One thing I hear all the time from people who want to eat a little healthier is that they’re afraid they’ll get bored with bland and boring food. I totally get it, most of the time when you see those ” healthy meal prep” posts they’re consisting of steamed broccoli, boiled or baked chicken and steamed rice – no thank you very much! Great news, healthy food SHOULD taste amazing and with a few of my tips you can make sure every one of your meals is flavorful and delicious.
Tip #1 – Use citrus & especially lemon peel. I did an entire blog post about my life-changing lemon technique but citrus, in general, is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to add pops of fresh flavor to your food. Citrus adds almost no calories, fat or sugar to your meal and adds a ton of flavor. You can use both the juice and zest (the zest is where the oils are and actually contains the most intense flavor) and in the case of lemons, you can even use the peel as a way to add even more concentrated flavor to a dish. I love to roast lemon halves with my chicken and squeeze the roasted lemon juice over top for a sweet, smoky lemony flavor. Lime zest + juice is an amazing addition to basic steamed or roasted broccoli when tossed with some butter, salt, and red pepper flakes.
Need a little recipe inspiration for using citrus to add flavor? Try these recipes.
Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Olives AHP 343
Lemony Lentil Soup with Baguette AHP 037
Lime-Cilantro Salmon with Crispy Roasted Broccoli AHP 414
Tip #2 Pan roast your meats. It’s hands down the most effective, mouthwatering way to cook a piece of protein with flavor! By searing the outside you get a nice texture and flavorful crust on your protein and then finishing it in the oven keeps the meat nice and juicy and allows it to cook through evenly without over-browning! Win-win! If you want to dive deep into this technique I wrote a blog post on the topic :).
And then of course, for a little recipe inspiration check out these dishes!
Pan-Roasted Chicken with Watermelon Feta Salad AHP 163
Pork with Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes and Broccolini AHP078
Lemon Artichoke Chicken AHP 132
Tip #3 Fresh herbs. Ohhhmygoodness is there anything better than fresh herbs. I think not. They’re literally such a simple way to add TONS of flavor to a dish with almost no effort. You can add herbs like basil and chives into butters and top any protein or roughly chop fresh parsley and cilantro and add it to a salad for a pop of flavor. And then there’s mint which is, in my opinion, one of the most underutilized herbs out there!
Try these flavorful recipes that highlight fresh herbs!
Summer Vegetable Pasta AHP 099
Steak with Chimichurri and Green Beans AHP 009
Basil Butter Chicken with Caramelized Leeks AHP 407
So there ya have it, 3 ways to pack flavor into your food and still stay on track with reaching your goals!
Happy Cooking,
Kate
ps. If you want to eat realllly delish food all the time and still hit your goals make sure to sign up for your free 14 day trial of A Healthy Passion!