5 Must-Have Healthy Fall Recipes

Fall recipes seem to conjure up visions of comfort food, often laden with butter, sugar, and maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon. And a dash of nutmeg. And accompanied by a mug of hot deliciousness. And served in a pumpkin. Even though we all crave comfort food as the air gets crisper, there are many ways to enjoy the fall harvest without having to hibernate in cozy sweats all winter long. True comfort foods make you feel good, not stuffed and “yuck”, and so it’s time to rethink your definition of delicious fall recipes. Here are 5 healthy, simple, go-to fall recipes to get you in the mood for the season and leave you feeling amazing! 5 Must-Have Healthy Fall Recipes: Butternut Squash Smoothie Barley Breakfast Salad Baked Eggplant Stuffed Mushrooms 3 Bean Chili

Fun, Healthy Recipes to Enjoy on St. Patty’s Day

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Everyone’s Irish today, right?! Even if you don’t have a drop of Irish in your blood, this holiday is always a fun one to celebrate just because. One of the best things about any holiday is, of course, the food. Because, what would a celebration be without the “eat, drink and be merry” part?  If you’re searching for a list of healthy, but also fun and delicious recipes to help you celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day this year, we’ve pulled a few together that we think you’ll love.  Shamrock Shake Smoothie What would St. Patty’s Day be without the Shamrock Shake? Here’s a healthy spin on the classic Shamrock Shake, filled with nutritious veggies, packed with antioxidants, and of course, green for celebratory purposes.  You can always add some green powder for an even bigger boost. Oh, and the minty fresh after taste will have you wanting to make this even after we’re done celebrating St. Patrick.  Green Tea Yogurt If you want to keep everything green today, we suggest starting the day off with some green tea yogurt. What’s fun about this recipe? There are only 3 ingredients, and it’s an easy, healthy way to get an energy boost any day of the year. Frosty Coconut Mint Green Tea Mocktail This non-alcoholic refreshment is gluten-free, vegan, and paleo, with just a few simple ingredients that’ll leave you feeling hydrated and festive at the same time. It’s a super-fun Saint Patrick’s Day beverage the kids can enjoy too. Leprechaun Hats If you want to make a simple, but adorable and fun snack for everyone in your home, these little leprechaun bites are just the thing. With just a few, healthy ingredients, these bite-sized snacks are perfect for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Happy St. Patty’s Day snacking. St. Patrick’s Day Party Appetizer  Who isn’t looking for the end of the rainbow on St. Patty’s Day? Well, this iconic St. Patrick’s Day party platter will help you find it. If you want to make this recipe even healthier, try one of these 7 delicious healthy dips and enjoy your veggies with one of these fun dips.  Healthier Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage + Veggies Who doesn’t love the traditional Irish meal—corned beef and cabbage? If you want to make this classic Saint Patrick’s Day dinner recipe just a little healthier and lower in sodium (without losing out on taste) this version checks off all the boxes. This recipe calls for clarified butter or ghee instead of butter.  St. Patrick’s Day Fruit Salad Fruit salad makes a great snack, appetizer, or even dessert. This version uses every type of green fruit you can imagine, making it the perfect fruit platter for your St. Patty’s day celebration.  Vegan Spinach Pancakes Get your greens and your party on this Saint Patrick’s Day with this fun, delicious, and healthy version of the traditional pancake. Sweeten it slightly for a savory breakfast taste, or keep it unsweetened and use the pancakes to make a festive sandwich, instead. It’s up to you. Ok, so who’s getting this party started, STAT? Eat, drink, and be merry! photo credit: shutterstock

In the Kitchen with Keri: How to Go Way Beyond Avocado Toast

We share heaps of healthy information on Nutritious Life’s blog every day, but “In the Kitchen with Keri” is your chance to spend some quality time with the wonder woman behind it all, Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. It’s where she invites you into her space to share the ingredients she’s currently obsessed with, recipes she can’t get enough of, and other tips and tricks learned over many years of life as an always-ahead-of-the-curve nutritionist and wellness expert. From Open-Faced Sandwich to Toast I’ve always loved open-faced sandwiches. Now, thanks to the avocado toast craze, I call them “toasts” along with everyone else (and have to focus on making them look super pretty in addition to delicious, naturally). Why toasts? First of all, I like that you’re getting just one slice of bread at a time instead of eating a full sandwich, to avoid excess carbs. (Not because you shouldn’t eat them, but because you can easily overdo them!) And you can basically layer anything you’ve got in your fridge onto one of these and have a delicious, healthy meal ready to go in minutes. Breakfast! Lunch! Snack!  You can really meet a lot of nutrient needs and bring variety and flavor to the table without having to plan far ahead. For the bread base, I’m a big fan of Ezekiel’s Food for Life. I like it because it’s made with sprouted grains, is organic, and it doesn’t contain added sugar or other unnecessary, unhealthy ingredients. A good organic sourdough is another great option. These are a few toasts I whipped up recently. 3 Ways to Go Way Beyond Avocado Toast First, since we’re talking avocado toast, I love starting with the mashed avo and then layering on whatever vegetables and protein I’ve got. In this one pictured, I had leftover Spicy Roasted Zucchini and Corn, so I threw that on top. You could also add sliced turkey or leftover grilled chicken to turn it into more of a meal—veggies, protein, and healthy fats, all represented. RELATED: Delicious Roasted Veggies, 3 Ways For the most simple of the bunch, I spread hummus on the toast for plant protein and then top it with colorful heirloom cherry tomatoes and a little bit of fresh basil. Mediterranean magic made in less than a minute! Finally, it doesn’t have to be all about savory. Sometimes your sweet tooth will be tingling, and you don’t want to give into cravings for less nutritious foods (I’m talking to you, cupcakes). RELATED: Finally: Learn How to Prevent Sugar Cravings I spread a little goat cheese on the toast, top it with fresh blueberries, and then drizzle it with a little bit of honey. Pro tip: Use Ezekiel’s Cinnamon Raisin bread for this one for even more sweet deliciousness, or sprinkle some cinnamon on top (for flavor and about a 100 health benefits). That’s it! You’re ready to take a big bite … after posting your gorgeous #toasts on Insta, of course.

The Essential Healthy Cookout Menu

Google “cookout menu” and chances are you’ll get a million (or at least close to it) recipes for creamy pasta salads, sugary baked beans, mile high pies, and of course dozens of ways to make hot dogs gourmet. These dishes have become synonymous with summer bbqs. Unfortunately, they aren’t doing anything to help America’s waistlines. So, this summer, I’m challenging you to think outside the bun and make your next cookout menu a healthy one. After all, traditional unhealthy foods are novel every Memorial Day, but by the 4th of July, aren’t  you sick of filling your paper plate with globs of things that make you feel crappy? I’m sharing some of my fave recipes to set yourself up for success all summer long. Treat your guests to something different – yummy food AND leaving your summer soiree feeling happy and healthy. Cookout Menu – Starters: Don’t waste your time with chips, pretzels or other nutrient poor bowls of crunch. Make a gorgeous crudités plate, filled with veggies you may normally overlook: jicama, fennel, radishes, green beans and endive leaves are perfection on a smokin’ hot day. Just whip up an awesome dip to go with them and you’ll feel so good about not having greasy fingers while munching. Cucumber Feta Greek Yogurt Dip Hollow out a pepper and use it as the bowl to fill with this Greek yogurt dip. In lieu of crudités or packaged fried chips, make your own chips by slicing soft tortillas (look for 5 grams of fiber or more on the package – I’m a fan of Food for Life Organic Ezekial) into chip size triangles and tossing them on the BBQ for a few seconds on each side. Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Jalapeños Grilled jalapeños stuffed with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes wrapped in extra lean and delicate prosciutto will give that whole you’ve just completed culinary school look. Full of appetite suppressing capsaicin and protein, these one up a pig in a blanket any day! Cookout Menu – Main course: I’m not anti-bread, but truth be told, eating the bun of a burger or hot dog just isn’t something I’ll ever encourage. Buns tend to be nutrient poor and way over processed, so really, why waste time with them? I like to focus on the smoky barbecue flavor of the steak, chicken, fish or burger that normally goes inside. Just skip the bun and go the fork and knife direction, but I know that’s a little anti-barbecue, as it requires a seat and a table to be most effective. Do it anyway. I’ll join you on the grass. Or, you can try putting your grilled eats into a cabbage leaf or sturdy lettuce leaf and chow down – this idea came from one of my favorite Korean dishes bulgogi: Keri’s Beef Bulgogi Just a reminder – avoid charring meat as it is grilled over a hot barbecue. Don’t eat blackened or burned animal protein, including beef, pork, chicken or fish – we know that charred meats contain heterocyclic amines – compounds that are known to cause cancer. Cookout Menu – Dessert: Just because you’re praying for sun to wear your new polka dot bikini doesn’t mean you have to skip dessert altogether. You just need to take your focus off the tray of brownies and look to cleaner options that didn’t require the word “bake.” Brush some peaches, pineapple and plums with a little bit of honey and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Toss them on the grill for 3 – 8 minutes, depending on how hot the grill is and serve on a stick or with a spoonful of sorbet or vanilla bean ice cream and fresh mint.   Happy and healthy bbq! I hope your cookout menu sets the tone for how you’ll enjoy your summer – living your most Nutritious Life, always.