5 Healthy Recipes to Start 2017 Off Right

After the indulgences of Christmas, you might be thinking about ways that you can get a bit healthier this year. Whether you want to lose those few extra pounds you put on thanks to the additional helpings of Christmas pudding or you simply want to be healthier this year, the meals you eat can be a big part of this.

Healthy eating doesn’t need to be a negative thing and it definitely doesn’t need to mean all you live on is salads. You can still enjoy many of your favourite foods, which can actually make it much simpler to stick to a healthy diet.

If you want to start 2017 off the right way, give one or all of these healthy recipes a try. You never know, they might become firm family favourites after the first bite.

Pizza is always a winning meal choice, no matter if you’re feeding adults or kids. There are so many different options when it comes to enjoying a slice, so it’s a really easy way to keep everyone happy. Unfortunately, the combination of the base, cheese and toppings means that pizza is not as healthy as we would like it to be.

Luckily, you can make it much healthier, as Green Kitchen Stories shows with this fantastic recipe. The pizza base is made from cauliflower, which is nice and crispy, while the veggies on top ensure it is delicious. You can mix up what you put on the pizza too, so it’s sure to be a popular choice.

We never really grow out of loving chicken nuggets, with this tasty comfort food being a go-to choice for many of us when cooking a meal from scratch seems too much like hard work. However, shop-bought chicken nuggets can be quite fatty, especially if you fry them, which isn’t great for your diet.

Try out this great turkey nugget recipe from Twice the Health, which makes use of this tasty, lean and cheap meat, as well as other ingredients that add to the taste. Not only are they easy to make and healthy, they can be baked in the oven, which cuts the fat content down. Serve up with sweet potato fries for a delicious dish that is good for you.

Those with a sweet tooth might think that they need to give up on chocolate in order to maintain a healthy diet, but we aren’t so mean as to suggest that. You can still enjoy delicious puddings and sweet treats if you’re clever about how you make them.

This fantastic recipe from Deliciously Ella allows you to enjoy some wonderfully chocolatey and squidgy brownies with much fewer calories than traditional varieties. Made with sweet potatoes and dates, these are naturally sweet so you don’t need to add refined sugar or melted chocolate. However, they’re so delicious, we bet people won’t even notice!

As much as we would like spring to start as soon as Christmas is over, we’ve still got a few months of winter to get through. This means you definitely want some warming and filling meals that you can make quickly and easily. 

Cottage pie is always a winner, but it can be quite fatty, especially if you top it with lots of creamy mashed potato. Instead, try this recipe from Hemsley and Hemsley, which includes plenty of vegetables and uses cauliflower to create the delicious topping. This cuts down on the carbs, makes the meal super nutritious and is sure to be a big hit.

Rather than reaching for the phone this year to order your favourite curry, why not whip one up yourself and drastically reduce how many calories are on your plate? This means you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like, as well as team it with all your favourite sides.

This great recipe from Madeleine Shaw is easy to make, healthy and so delicious. You can cook it for as many or as few people as you need to, while using reduced-fat coconut milk will make it even healthier. Use Madeleine’s recipe for cauliflower rice too and you’ll cut calories further without losing taste.