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Healthy Recipes

Heart healthy, Diabetes friendly, Gluten free, Dairy free recipes with alternate options

1. Smoothies

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen blueberries (or any berries of your choice)

  • 1/2 cup sliced banana (or any larger fruit such as pineapple, mango etc)

  • 1/2 cup sliced peeled cucumber (or any vegetable. Add 1:1 vegetable to keep sugar in check)

 

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or plant based yogurt or milk. Plant based cream if need to gain weight)

  • 1/2 cup crushed ice, or as needed

Directions

Blend blueberries, banana, cucumber, water, and yogurt together in a blender until smooth. Add crushed ice and blend until smooth.

Prep Time

5 - 10 minutes

Calories

Vary from less than 100 to several hundred depending upon the ingredients 

Smoothie.jpg

Great things about Smoothies:

  1. These are a quick and easy way to get a ton of nutrients

  2. You can mix and match a lot of ingredients

  3. These are compatible with almost all diets (unless you are on a liquid free diet)

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Words of Caution:

  1. Watch out for calories and sugar. You can pack a lot of sugar and calories if not careful. 

  2. Add a vegetable for every fruit and go low on calorie dense seeds and nuts 

  3. Get your fiber

2. Oatmeal

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup oats (rolled or steel cut)

  • 1 cup almond-coconut milk (cow's milk if not sensitive to dairy)

  • 2 tablespoons chia/flax seeds (cut in half or quarter if watching calories)

  • 2 tablespoons shredded coconut (shredded carrots if watching calories)

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 

 

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Combine oats, almond-coconut milk, chia seeds, coconut, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla extract, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.

Prep Time

5 - 10 minutes. Overnight if soaking overnight. 

Calories

Vary from 100-300 upon the ingredients 

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Great things about Oatmeal:

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  1. Decent amount of fiber and nutrients compared to many other grains

  2. Gives a feeling of fullness

  3. Can be prepared in a variety of ways. Overnight, Dry, Hot, Cold, with fruit.

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Words of Caution:

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  1. Watch out for calories before adding that honey/maple syrup or butter. Replace with vanilla, cinnamon.

  2. Replace cow's milk with plant based milk (cashew, almond etc) if food sensitivities.

  3. Make sure the label says "gluten free" if you are gluten sensitive. Not all oats are gluten free

3. Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad​

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​​Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (or carrots, potatoes, beets)

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (reduce to half or quarter if watching calories)

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste (or add turmeric as an anti-inflammatory food))

  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

  • coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste (replace with tartar if on low sodium diet)

 

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

  2. Spread sweet potatoes onto a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over sweet potatoes; season with cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Toss sweet potatoes until evenly coated.

  3. Roast on the lower rack of the preheated oven, stirring halfway through, until sweet potatoes are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.

  4. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and lime juice together in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add sweet potatoes, black beans, onion, and cilantro; gently toss to coat.

Prep Time

40- 60 minutes

Calories

Vary from 200 - 400 per serving depending upon the amount of oil used

Blackbean sweet potato.jpg

Great things about Beans:

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  1. Great way to get fiber

  2. Healthy carbs with low glycemic index and diabetes friendly 

  3. Good source of protein

  4. Heart Healthy and Diabetes Friendly

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Words of Caution:

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  1. Watch for gas and bloating. If beans cause problems, get tested for gastro-intestinal problems such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, irritable bowel syndrome and food sensitivities

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Great things about Vegetables:

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  1. Ton of fiber, nutrients and some protein if eaten in a variety of ways

  2. Excellent for weight management and a great anti-aging strategy

  3. Heart Healthy and Diabetes Friendly 

Words of Caution:

  1. If gas and bloating occurs, check for irritable bowel, bacterial overgrowth or food sensitivities if gas and bloating occur. 

  2. Avoid over-cooking to retain nutrients

  3. Avoid pesticides. check out clean fifteen and dirty dozen list 

4. Roasted Vegetables

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1 large yam, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

  • 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

  • 1 cup baby carrots

  • 1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch slices

  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

 

  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

  2. Place the yams, parsnips, and carrots onto the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then add the zucchini and asparagus, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Continue baking until all of the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Once tender, remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet.

  3. Toss the roasted peppers together with the garlic, basil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the roasted vegetables, and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Prep Time

40 - 60 minutes

Calories

Vary from 200 - 300 per serving depending upon the amount of oil used

5. Lentil Soup

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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or olive oil, coconut oil etc)

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

  • 1 pinch fenugreek seeds

  • 1 cup dry red lentils (substitute with black, brown or green lentils)

  • 1 cup butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed (optional or other veges such as carrots etc)

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

 

  • 2 cups water

  • 1/2 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (or any plant based milk/cream)

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon curry powder

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg

  • salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion, ginger, garlic, and fenugreek until onion is tender.

  2. Mix the lentils, squash, and cilantro into the pot. Stir in the water, coconut milk, and tomato paste. Season with curry powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils and squash are tender.

Prep Time

40 - 50 minutes

Calories

Vary from 200 - 400 per serving depending upon the choices of milk, cream and oil. 

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Great things about Lentils:​

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  1. Perfect  macronutrient ratio of carbs, proteins and fats

  2. Good source of fiber

  3. Heart healthy, Diabetes Friendly 

  4. Can be cooked in a variety of ways from soups to curries to patties

Words of Caution:

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  1. Soak overnight or for a few hours to remove indigestible substances 

  2. Avoid adding too much oil if on low calorie diet

  3. Eat with vegetable (raw or mixed) and avoid high carb options such as croutons/bread sticks/chips.

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