We make it easy to eat more nutritious veggies. These clean plant-powered recipes feature an extra dose of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables, so you can painlessly add an extra serving to breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Nosh on red bell peppers like those found in this Middle Eastern-inspired side dish and know you've chosen one of the most nutrient-dense foods around. A 3 1/2-oz serving of red peppers boasts plentiful vitamins C, A and B6, fiber, thiamin and folic acid.
Joselyn Fenstermacher, who works for the United States Antarctic Program at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, showcases some of the veggies she grows in the Station's surprisingly lush growth chamber in this sweet and tangy salsa.
Steam it, roast it, mash it, bake it. The purple sweet potato is a versatile root veggie, which Okinawans make into everything from tempura to ice cream and can be served sweet or savory.
A generous portion of comforting autumn dessert, plus 3 tbsp of decadent Maple Crème, costs you just 4 grams of fat!
Skordalia is a much-loved garlicky dip made with either bread or potatoes as a base, but here we've used both: The bread lightens up the consistency by absorbing some of the potato's starchiness.
We lighten up the traditionally rich Mexican appetizer queso fundido, Spanish for "cheese fondue," with Greek yogurt and cream cheese.
This quick and easy clean eating pizza uses pita bread for a traditionally thin and crispy crust. Vary the toppings to your taste preferences: add diced Roma or sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives or even leftover cooked broccoli.
Tosca Reno's 30-minute cookies are a holiday favorite - she was even able to use the addictive sweets as a means of sneaking flax into her daughter's diet!
These surprisingly light flapjacks are free of gluten and make perfect use of summer's sweet peaches!
Whip up a quick snack for the kiddies or a meal-on-the-go with just 4 ingredients and 8 minutes. Bonus: It's loaded with fiber!
Bolognese sauce is a rich ragu that simmers for hours, coaxing flavor from aromatic vegetables. Our plant-based lentil bolognese honors its roots with steady (thankfully quicker!) preparation that persuades sweet notes from caramelized vegetables.
Whole milk, egg yolks and butter are what make traditional popovers high-saturated fat foods. Our version offers a golden, eggy, chewy yet healthy alternative that pairs well with soups and stews.
A love for portobello burgers inspired this reader to find other ways to incorporate the meaty mushroom into her cooking. Her portobello mushroom recipe is filling enough to be eaten as a full meal!
For Thanksgiving traditionalists, skipping the stuffing is out of the question, so we upped the nutrition content with whole-wheat sourdough bread and meaty portobello mushrooms.
Aside from ample health benefits in Sonja Finn's low-cal salad, there's a bounty of textures and flavors to experience – from the chewy feel of farro between your teeth, juxtaposed with smooth and creamy avocado, to the tangy taste of the Chile-Mint Vinaigrette.
Pancakes need not be confined to breakfast. These buckwheat dessert cakes, peppered with antioxidant-rich blueberries, stay moist (and flavorful) with the help of ricotta and orange juice.
These vegetarian patties are simple, versatile and addictive! Enjoy them on their own with a dollop of our rich garlic aioli or sandwich one between thin whole-grain buns for a veggie burger!
Candice Kumai's salad gets an antioxidant boost from two kinds of berries, plus the heart-healthy omegas in raw walnuts and iron-laden spinach couple with a fat-free balsamic vinaigrette for a texturally satisfying, guilt-free lunch.
Fiber-packed lentils lend this meatless burger nutritional pizzazz. They also hold their own next to meatier varieties, since lentils form a complete protein when paired with a whole grain (in this case, brown rice).
This cool and refreshing skim milk shake gets its yellow color from ripe mango and sweet-sour pineapple, and a welcome kick from crystallized ginger.
This refreshing Indian mainstay, straight out of Bob Blumer's Glutton for Pleasure cookbook, blends banana, mango, yogurt and ice. This low-fat lassi is sure to please.
Chef of Miami's Lifefood Gourmet and self-proclaimed "health motivator" John Schott shares a quick and easy chutney recipe that'll liven up all sorts of dishes.
With the right ingredients, including applesauce, egg whites and Greek yogurt, you can create a low-fat dessert that still bakes into a moist and tender cake. Ground cinnamon satisfies your sweet tooth without spiking your blood sugar.
Use any kind of bread crumbs you prefer (fine, panko, homemade) as long as they're not too soft, as well as any apple variety that looks fresh.
On a trip to Los Angeles, Chef Jo fell in love with the plethora of food available in the city's varied trucks. Kogi BBQ's Kimchi Quesadillas, a hybrid of Korean and Mexican cuisine, were a definite favorite and she couldn't wait to clean them up! Naturally, accolades followed...
Stunning rainbow (or Bright Lights) Swiss chard is a colorful alternative to the standard, with vibrant yellow, pink and purple hues and the same antioxidants you know and love.
Add color and deep fruit flavor to any baked or broiled fish, chicken or pork entrée, not to mention ample antioxidants, fiber and potassium. But avoid excess calories and sugar by going easy on the raisins and dates.
Main-course salads tend to be relegated to summertime fare, but this satisfying winter supper salad is chock-full of nutrient-rich seasonal fruit and tender chicken to add flavor and filling fiber.
Throw the pear, blue cheese and arugula you're used to seeing in a salad between two slices of country bread with a schmear of Dijon, and you've got a grilled sandwich you won't soon forget!
You don't have to limit your enjoyment of apples, an excellent source of dietary fiber, to snacks and desserts. Here, sweet-tart green apples take center stage in a delicious side dish (or starter).
The term "panini" (pronounced pah-nee-nee) is Italian for roll or biscuit. Originally filled with layers of tomato, mozzarella and basil, the Mediterranean sandwich's popularity has transformed it into a meal of endless ingredient possibilities.
Take your basic brown rice to the next level with a Japanese kick of flavor, thanks to wasabi, ginger, rice vinegar and honey! It'll only cost you three grams of fat per serving.
The UK's "eggy bread" and France's pain perdu is a family favorite worldwide. Clean Eating decided to give it a fresh twist by cutting the bread into smaller sticks to make portion control fun and easy!
This rustic salsa is smoky and rich in taste, thanks to grilled plum tomatoes, but cilantro and lime juice keep the flavors bright!
A side dish shouldn't take too long to prepare. Even so, with just 10 minutes of hands-on time, this deconstructed falafel salad is sure to add plenty of zip (and fiber) to your meal!
Five simple ingredients make for a seemingly complex, deeply flavourful dessert – a crispy-crusted crème brûlée sure to leave coffee lovers weak in the knees!
The meaty aubergine enlists figs and chèvre to share a chickpea crust, perfect for an hors d'oeuvre, appetizer or a light lunch!
Eggplant is a common vegetable throughout the Southern Mediterranean, where it is often fried. Roasting is a simpler, healthier method of preparing the nightshade veggie and removing any bitter edge. And it is even more delicious when made into an eggplant dip!
Chewy cherries, rich chocolate and a slight almond crunch make these succulent drops your new favorite cookie.
Creamy and low fat? Yes! Our cream-based soup uses a clever blend of light coconut milk, potato and vegetable broth, combined with exotic spices for an uncompromising taste.
This isn't your grandmother's fruitcake! By replacing the usual candied fruit with nutrient-dense unsweetened dried cranberries and apricots, we've cleaned up and reduced the sugar in this often-regifted gift. Plus, adding a shallow pan with water to the oven during baking ensures an intensely flavorful and moist cake.
Whether you use the fresh or frozen type, these berries break down as they cook, while the apples stay slightly firm, creating a pleasing variety of textures and tastes in our revamped cranberry sauce. Plus, the slight spiciness of fresh ginger gives this not-too-sweet fat-free condiment a pleasant kick.
Readers fell hard for this recipe the second it was published, thanks to its 27-minute total time, loads of veggies and bulgur and a curried coconut undertone that sends your taste buds to Cloud Nine!
If you thought baking your own bread was too difficult, this light and easy clean eating whole wheat bread recipe will make a convert of you. Eric Pater, our Success Story champ and chef at City Cafe in Rochester, Minnesota, created this recipe that you can store in your arsenal for years to come.
Just because your local Chinese food restaurant fries them doesn't mean you have to. You can bake your wontons for a clean and delicious scooper, or use them as shells for ravioli, tortellini and more!
Whip up this quick citrus aioli to add some zest to any fish, seafood or salad recipes in only 15 minutes.
This make-ahead brown rice pudding tastes best the next day, after the flavors have had time to meld in the fridge. Whether you serve it for breakfast, a snack or dessert, it's a definite crowd-pleaser and a great dish to make on a Sunday afternoon to have for the week!
Looking for the ultimate chocolate fix? Try these on for size.
Our cute cupcakes have a decadent chocolate glaze and oh-so-moist cake (thanks to mashed banana), plus they're hiding healthy chickpeas in the batter!
These party-worthy cake pops will have your friends and family in awe – just wait ’til you tell them each is just 190 calories!
This decadent macaroon tart, studded with raspberries and drizzled with chocolate, is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Though the fat content seems high, rest assured that it's a result of coconut oil, and may even help to increase good cholesterol!
Add a quick dose of flavor to any savory dish by replacing your usual oil with our infused chive oil.
Tangy and sweet goat's milk chèvre forms the savory, calcium-rich base of this visually appealing appetizer.
Infused with sweet maple syrup and aromatic cinnamon, this bowl is packed with wholesome ingredients and is a cinch to make.
Typically made with whipped feta, lemon and peppers, our version replaces some of the cheese with mild yet creamy lima beans and adds robust oregano, zippy lemon zest and spicy hot peppers.
Jalapeño poppers are generally laden with cheese, breaded and deep-fried – not exactly a clean snack! We reduced the cheese and mixed it into a baked cornbread batter. Serve them with your favorite salsa and a bit of sour cream.
Get that awesome sweet 'n' savory flavor combination with our apple topping, or keep it savory with a few strips of turkey bacon, salsa and a dollop of low-fat sour cream!
Chef Scot Jones of Akron, Ohio's VegiTerranean restaurant whips up a gourmet vegan soup that gets its rich texture from an unexpected kind of "cream."
Dress up your burger and fries with this clean, homemade ketchup recipe!
We trade bulgur for riced cauliflower to cut the heft of this traditional Middle Eastern salad, while maintaining the classic flavors you love – cucumber, tomato, parsley, mint and lemon!
Give your soups and sauces a rich creamy texture with a fraction of the fat!
This low-fat, quick bread is a perfect pick-me-up, post-workout replenishment or after school snack. Add protein – and even richer flavor – with a dollop of natural, unsalted peanut or almond butter.
Butternut squash layered with our Everyday Marinara Sauce provides a creamy, sweet base for this protein-packed vegetarian butternut squash lasagna. You can thank the combination of walnuts, ricotta cheese and mozzarella for the 14 grams of protein in each serving.
New York's historic Waldorf Astoria Hotel bred this creamy icon of a salad, a mélange of apples, mayo, celery and walnuts. With nontraditional bulgur and yogurt, our version tastes just as rich.
Grains and legumes have reemerged with power and punch – not to mention ease of preparation! Serve your pilaf warm, then simply add a splash of lemon juice to your leftovers and slide them into the fridge to create a chilled salad for the following day.
The ultimate healthy comfort food! Nonfat evaporated milk and reduced-fat cheese make this dish rich and creamy while keeping the overall fat content low and protein levels high.
Completely devoid of fat, Chef Jo's blueberry syrup is an ice cream revelation! You can also drizzle the sweet sauce atop fresh fruit or clean pastries.
Hearty greens like collards require a slow simmer – perfect for a late winter stew. And by including beans and potatoes, you won't miss the meat in this comforting, low-fat dish.
Black-eyed peas are a staple in the South and, when coupled with whole grains (think brown rice or corn bread), they become a complete meatless protein. Plus, we call upon low-cal, zero-fat and cholesterol-free egg whites to hold it all together.
Beet greens pack a nutritious punch, with protein, beta-carotene and calcium. Served with their equally nutritious, crimson roots, this healthy heavyweight is also a snap to make.
A combination of low-fat milk and arrowroot powder give this banana pudding a texture so rich that your family won't believe it's completely devoid of cream!
If Elvis had a signature cookie, these banana peanut butter cookies would be it! Not only will these satisfy your peanut butter and banana cravings, but they're also packed with omega-3-rich flaxseeds.
An exclusive baked peaches dessert recipe from Nigel Slater's cookbook, Ripe - a follow-up to the hugely popular Tender.
We bake a pear along with our beans and opt for honey and ginger in lieu of molasses, giving our budget-friendly beans a fresh chewiness not found in traditional recipes.
Slightly crunchy with a mildly nutty flavor, pearl barley cooks more quickly than the hulled variety while retaining its high-fiber, low-cholesterol benefits.
This ain't your basic cream-laden potato salad! We've shed a ton of unhealthy fat by letting yogurt and ricotta give our taters their essential, creamy texture!
This chunky, textured and creamy avocado egg salad nixes the mayo, but tangy Dijon mustard gives it an added kick (and won't deposit itself on your hips).
We've loaded our meatless burgers with flavor and texture from crunchy almonds, smooth chewy bulgur, aromatic shallots and garlic, and a sweet-peppery strawberry sauce.
It's hard to believe these addictive, cheesy chips with creamy dip are just 1 gram of fat per serving!
Breakfast, lunch and dinner, these meatless miracles are packed with flavor and take no more than 30 minutes hands-on time!