Quick and Easy Healthy Recipes and Weight Loss Tips for Busy People
May 28

Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese Salad with Healthy Homemade Ranch Dressing

mixed greens with homemade ranch dressing recipeRanch dressing has a reputation for being a pretty awesome sauce/dip that you can use with almost everything. I know from experience, because back in my college days all of our pizza orders would include a request for “a ridiculous amount of ranch,” which the pizza places found quite amusing. The problem with my older, wiser self is that I realized long ago that ranch dressing is pretty darn bad for you.

My issue with most bottled ranches is not so much the nutrition stats. Yes, most contain a little too much fat and salt. But my bigger issue is where this fat and salt is coming from … which is a long list of highly processed, chemical ingredients. I’ll use Hidden Valley as an example since I went through many-a-bottle of the stuff back in the day. Hidden Valley’s website promises “wholesome ingredients fresh from Hidden Valley to you.” You tell me if this is your idea of fresh and wholesome:

hidden valley ranch ingredients

Uh, yeah. Soybean oil from genetically modified crops, MSG, artificial flavors, and preservatives are not what I would consider fresh and wholesome.

So here’s an idea: make your own healthy homemade ranch dressing instead … and I have the perfect recipe for you. Truth be told, this recipe contains a few more ingredients than I normally use. But I’ve tried several variations of ranch dressings, and this one tops my list so far.

Be sure to use fresh herbs. They will make a huge difference. Use regular sour cream too. The real stuff is better, and that’s because the low fat version has artificial flavors and fillers, and the full fat version doesn’t. The recipe is super healthy with plain old sour cream. How healthy, exactly? A standard 2 T serving has just 41 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.

As for the rest of the recipe, I tossed some mixed greens together with an heirloom tomato and some pepitas (pumpkin seeds). But as my college education taught me, you can pretty use this ranch dressing recipe on anything. So give it a whirl …

Prep Time Cook Time Serves
10 min 0 min 2

Ingredients: Mixed Greens Salad with Healthy Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Salad:

  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1 tomato
  • 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • 1 oz. goat cheese

Dressing (makes about 8 servings):

  • 1/2 clove of garlic
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 shallot
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 T red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup skim milk
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 T fresh dill
  • 1 T fresh marjoram
  • 1 T fresh chives
  • 1 T fresh oregano
  • Black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Mince all herbs, shallot and garlic and combine together in a mixing bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients (except milk). Whisk together while slowly adding milk. When the dressing reaches your desired level of thickness, that’s when you should stop pouring the milk. You may need a little more or a little less than a quarter cup.

3. Divide mixed greens into two bowls and top each with a half a tomato, half the pumpkin seeds, and 2 T homemade ranch. Serve immediately and transfer the rest to a bottle for future use. Dressing will stay good for up to a week.

Nutrition Facts (salad with 2 T ranch dressing)

194 calories, 12.5 g fat, 12.5 g carbs, 9.5 g protein, 340 mg sodium

Nutrition Facts (2T of just the dressing)

41 calories, 2.5 g fat, 2.5 g carbs, 2 g protein, 180 mg sodium

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May 6

Hickory Smoked Tomato Cucumber Salad

tomato cucumber salad Sometimes your kitchen experiments can go really bad and other times they can yield a gem. Fortunately the latter was the case with this tomato cucumber salad recipe.

You get a great crunchy texture from the veggies combined with a smoky, savory flavor from the seasoning blend. It’s really easy to make, super healthy, and tastes pretty darn good.

Here are the health stats: 121 calories, 7 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs (including 3.5 grams fiber), 2 grams of protein, and 489 milligrams of sodium. Pretty solid if you ask me.

Check out the recipe below!

Prep Time Cook Time Serves
10 min 0 minutes 2

Ingredients: Tomato Cucumber Salad

  • 1 tomato
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 1 green onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp. celery seed
  • 1 tsp. tomato powder
  • 1/4 tsp. hickory seasoning
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 T olive oil
  • Juice from 1 lime

Instructions

1. Chop the tomato, cucumber, and green onion and mince the white onion and garlic.

2. Combine veggies with all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

121 calories, 7 g fat, 12 g carbs (3.5 g fiber), 2 g protein, 489 mg sodium

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April 22

Orange Pepper and Tomato Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

orange pepper and tomato saladWhat better way to celebrate Earth Day/Meatless Monday than with this healthy and delicious orange pepper and tomato salad? This recipe is pleasing on the palette and on the eyes, with its bright orange, red, and green flavors (thanks to the peppers, tomatoes, and celery, respectively).

And here’s the best part: it only has 99 calories and half a gram of fat per serving!

The delicious homemade honey mustard dressing recipe is really simple and adds a fantastic flavor to this dish. I used a combination of Greek yogurt, honey, and Dijon mustard. If you’re sensitive to dairy, omit the yogurt and add a little extra virgin olive oil instead (the number of calories will increase though). I used fat-free Greek yogurt but full fat is fine and won’t add a substantial amount to the calorie count.

I also recommend buying organic vegetables for this recipe. Click here to read more about which vegetables you should buy organic and which ones you can skip.

Here’s the recipe …

Prep Time Cook Time Serves
10 min 0 minutes 2

Ingredients: Orange Pepper and Tomato Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

  • 1 orange pepper
  • 1 tomato
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 T honey
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Rinse and chop all vegetables.

2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

3. Separate into two separate plates or bowls.

Nutrition Facts

99 calories, 0.5 g fat, 19 g carbs (3 g fiber), 4.5 g protein, 315 mg sodium

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April 10

Healthy Sugar Snap Peas Recipe with Homemade Hummus

Healthy Sugar Snap Peas RecipeYou’ll often find sugar snap peas in Asian-inspired stir fry dishes. But raw sugar snap peas are an amazingly healthy snack too … especially with the simple homemade hummus in this recipe.

This healthy sugar snap peas recipe makes a great side dish and is a definite crowd-pleaser at parties. I mixed the homemade hummus sauce together with the snap peas, but you can also serve the hummus as a dipping sauce on the side.

You’ll only need about 20 minutes of time to prepare it too. If you have a food processor or high-powered blender like a Vitamix or BlendTec, it’ll make your job even easier too.

This recipe contains only healthy, all-natural ingredients. If you decide to buy canned beans instead of cooking them yourself, I recommend opting for a salt-free version. If you use beans with salt added, just omit the salt in the recipe below.

This sugar snap peas recipe tastes great and it’s healthy. I’m talking just 151 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving … plus 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Pretty sweet.

Check out the recipe below and let me know what you think …

 

Prep Time Cook Time Serves
10 min 20 min 4

Ingredients: Sugar Snap Peas Recipe with Homemade Hummus

  • 2 cups fresh sugar snap peas
  • 1 cup salt-free garbanzo beans (or dry beans that you’ve cooked)
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/4 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. If you’re using dried beans, soak them overnight. Drain and rinse. Bring a pot of water to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 90 minutes. Drain and rinse.

2. Combine all ingredients except sugar snap peas in a blender and blend together until smooth.

3. Mix peas together with homemade hummus or use as a dipping sauce.

Nutrition Facts

151 calories, 7 g fat, 15 g carbs (4 g fiber), 5 g protein, 589 mg sodium

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April 8

The Perfect Snack? Easy and Healthy Baked Chickpeas Recipe

oven baked chickpeasBaked chickpeas are one of the healthiest snacks you can eat. Don’t believe me? Check out these impressive numbers for one serving of my baked chickpeas recipe below: 

  • 156 calories
  • 4.5 grams of fat
  • 21 grams of carbs (including 5 grams of fiber)
  • 7 grams of protein
  • 269 mg of sodium

I challenge you to find ANY snack in the grocery store with all-natural ingredients that can match this.

Here’s another reasons to make a big ‘ole batch of these: it’s ridiculously easy. Just pick up a couple cans of salt-free garbanzo beans, grab some spices from your kitchen, and pop ‘em in the oven for an hour.

This is a great recipe for both adults and kids. I like to switch up my ingredients and experiment with different flavors too. If you’re inclined to do the same, here are a few ideas for spicing up your baked chickpeas:

  • Add 1 T fresh minced rosemary.
  • Add 1 T honey or pure maple syrup for a sweeter version.
  • Squirt some fresh lemon or lime juice on top of the beans once they’re out of the oven.
  • Add some minced jalapeno before cooking for spicier beans.

Clearly baked chickpeas are an awesome snack, but you can also use them as a crunchy topper on salads, soups, dips, and lots of other dishes. Be creative.

Enough build-up already … here’s the recipe!

 

Prep Time Cook Time Serves
10 min 60 min 8

Ingredients: Healthy Baked Chickpea Recipe

  • 2 cans salt-free garbanzo beans
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 T coriander
  • 1 T paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Healthy Baked Chickpeas Recipe

1. Rinse the beans thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together.

3. Spread beans evenly over a baking pan (you may need to use two pans depending on the size).

4. Cook for 45 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Taste the beans to see if they’re crispy enough for your liking. Cook for an additional 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your preference.

Nutrition Facts

156 calories, 4.5 g fat, 21 g carbs (5 g fiber), 7 g protein, 269 mg sodium

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April 6

Garbanzo Bean Salad with Homemade Fattoush Dressing

Garbanzo Bean Salad with Homemade Fattoush DressingGarbanzo beans, aka chickpeas, are one of the best non-meat sources of fiber and protein. And if you’re interested in whipping up an awesome Garbanzo Bean Salad with Homemade Fattoush Dressing, you’ve come to the right place!

Fattoush is a lemony dressing you’ll find in most authentic Lebanese and other Middle Eastern restaurants. It’s one of my all-time favorite dressings and this homemade version is the closest I’ve come to matching it. One of the key ingredients you’ll need to make a good Fattoush dressing is sumac, which is a tart-flavored spice. Most of the other ingredients are fairly straightforward.

And of course this chickpea salad recipe is super healthy too. It has 286 calories, healthy monounsaturated fats, 7.5 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and just 251 milligrams of sodium.

So check it out and let me know what you think …

 

Prep Time Cook Time Serves
10 min 1 hr 30 min 2

Ingredients: Garbanzo Bean Salad with Homemade Fattoush Dressing

  • 1 cup dried garbanzo beans or 1 can salt-free beans
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 T minced jalapeno
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp. sumac
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano (or 1 T fresh)

Instructions

1. If you’re using dried beans, soak them overnight. Drain and rinse. Bring a pot of water to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 90 minutes. Drain and rinse.

2. Mince the jalapeno and garlic and chop the tomato and avocado.

3. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together.

4. Divide evenly into four bowls and serve.

Nutrition Facts

286 calories, 22 g fat, 21 g carbs (7.5 g fiber), 6 g protein, 251 mg sodium

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