Healthy Recipes For A Healthy Lifestyle
One of the most effective ways I found to keep me accountable on achieving my goals is to have a close friend hold me accountable for my actions. For gym days, it is Marisa and Alex pushing me to lift more weight than my trembling body thinks it can handle. For eating healthier, it’s Huyen texting me pictures of her healthy meals to remind and inspire me to make better food choices throughout my day. For anything work-related, it’s Wendy keeping me motivated, productive, and pushing me to produce my best work. Honestly, I am eternally grateful for all of these friends (and more) who keep me in check, because without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today when it comes to my mental or physical health.
For today’s blog post, a popular subject that a lot of you guys requested was a compilation of healthy recipes that I have tried and love. Personally, I admit that I start eating unhealthy meals when I cannot think of anything to cook at home and END UP buying fast food or takeout due to the short-term gratification effect it has on us. However, because homecooked meals often lead to healthier eating choices and lower expenses, I KNOW that I want to hop back on the healthy bandwagon and I plan to take all of you with me! This month, I’ve partnered up with Milk And Eggs to introduce to you guys a bunch of fun, easy-to-make recipes that don’t require a lot of time or prep work. Let’s jump into it!
Before we get started, I want to emphasize that these meal suggestions or recipes are HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES than what you could find at your local restaurant or fast food chain. Personally, I find that when I make the effort to swap out unhealthy ingredients for more nutritious ones, it makes a HUGE difference in both calorie and nutrient intake.
There are so many health benefits when it comes to eating healthy, such as a more uplifted mood, better sleep, etc. With a little discipline, you can attain all of these health benefits as well, and it’s not hard to do once you make small changes in your life! So without further ado, let’s get started!
Discount Code:
Use "MISSMICHELLE" for $20 off your online Milk And Eggs purchase of $40 or more.
That's 50% off of your next groceries spree!
Breakfast Options
Two Scrambled Eggs & Two MorningStar Farms Maple Flavored Vegetable Patties
Ingredients:
2 Brown Eggs - buy from the Milk & Eggs website here.
Directions:
Cook two scrambled eggs in a pan and add a dash of Trader Joe’s Onion Salt. Honestly, this salt just adds so much flavor to my eggs and I can’t imagine ever cooking eggs without this spice!
Add oil to pan and pan-fry two vegetable patties. Cook on medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, then flip patty to cook the other side for another 3-5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts: One vegetable patty contains 8g of protein and is only 80 calories! These vegetable patties are low in calories compared to your standard bacon and sausage options!
Supreme Omelette
Ingredients:
Directions:
Add oil to pan, then two eggs. I choose to scramble the eggs just a LITTLE bit so that the yolk and egg whites are combined.
Wash vegetables and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add chopped vegetables to the scrambled eggs mixture.
Cook for 3 minutes on medium-low heat, before flipping omelette in half (like a quesadilla!) once one side is cooked well! Fold in half.
Avocado Toast
Ingredients:
Directions:
Place 1 slice of whole wheat or multi-fiber bread/bagel in the toaster. Meanwhile, add olive oil to the pan and cook one egg on medium-low heat until fully cooked. Personally, I like to scramble mine, but you can do sunny-side up if desired! Add Trader Joe’s Onion Salt to the eggs because that shit is BOMB!
Slice 1 avocado in half. Scoop out avocado into a bowl and mash. Add a dash of garlic salt and black pepper. Spread avocado mash on to toasted bread.
Add cooked egg on top and serve.
Scrambled Egg & Hashbrown Breakfast Burrito (LOVE this recipe because you can meal prep and freeze these burritos and/or take them with you on-the-go to work! Find the original recipe link here.)
Ingredients:
2 Brown Eggs - buy from the Milk & Eggs website here.
1 Mission Garden Garlic Spinach Herb burrito-size tortilla (because whole wheat tortillas taste like cardboard LOL)
1 Frozen Hashbrown from Trader Joe’s Hashbrown Patties
2 tbsp. of Trader Joe’s Chunky Salsa (LOVE this salsa because it has a kick of sweetness!)
Directions:
Bake 1 frozen hashbrown on 425 or 20 - 25 minutes. Cut into bite-sized pieces once baked fully. Should have a crunchy texture!
Heat tortilla in a pan on low heat until it warms up slightly. Do not cook until hard/crispy - just enough to warm it up!
While the tortilla is warming up, scramble two eggs in another pan on medium-low heat. Sprinkle Trader Joe’s Onion Salt on the eggs.
Place warm tortilla on a plate, and add scrambled eggs and chopped hashbrown on to the tortilla. Add 2 tbsp of salsa. Personally, I also like to add a bit of ketchup and sriracha as well!
Wrap into a burrito and serve.
One Bowl of Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt With Chopped Fruit & Toppings
Fruit Suggestions
Toppings Suggestions: Chocolate Sea Salt Granola by Purely Elizabeth, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds
One Bowl of Quaker Oats’ Oatmeal
Directions:
Add one pre-packaged Quaker Oaks packet or 1/4 bowl of plain oatmeal to a bowl. Add a little bit of cold water until the oats are almost floating (make sure not to add TOO much water!) in the bowl. Microwave for one minute.
If you don’t like plain oatmeal, you can add a dash of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon for added flavor (just don’t go crazy with the sugar, hah).
Meat/Fish Recipes
Roasted Lemon Pepper Cod (With A Side Of Veggies)
Honestly, you can purchase the BOMBEST roasted lemon cod from your local Costco - it comes premarinated! Just follow the instructions on the box and you’re good to go :) Pair with your favorite side of veggies - I love eating this fish with stir-fried green beans!
Meatloaf
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs of ground meat (Use organic or grass fed/no hormone from Whole foods or Trader Joe's, Lean 10% fat, Use a mixture of beef and turkey) - buy from the Milk & Eggs website here.
1.5 to 2 cups of Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
3 Brown Eggs - buy from the Milk & Eggs website here.
1 Organic Red Onion, minced - buy from the Milk & Eggs website here.
1 cup parsley/cilantro, minced - buy from the Milk & Eggs website here.
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1.5 to 2 cups of water (Use less water if you think the meat mixture is mushy already)
1 to 2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cumin/coriander powder
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Let sit/marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator. After a few hours, take the mixture out of the fridge and form into a rectangle loaf in a loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or 1.5 hours. Optional: Add ketchup on the top for the last 15 minutes.
Honey Soy Sauce Flavored Salmon
Ingredients:
Fresh or frozen salmon - psst, the salmon on the Milk & Eggs website is BOMB! Buy it here.
Pepper
Honey
Soy Sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Wash salmon under a running faucet, and use the edge of a knife to scrape across the salmon skin for extra cleanliness. Use a dry paper towel to absorb all of the water out of the fish. The paper towel process is SUPER IMPORTANT so that your fish doesn’t come out mushy!
Place salmon on a piece of aluminum foil on a baking pan. Add a dash of pepper to the salmon. In a separate mixing bowl, combine 1 - 2 tablespoons of honey with a little bit of soy sauce. Too much soy sauce will make this salmon taste salty AF! Pour honey and soy sauce sauce mixture over the salmon.
Bake salmon for 15 - 20 minutes, or until well cooked - you can poke a chopstick or fork into the fish. It should be a tender, '“falls off the bone” type of texture and not raw/wet.
Tempura Crusted Japanese Mayonnaise Salmon (this is a HOMEMADE recipe from a college friend ;) Honestly, not the HEALTHIEST recipe on this list but at least it has salmon!)
Ingredients:
Fresh or frozen salmon - psst, the salmon on the Milk & Eggs website is BOMB! Buy it here.
Pepper
Garlic Salt
Lemon
Japanese Mayonnaise (you can pick this up at your local Asian grocery store - Hmart or 99 Ranch should have it!)
Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Wash salmon under a running faucet, and use the edge of a knife to scrape across the salmon skin for extra cleanliness. Use a dry paper towel to absorb all of the water out of the fish. The paper towel process is SUPER IMPORTANT so that your fish doesn’t come out mushy!
Place salmon on a piece of aluminum foil on a baking pan. Spread a thin layer of Japanese mayonnaise with a butter knife until salmon is covered evenly. Add whole wheat bread crumbs on top of the mayonnaise layer, followed by a dash of pepper and garlic salt. Lastly, add a few drops of lemon juice for that added citrus kick!
Bake salmon for 15 - 20 minutes, or until well cooked - you can poke a chopstick or fork into the fish. It should be a tender, '“falls off the bone” type of texture and not raw/wet.
Vegetarian Recipes
All of these vegetable dishes are GREAT to eat as side dishes! Also, vegetables are a great way to substitute unhealthy fillers such as white rice.
Enoki Mushroom & Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wash, chop, and dispose of ends of enoki mushroom (always comes with a chunk of dirt, yuck!). Wash, chop, and dispose of ends of baby bok choy.
Add olive oil to pan and throw mushrooms/bok choy into pan on medium-low heat. Add a little bit of Liquid Aminos for added flavor (don’t add too much or it’ll be super salty!). Pan-fry for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are “soft”/”liquidy”.
Green Beans Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
Organic Green Beans - buy from the Milk & Eggs website here.
Shallots
Directions:
Add olive oil to pan and pan-fry green beans for 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Add shallots for an extra kick of flavor. SO DAMN GOOD.
Spaghetti Squash (find original recipe link here).
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450F.
Split the squashes in half & scrape out seeds. Line an oven tray with aluminum foil. Season the spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place flesh side down and roast for 30 - 40 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from the oven and let squashes rest until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a large saute pan for 3-5 minutes on medium-low heat. For vegetarians, you can add chopped red onions, mushrooms, or any other vegetables that you would like your spaghetti squash to come with! For meat lovers, you can add ground turkey or beef.
When squash is cool enough to handle, using a large kitchen spoon scrape the strands of squash from the inside of the skin. Toss the spaghetti squash in the pan with the hot marinara for just long enough to get hot. Serve and enjoy.
Honey & Balsamic Vinegar Roasted Brussel Sprouts (see original recipe link here).
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs fresh brussel sprouts - buy it from the Milk & Eggs website here.
2 tbsp olive oil (for baking)
1 tbsp olive oil (to mix with honey and balsamic vinegar)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Peel off the outer dry/dirty brussel sprout leaves, cut the bottom off and slice in half.
In a large bowl, toss brussel sprouts with olive oil and black pepper to coat thoroughly.
Bake brussel sprouts in oven for approximately 20 minutes.
Take brussel sprouts out of oven and coat with honey, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil mixture.
Olive Oil Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs fresh brussel sprouts - buy it from the Milk & Eggs website here.
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Peel off the outer dry/dirty brussel sprout leaves, cut the bottom off and slice in half.
In a large bowl, toss brussel sprouts with olive oil and black pepper to coat thoroughly.
Bake brussel sprouts in oven for approximately 20 minutes.
Roasted Sweet Sweet Potatoes with Honey & Cinnamon (find original recipe link here)
Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes - buy it from the Milk & Eggs website here.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.
Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.
I hope that this detailed list of recipes has left you guys more inspired to cook something new in the kitchen! Let me know which recipes stand out to you, or which recipe you want to try out! Also, since Valentine’s Day is coming up, why not take one of these recipes and whip up something special for the boo? Heh ;)
What is your favorite meal/entree to cook? Is it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert?
Talk to me in the comments section - let’s chat!