Clean Choice Awards 2016: Snacks
Enjoy these natural, flavorful snacks on the go without worrying about unnecessary sugars and preservatives.
Enjoy these natural, flavorful snacks on the go without worrying about unnecessary sugars and preservatives.
From whole wheat to spelt, doughy to flatbread, meaty to piled high with veggies, we have all of your healthy pizza dreams covered.
From breakfast treats like Coconut Cranberry Overnight Oats to unique dinners like Cheesy Spaghetti Squash boats, Nature's Path's delicious and healthy recipes will shake up your everyday routine.
Strengthen your eyes and bones with this quick and easy BLT salad. Each serving offers a healthy helping of vision-enhancing vitamin A (59% DV) and vitamin K (67% DV), a bone-building nutrient that assists in calcium absorption.
Highly versatile, customizable, and so easy to stuff full of extra veggies and nutrients, tacos are a clean eater's dream. Here are our favorite recipes to step up your taco game.
Go beyond spinach and get creative with this nutrient-packed leafy green.
This light and lively meal captures the spirit of South America with its clever use of sweet tropical fruits, savory fish and crisp jicama. Freshness is key when it comes to the slaw, so pick a ripe, juicy pineapple (look for ones with bright green leaves and a firm shell).
This classic Italian dish blends salty, buttery and tart flavors in one quick and easy meal. Traditionally, chicken piccata is breaded, but we’ve cut the carbs (and saved you a step!) by simply tossing the seared breasts in a creamy citrus butter sauce.
Brussels sprouts are so much more than side-dish fare – here, we’ve sautéed them with sweet squash, fragrant garlic and hearty mushrooms for a crowd-pleasing veggie frittata that comes together in just 35 minutes!
A wonderful alternative to the heavy, sugar-laden treats of the holidays, this mousse is deliciously light and free of refined sugar. And, thanks to the addition of coconut and cayenne, it'll help rev up your metabolism to get you back on track in the new year!
The tantalizing aroma of juicy steak and salty blue cheese is bound to have everyone's mouths watering from the minute it hits the skillet. Luckily for you, the wait doesn’t last long – this decadent meal will be on the table in just 35 minutes!
Craving something creamy? We have some tricks up our sleeves to bring you a healthy, protein-packed dinner full of flavor and richness but not full of fat!
Chinese restaurants popularized the earthy spiced beef stir-fry known as Mongolian beef, but we’ve improved it by wrapping the savory mix in perfect pouches of whole-wheat crepes.
Grated zucchini adds extra juiciness and a slight sweetness to these crowd-pleasing sliders.
Traditionally served over pasta, shrimp scampi is simply shrimp sautéed with fragrant garlic in oil or butter. With its mozzarella crust and homemade bread crumbs, we dare to say that our sandwich version is even better than the original!
A mix of root vegetables, pinto beans and a mashed cauliflower-potato topping give this classic casserole a fresh makeover. This pie is a great make-ahead meal – simply freeze in individual containers to pull out for later use.
We asked our bloggers, columnists, experts and even our staff to contribute their favorite culinary and nutrition tips to help you eat clean. Find inspiration for every day to keep you on track!
Your clicks, pins, and page views have spoken! Here are the most popular Clean Eating recipes of 2015.
Fans of jerk chicken will fall for these spicy pork and onion skewers, served with fiery greens and earthy roasted turnips to cool the palate.
Improve Your Life: Tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds, is rich in beneficial minerals such as copper. In fact, a single serving of this recipe offers almost 30% of your daily value (DV) of the mineral. Copper plays a key role in the production of collagen – a component of bones and connective tissue – as well as hemoglobin, the main form of iron in red blood cells.
This classic, comforting dish packs powerful nutrition into one deliciously healthy soup. Swirl in a dollop of our perfect pesto and let it melt into your bowl for a tangy boost of flavor.
Try these Indian Lentil Burgers and you'll wonder why you don't eat veggie burgers more often.
Skip the takeout tonight and make this Indian-inspired curry in just 30 minutes.
Tantalize your taste buds with paprika-infused chicken paired with comforting and creamy polenta.
Adding fresh herbs such as rosemary and oregano to your dishes can be a great way of punching up flavor, reducing the need for excess fat or salt.
Who says buffalo chicken can't be healthy? Broiled chicken paired with a buffalo sauce made with Greek yogurt lightens up and adds extra protein to this American classic. Serve over this crisp, crunchy salad for a quick and healthy meal.
These Korean barbecued short ribs will become an instant hit at any dinner party you attend.
Boost your mood with this classic Italian dish. Chicken is an excellent source of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps your body produce niacin. It also produces serotonin, a hormone linked to relaxation, restfulness, and an overall feeling of well-being.
Sweet apples and juicy pork are a heavenly pair on their own, but the addition of exotic spices and a crispy bread crumb coating make this dish a must in your weekly dinner rotation. If you like, double the applesauce recipe and save half for dessert – it’s delicious drizzled over yogurt with cinnamon and a sprinkling of Sucanat!
Mediterranean cuisine is not only one of the healthiest, it’s also one of the most flavorful. Tart lemons, fragrant garlic and sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar are just a few of its trademark ingredients, and we’ve included them all. These family-friendly pitas also feature bell peppers, which are rich in antioxidants, including lycopene, beta-carotene and ferulic acid, all of which work together to fight potentially cancer-causing free radicals in the body.
Traditionally cooked in a tall earthenware pot known as a tagine, the North African dish of the same name is a saucy, spiced stew that’ll warm you from the inside out. Our quick and easy recipe is vegetarian, and chock-full of hearty veggies and chickpeas for a truly satisfying dish.
Vietnamese cuisine treasures the balance between textures and flavors. In this brilliant dish, we’ve mixed crunchy vegetables with soft noodles and juicy pork tenderloin, and blended sharp ginger with pungent garlic for pleasing contrast. To maximize your intake of sulforaphane, a cancer risk–reducing compound found in cruciferous veggies, choose broccoli sprouts. Sulforaphone levels are 10 to 100 times higher in three-day-old broccoli sprouts than they are in broccoli.
A light, vibrant twist on an elegant yet effortless classic.
Our elegant dish is as beautiful as it is delicious. This Clean Eating recipe comes together so quickly you can serve it for a fancy dinner party or a typical weeknight.
Balance Your Cholesterol: Oats contain soluble fiber, which if eaten regularly, can go a long way in reducing LDL, or bad, cholesterol. This Clean Eating recipe is a delicious way to reap these benefits.
Give takeout a run for its money with our healthier – and much cheaper – Clean Eating recipe, which calls on pantry staples and a few Asian-inspired ingredients to deliver flavor in just 35 minutes!
Baking panko-encrusted chicken ensures a delightfully crispy bite and eliminates extra oil from frying. Add flavor, creaminess, and extra protein with our Clean Eating recipe for lemon dill sauce thickened with Greek yogurt.
Risotto, which is made by slowly adding broth to medium-grain rice, gets a makeover for tonight’s no-fuss Clean Eating recipe. We’ve jazzed it up by swapping traditional Arborio rice with raw buckwheat, which adds a mild, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with sautéed fennel and our crisp apple topping.
Simple and savory biscuits are perfect for dunking in our warm spiced soup, but if you’re short on time, swap them out by adding cubed redskin potatoes to this Clean Eating recipe for a quicker (and gluten-free!) alternative that's just as filling.
Satisfy your taste buds and save time in the kitchen with this sophisticated yet simple sage-infused chicken. Garlic and beans dress up collard greens to complete this nutritious and unique Clean Eating recipe.
Our Clean Eating recipe livens and lightens up quesadillas with lots of veggies and a fresh tomatillo sauce!
Try a Corn & Red Lentil Soup with Goat Cheese Croutons for a delicious dinner! This Clean Eating recipe is ready in 25 minutes.
Coconut’s Superpowers: Be careful not to judge a recipe by its coconut content! While the fat content here may seem high, the saturated fat found in coconut milk is actually easily metabolized by the body. In fact, lauric acid – a saturated fat found in the coconut milk in this Clean Eating recipe – has both antiviral and antifungal properties.
A marriage of savory and sweet is the hallmark of Moroccan cuisine, and we’ve brought the two taste sensations together with our bite-size meatballs, which boast a perfect blend of warm cumin and cinnamon and crisp mint and coriander.
Large, tender flakes of cod are rolled with crunchy bread crumbs, baked until crisp and served on a bed of garlicky spinach pasta in our Clean Eating recipe for classic deep-fried croquettes, a popular French finger food.
Inspired by the rich palate of the South, we’ve breaded tender catfish with toothsome cornmeal and paired it with a spicy pilaf for a down-home meal with serious stick-to-your-ribs satisfaction!
Serve our seasonal, veggie-packed Clean Eating recipe for rice and lentil pilaf family-style, or pack it into personal ramekins so everyone can dig into their very own oven-baked dish.
Rosemary lends these quesadillas subtle pine flavors and an appetizing mint aroma. Our colorful Clean Eating recipe for cranberry salsa adds extra sweetness.
This classic English staple, which is often loaded with calories, fat and sodium, gets a makeover by swapping out the ground beef for protein-rich lentils and tasty broccoli. redskins.
If you're looking to drop a few dress sizes or beware of heart disease, research indicates that focusing on one over the other will give you faster results.
We’ve piled all the fixings of a hearty beef and barley stew into personal ramekins and slathered each in pillowy dough in this Clean Eating recipe. If you’re strapped for time, top your ramekins with store-bought whole-wheat biscuits and bake until golden. These pies pack in 70% of your daily fiber!
Fiber-rich oats act as a natural and filling adhesive in these tender oat cakes. To add a visual pop – and a burst of flavor – we’ve imprinted hardy redskins with a sprinkling of fragrant rosemary.
Tart green apple and rich caramelized onions compliment sweet and salty orange and soy sauce-infused pork in this tropics-inspired Clean Eating recipe. A single serving of this fiber-rich luau meal offers 40% of your daily recommended intake of selenium. The micro-mineral has been shown to promote the repair of DNA cells and the destruction of abnormal cells, which may help reduce your risk of cancer.
Fragrant cilantro replaces traditional basil in our easy Clean Eating recipe for pesto sauce, which pairs beautifully with juicy pork, hearty potatoes and sweet plantains.
Pair beef sirloin, sweet oranges with savory soy sauce and hearty broccoli alongside elegantly slim snow peas.
Fresh lobster and crunchy jicama take the ordinary street taco to new heights. No lobster? Substitute cod or another white fish.
Inspired by the bold flavors of dal, the traditional Indian lentil dish, our hearty vegetarian patties are delicious served on their own or with warm whole-grain naan bread – just be sure to top them with our addictive sweet-tart mango chutney!
Our healthy take on chicken soup will have you feeling better in no time.
In this good-for-you dessert, slow- cooked apples are packed with a buttery oat crumble then finished with a maple cider sauce.
Quick-braising can be an ideal method for cooking cool-weather greens, but make sure to select sturdy varieties such as kale, collards and escarole. Here, fiber-rich kale is simmered with broth and caramelized shallots.
Take a trip to New Orleans with this satisfying Southern comfort meal without all the calories. Plan your prep time so that the polenta will be done just as the slow-cooker mixture is finishing up.
These satisfying stuffed potatoes are baked atop aromatic vegetables roasting right in the slow cooker. Just unwrap the potatoes and fluff the flesh, then top with cheddar, blue cheese and veggies.
The rich, deep flavor of braised beef is a perfect match for the subtle, sweet smokiness of ancho chiles. These melt- in-your-mouth tacos serve a crowd and can be made ahead – they’re tailor-made for a taco party!
Who says cranberry sauce has to be store bought or boring? Check out these five ways to take your favorite sauce to the next level of flavor and nutrition. Making cranberry sauce from scratch ensures that you consume the skins, which contain most of cranberry's potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
Thanks to its low heat, longer cooking time and added liquid, braising is the cooking method of choice to soften lean, low-fat cuts of bison. If bison (often labeled as buffalo) is a bit out of your budget or unavailable in your area, simply substitute with lean beef instead.
Bananas are the secret ingredient that help keep this coffee cake so deliciously moist. Always go for bananas that are well ripened for a more flavorful cake.
Sweet mango is combined with aromatic spices to infuse chicken with maximum flavor. Topped with a crunchy cabbage and mango slaw, these tacos are a showstopping dish.
Sweet pineapple plays beautifully with these mouthwatering meatballs, browned to perfection on the outside and tender and meaty inside.
Those who tend to shy away from cooked cabbage may become converts thanks to braising, as it brings out the crucifer’s natural sweetness. Couple that with this flavorful sauce, which gets richness and depth from searing an onion in coconut oil, and you’ve got a side that’ll take center stage.
Loaded with veggies, beef and whole-grain pasta, this nourishing, warming soup is the ultimate chilly-weather meal.
Savory spiced beef is topped with a sweet pineapple salsa in these irresistible, finger-licking-good tacos.
Do you have an excellent, environmentally-friendly, clean product you'd like to promote? We’re now accepting submissions for our Annual Clean Choice Awards, which honor clean packaged products.
Tender eggplant, mushrooms and sweet bell pepper are slow simmered in juicy tomatoes for a delicious, savory dish. Paired with whole-grain penne, this stew makes a hearty meal.
This is an ideal way to prepare salmon – cooked slowly surrounded by a moist heat. Lentils and beets can be left to cook all day in a slower cooker.
Cooking times can be vary quite a bit depending on your crockpot, so give yourself some extra time, if possible. For a side or snack, you can easily prepare the slow-cooked chickpeas separately (through Step 2) and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, enjoying them alongside other entrées throughout the week.
Prep this delicious fruit-filled protein smoothie first thing in the morning or whenever you need an energy boost!
Tip: If you want to add a little variety, try serving half the recipe on eggplant rounds and the other half on Portobello mushroom caps. They both take the same amount of cooking time and offer a toothsome, meaty texture.
Sweet bell peppers are tasty little vessels for this Southwest-style stuffing, chock- full of fiber-rich corn, black beans and cilantro. Plus, there’s no need to parboil the peppers to give them tenderness, since they’ll be slowly simmered all day in a smoky tomato sauce.
Eating clean foods rich in amino acids – like lean red meats and plant-based protein – could be even more beneficial for your heart than researchers first recognized.
Skip your usual Indian takeout and make your own chana masala instead. You'll be surprised that it takes a mere 30 minutes.