indents in the sauce. Cook on low to medium until egg whites are cooked. Garnish with parsley and serve.

These recipes are not complicated as you can see, but they do allow you to add some variety to your food choices. It isn’t hard to get a wonderful array of flavors without sacrificing nutrients and sticking to your diet. Just because you want to live healthier doesn’t mean your food choices have to suffer.