- A “single serving” chain restaurant entrée salad made with crispy fried chicken tenders, cheddar cheese, and half of a cup of ranch served on a fourteen-inch-diameter platter with bread on the side
simple and healthy | photo by Simon Götz
- White rice under a mound of vegetable low mein tossed in a gelatinous sauce undoubtedly containing 4,000 milligrams sodium, copious corn starch, and eighty grams of cheap fat
- Diet soda, low-fat chips, a processed frozen entrée containing pepperoni bagel pizzas, and three packaged as “healthy” chocolate chip cookies
These are a few examples of meals that I have observed people consume who believed, in earnest, that they were dieting properly to lose weight and improve health. I am not one to judge (a bon mot sarcasm), but in my opinion said individuals would have probably been better off transfusing themselves with oil from a Taco Bell fryer, or perhaps driving a Ford F350 towing a trailer of sodium nitrate through their chests.
There are of course countless, highly disparate, dieting philosophies abundant in our culture. What some swear by, others scoff at. Notwithstanding all the untold opinions, I suspect that a majority of people feel that whole foods are healthier than processed foods; that fresh, locally grown vegetables are preferable to chemically preserved produce that spent two weeks in transit; that free-range, pasture-raised animals that are not given hormones, produce healthier milk and meat than do corn-fed, captive animals; etc. Vegetarianism, meat consumption, low-fat, high-fat, grain-free, pro-grain … it is all, of course, debatable. Whatever the “diet” though, most do not find the idea of choosing minimally processed, high quality whole food to be too arguable.
Following is an ever-growing section of good, “healthy eats” ideas. Each day I will post within it a fantastic recipe based on minimally processed, high quality whole foods. Entries will vary; some will be vegetarian, some Paleo, some Mediterranean, and so on. Ultimately, my goal is simply to highlight healthy foods that inspire us all to take to our kitchens, regardless of what type of “diet” we subscribe to. This section will be made infinitely better if readers contribute. If you wish to share your favorite healthy recipe, please email me at healthyeats@fitnessemu.com. Full author credit and linking will be given. Please also share comments on any recipes tried.
Recipes
- Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette (added 4/19/12)
- Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing (added 4/2/12)
- Roasted Cumin Lime Carrots (added 3/25/12)
- Man Pleasing Chicken (added 3/24/12)
- Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon (added 3/23/12)
- Kale Salad with Butternut Squash (added 3/22/12)
- Fruit and Oatmeal Flax Smoothie (added 3/21/12)
- Baked Butternut Squash Fries (added 3/20/12)
- Cilantro and Lime Crab Salad in Avocado Halves (added 3/19/12)
- Green Eggs and Ham (added 3/18/12)
- Sweet Potato Burger with Avocado (added 3/17/12)
- Lemon Chamomile Waffles with Light Fruit Syrup—gluten free (added 3/16/12)
- Sweet Potato Tacos with Spicy Yogurt Sauce (added 3/15/12)
- Banana Oatmeal Smoothie (added 3/14/12)
- Grilled Calamari and Roasted Peppers (added 3/13/12)
- The World’s Second Most Tasty Zucchini Fries (added 3/12/12)
