Nutritious Life recipe

Simple, Fresh Spring Vegetable Recipes You’ll Love

Sure, squash is delish. But after a long, cold winter, you start to crave the bright, fresh flavors of spring. Enter these spring vegetable recipes, which will make enjoying those flavors easy. Think crunchy asparagus with grains, salads filled with artichokes, radishes, and peas, and creative ways to use that first crop of leafy greens. RELATED: Easy Salad Dressing Recipes to Dress Up Your Veggies These dishes of course taste the best if you eat them while soaking up a little sunshine…or breathing in the scent of blooming tulips. Spring Vegetable Recipes Perfect Spring Salad If you’re looking for a dish that really celebrates spring’s veggie bounty, this is it. Peas, radishes, and artichokes all pop up fresh at the start of the season and are filled with vitamins and minerals. Greek yogurt and hemp seeds add protein and a whole lot of other goodness. Snow Pea and Napa Slaw Fresh spring carrots, green onions, and snow peas are paired with nutrient-powerhouse Napa cabbage: The cousin to kale delivers antioxidants like vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin K. Serve the crunchy, zesty slaw alongside burgers, fish, or almost any other protein. Asparagus Farro Salad Farro is an ancient grain that’s an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals and is also higher in fiber than brown rice or quinoa. Its dense, chewy texture pairs perfectly with crunchy, fresh asparagus. Healthy Creamed Spinach Leeks deliver a mild onion flavor and strong health benefits. They contain carotenoids, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and K. Paired with nutrient-dense spinach and goat cheese for protein, this dish is creamy, delicious goodness.

7 Healthy Chicken Dinners That Actually Aren’t Boring

Chicken is a popular American choice for lean protein, since it’s affordable, easy to cook, and has a neutral flavor. That doesn’t mean, however, that healthy chicken dinners have to be bland and boring. Those boneless, skinless breasts are actually a great canvas for creation, and depending on what you cook them with, they can be sweet, savory, spicy, or tangy. Step out of your comfort zone (or coop?) and try these recipes, next. 7 Healthy Chicken Dinners Sage- and Seed-Crusted Chicken Tenders Buh bye, breadcrumbs. Who needs ’em when you can get the same crispy texture from super healthy sesame and sunflower seeds? Serve them with kale chips, and it’s a full, nutrient-packed meal. (FYI: This one is definitely kid-approved.) Spinach, Bok Choy, and Chicken Stir-Fry Bok choy is an under-the-radar Asian green that’s packed with vitamins A, C, and K, and here it’s combined with chicken and a ton of other nutrient-dense veggies—like peppers, scallions, spinach, and garlic. Not to mention how the sweetness of peanut butter complements salty tamari. Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken The standard grilled chicken breast gets a simple, fast upgrade thanks to a tasty, tangy marinade that also provides antioxidants. Stuffed Chicken Breast with Lemon-Artichoke Pesto Ham and cheese are not the only things you can stuff in a chicken breast. Instead, this recipe uses anti-inflammatory artichokes, walnuts, and antioxidant-rich garlic. Balsamic Chicken This one is simple and classic, meaning it will appeal to nearly everyone. It includes heart-healthy olive oil and the single most antioxidant-rich spice, oregano, and you can throw the finished product in all kinds of meals—over greens for a salad, for example, or on top of whole wheat pasta for dinner. Lemon Walnut Chicken The tangy lemon flavor pairs well with vibrant tarragon and crunchy walnuts. In addition to chicken’s lean protein, the nuts add healthy fats. Mango Chicken The fresh and colorful option: Bring a little island flavor into your kitchen (or, better yet, to your warm-weather barbecue) by adding nutrient-packed ingredients like mango, ginger, and cilantro to your chicken.

5 Instagram Salads to Inspire a Week of Healthy Lunches

It’s hard to find the inspiration to pack a healthy lunch to bring to work, but scrolling through Instagram salads can help. Healthy food bloggers just have a knack for making kale covetable and turning cauliflower into…well… anything. It’s why they do what they do (or at least why you follow them). RELATED: 5 Expert Tips for Healthy Food Photos on Instagram And following their lead really is worth it, since research shows making your own meals means you’ll ingest fewer calories. You’ll also be less tempted to grab cholesterol-raising deep-fried falafel from that local food truck. Not to mention how much easier it will be to get through the afternoon slump if you’re powered by fresh veggies and clean protein. RELATED: The Essential Guide to Plant-Based Protein You don’t have to recreate their exact recipes, but check out these five gorgeous, healthy Instagram salads for inspiration, and then start spinning and chopping ahead. 5 Instagram Salads for Healthy Lunches Steak and Kale Salad, @hemsleyhemsley Spicy Thai Salad with Shrimp, @againstallgrain Wheatberry and Cauliflower Salad, @eating_peanut_better Roast Veggie Salad with Lentils, @deliciouslyella Herbed Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, @cookieandkate

Easy, Delicious Recipes for Gluten-Free Baking

Whether you’ve got Celiac disease or are just trying to eat less wheat, mastering gluten-free baking is one of the trickiest steps to going gluten-free. (Okay, parting with pasta is pretty painful, too!) RELATED: The Dos and Don’ts of Going Gluten-Free First of all, you don’t want to end up with dry, dense muffins or cookies that are as chewy as a stick of gum. And you definitely don’t want to spend hours blending dozens of flours together. RELATED: The 6 Best Gluten-Free Flours These recipes take care of both dilemmas. They result in tasty baked goods everyone will love and are as easy as pie to make. (Actually, scratch that. Have you ever made pie crust? These are much easier.) 6 Amazing Recipes for Gluten-Free Baking Sweet Potato Pie Cookies These are gluten-free, but also totally grain-free and refined sugar-free. What do they have? Healthy fat from coconut oil, antioxidants from cinnamon, and protein from hemp seeds. Fudgy Chocolate Chickpea Brownies It’ll take you just 10 minutes (really!) to get these in the oven for gooey chocolate bliss served up in under an hour. The Healthiest Zucchini Bread Now this is what you call wonder bread. You’ll be stirring in almond, coconut, and cassava flours, which are way more nutritious than white flour, and other nutrient-dense ingredients like sweet potatoes. Protein-Packed Corn Muffins Planning a southern BBQ feast? Serve these corn muffins made with garbanzo flour alongside that organic pulled pork. Double Chocolate Cupcakes Moist chocolate cake and rich chocolate icing—no grains or white sugar needed. You’re convinced already, right? Healthiest Morning Glory Muffins If you love the flavors of autumn, you’ll fall for these muffins fast, thanks to pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon. Bonus: chia seeds add a protein punch.