It’s estimated that 40-45% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions. And it’s no surprise that resolutions concerning weight loss, healthy eating and exercise are among the most popular. While it may seem daunting, eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or difficult. In fact, it can be fun introducing new recipes to your routine. And sometimes, it’s just making a few easy substitutions to your favorites to reduce fat and calories and increase fiber, protein and vitamins. Here’s a round-up of recipes to try in the new year that are guaranteed to help with your efforts to eat better without sacrificing flavor. Simply click on the name of the dish to get the full recipe.
Breakfast:
Oatmeal Applesauce Pancakes – Simple substitutions like combining whole wheat flour with your typical white flour and using applesauce instead of oil cuts down on the fat and increases the fiber content in these oatmeal pancakes.
Dairy-Free Smoothie – An easy and fun way to start your day with fruit. Frozen bananas give the smoothie a creamy texture so that no dairy is needed.
Spiced Yogurt Zucchini Bread – The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts give this bread a slightly sweet, spicy flavor. Applesauce and non-fat Greek yogurt make it extra moist, without the added fat of butter.
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies – Dairy-free without any flour, eggs or additional sugar, yet still delicious. Make these over the weekend and have an easy, healthy breakfast for the entire week.
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal – Ingredients like oats, raw honey and pumpkin are used to create a breakfast that seems like a treat, but it’s actually good for you.
Appetizers/snacks:
Rosemary Garlic White Bean Dip – This dip gets its creaminess from cannellini beans which are low in fat and high in protein and fiber.
Pumpkin Seed Trail Mix - Sweet, salty, crunchy and healthy. And it tastes great, too. The combination of nuts and seeds packs the mix with energy-boosting, good-for-you vitamins, minerals and protein.
Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips – Diced fruit is mixed with a bit of sugar and fruit preserves to make a tasty fruit salsa. Pair with homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla chips for a wonderful snack or dessert.
Arugula Salad with Fennel and Zucchini – Salad doesn’t have to be boring. Fresh ingredients such as dill and lemon brighten up this simple salad of arugula, zucchini and fennel.
Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup – Plenty of vegetables, spicy sausage and herbs add a lot of flavor. Lentils provide a boost of cholesterol-lowering fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein – with virtually no fat.
Cajun Popcorn – Liven up air-popped popcorn with spices and lime.
Entrées:
Herb Baked Chicken and Roasted Veggies – Perfect weeknight recipe with little prep and easy clean-up. Instead of getting flavor from breading or a lot of fattening additions, this meal gets its flavor from oregano and rosemary and just a small amount of hard cheese.
Slow Cooker Corn Bean Salsa Chicken – Low in fat, calories and cholesterol and high in protein and fiber. Simple pantry items like corn, beans, salsa and seasoning make this a great recipe when you need to throw something together without making a trip to the grocery store.
Carrot Macaroni and Cheese – Instead of using cream or butter, cooked carrots are pureed and mixed in with the cheese in this recipe. The addition of carrots provides Vitamin A and the antioxidant carotene, while reducing the amount of fat in the dish.
Spicy Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans – Roasted spaghetti squash is added to a mixture of black beans, sweet corn, pepper and onions to create a healthy vegetarian meal.
Citrus Chicken and Veggie Fajitas – Dinner that feels festive but lacks the cheese and frying that makes so many Mexican dishes unhealthy.
Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs – Lentils and ground turkey update your standard meatball in a healthy way.
Desserts:
Pineapple Angel Food Cake – A fat-free treat that just requires adding pineapple to a boxed cake mix. Couldn’t get much easier.
Coconut Date Macaroons – Satisfy your sweet tooth with treats that use ingredients like banana, dates and coconut instead of added sugar.
Mini Microwave Cake – Single-serving cake made in the microwave without eggs or oil.
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