Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry
Chopped, cooked chicken gets bold flavor from a tomatillo salsa and lime juice in this healthy taco recipe. You can use leftover rotisserie chicken or cook up a chicken breast. Set up a taco bar with fresh ingredients like avocado, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro.
Greg DuPree
A shredded rotisserie chicken, canned beans, and steam-in-bag snow peas make this healthy and filling salad come together quickly on a busy weeknight. But the citrus vinaigrette, made with orange juice, Dijon mustard, and shallots, really makes the dish shine. Garnish with sliced almonds for an extra protein punch.
Hector M Sanchez
This family-friendly, extra-cheesy lasagna is sure to satisfy even though it is made with ground turkey and low-fat dairy. We even snuck in a vegetable serving with chopped spinach. Serve with a side salad loaded with fresh veggies.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
When red snapper steams in parchment, the fish becomes delicate and flaky in a sea of fragrant ginger and greens. This delicious French cooking method is incredibly healthy to boot. Serve over hot cooked couscous for a flavorful and refreshing meal.
Greg DuPree
Wait until summer to make this salad, then buy the best tomatoes you can find. This simple chicken salad is a delicious and easy way to show them off. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner
This lightened-up alternative to chicken Parmesan celebrates fresh summer flavor. Skinless chicken breasts topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil roast alongside green beans and corn. The vegetables can be coated with an optional herb butter after baking.
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos
This healthy Lowcountry boil omits the sausage and adds in green beans, but you’ll still find the traditional mix of corn, potatoes, and Old Bay seasoning. White wine vinegar, capers, and lemon juice add a refreshing touch. We highly recommend using seafood fresh off the boat.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
This hearty chicken soup is almost a stew, making it filling enough for any dinner. The soup gets a serious boost of flavor from green enchilada sauce and a poblano chile, while great Northern beans add richness without requiring any cream. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, and radishes for great taste and texture.
Iain Bagwell
Made with the usual chicken noodle soup suspects—chicken, carrots, onion, and celery—plus leeks and celery root, this soup is a bowl of comforting goodness. The recipe uses skinless chicken thighs for rich flavor with less fat. Lots of fresh herbs and a tablespoon of lemon juice make this soup especially bright.
Southern Living
With your mighty sheet pan, you can have your fish and veggies ready in just 25 minutes. The salmon, green beans, orange slices, and asparagus are all glazed with a syrupy mixture of honey and soy. Toasted sesame seeds provide the final touch to this tasty dish.
Antonis Achilleos
Tomato soup gets a kick from a chipotle pepper in this easy slow-cooker recipe. Add more pepper if you want to amp up the spice. Garnish each colorful bowl with toasted tortilla strips, green cilantro leaves, and a dollop of sour cream.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
You’ll think this healthy dish came from a fine French bistro when you open a steaming packet on your plate. Each fillet bakes in its own juices with capers, lemon, marinated artichoke hearts, and dill. Thinly sliced new potatoes nestle underneath and absorb all the flavor.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
This dish features skinless chicken, bell peppers, mushrooms, and olives simmered in tomatoes. After you’ve switched on your slow cooker, all that’s left to do is to boil the pasta. Serve the vegetable-packed chicken stew over whole-wheat pasta or farro for a serving of whole grains.
Greg DuPree
Frittatas are an easy way to load up on protein and veggies using whatever you have in your fridge. This frittata is studded with potato wedges and topped with dollops of ricotta cheese for a filling meal. Use whole-milk or low-fat ricotta, depending on your preference.
Hector Sanchez
When it’s prime time at the farmers’ market, make this simple pasta brimming with fresh herbs, colorful vegetables, and shredded smoked chicken. The smoky, herbal flavors are complemented by sweet corn and peaches. Use penne pasta or try cheese tortellini.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
This recipe may be simple, but the flaky fish is so delicious over fresh vegetables tossed in a zingy vinaigrette. The sugar snap peas aren’t cooked, allowing their springy flavor to really come through. Serve with lemon wedges and a side of roasted potatoes.
Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry
Our sweet and tangy Kebab Marinade is delicious on chicken, fish, or shrimp, but the addition of fajita seasoning makes these kebabs more fun. Prepare the chicken and vegetables at least four hours before you fire up the grill so they can fully absorb the marinade. Serve with rice or warm tortillas.
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely
With this skillet recipe you’ll have a spicy bowl of chili in just 30 minutes. A tasty blend of mushrooms and white beans stands in for the meat, adding plenty of heartiness. Use your favorite toppings, such as avocado, Cheddar cheese, and cilantro.
Enjoy a guilt-free serving of these hearty crab cakes with a rich dollop of cilantro-jalapeño sour cream. We lightened up the recipe with reduced-fat ingredients. Add fresh greens to your plate for extra goodness.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Ranking; Prop Stylist Julia Bayless
Pull out your air fryer to fry up pork chops that are crisp on the outside, done perfectly all the way through, and much healthier to boot. You’ll enjoy every mouthful of meat flavored with a smoky dry rub and maple-chipotle barbecue sauce. Pork chops are leaner than many cuts of pork—select bone-in chops that are at least an inch thick for the most tender results.
Greg Dupree
With rotisserie chicken and a bag of frozen vegetables, you can have a healthy dinner ready in just 10 minutes. You wouldn’t guess it from the flavorful ginger and chili-garlic sauce. Frozen vegetables aren’t required; you can substitute any fresh vegetables you’d like.
Hector Sanchez
Quinoa is a smart addition to this simple-to-prepare turkey chili. The whole grain is packed with nutrients and makes for a hearty, filling meal. Instead of tomatoes, the chili gets its character from a bottle of beer, lots of onions and peppers, and spices.
Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch
This wonderful seasonal dish is hearty enough to be eaten as a supper entrée. Roast the squash cut side down for great caramelized color and tenderness. Then stuff the squash with savory farro, sweet dried cranberries, and crunchy almonds for a final bake.
Micah A. Leal
You don’t have to be a vegetarian to savor these spicy, tender cauliflower bites. The florets are dipped in batter and oven-baked, then dipped in wing sauce. Serve with a low-fat ranch dressing or just enjoy them as is.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
With this sweet and snappy salsa, no one will accuse salmon of being boring. This recipe includes a side of riced cauliflower simmered in tasty coconut milk. A squeeze of lime juice, chopped cilantro, and toasted coconut chips make it a complete tropical meal.
Greg DuPree
This colorful bowlful of rice noodles, chicken, and vegetables gets spiced up with an incredible Thai peanut sauce. A sprinkle of chopped peanuts adds even more crunch and nutty flavor. Because it uses leftover chicken, the dish requires no cooking, which is just what you’re looking for on a hot day.
Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
This cheesy casserole layered with a rainbow of vegetables makes a hefty main course. Mushrooms and beans provide meaty texture and a savory cheese sauce ties the colorful layers together. This recipe is vegetarian comfort food at its finest.
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Serve your salmon on a bed of baby kale packed with vitamins. This recipe calls for fillets with skin, which can be easily seared in a pan to provide a bit of fat for cooking. The kale is tossed with pistachios and a cucumber salad for a tangy-sweet flavor and crunch.
Greg DuPree
Choose a firm white fish like tilapia, grouper, sea bass, or red snapper for these tacos. The fillets are crusted with corn chips and baked, then stuffed in tortillas alongside Asian slaw and a zingy chipotle sour cream. The tacos can be topped with chopped tomatoes, shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner
This Sheet Pan Vegetable Lasagna is a thin, slightly crisp, lightened-up version of the family favorite. Packed full of spinach, zucchini, and fresh basil, the recipe is a great way to get your veggies in, too. Plus, leftovers can be reheated in a toaster oven.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely
This elegant dish gets a special touch from cucumber sauce made with yogurt and lemon. But the salmon itself has incredible flavor, poached in white wine, chopped vegetables, fresh dill, and pickling spice. Serve with steamed rice and salad for a complete meal.
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
This shrimp and orzo salad is loaded with 3 cups of seasonal veggies and brightened with a tangy dressing. Delicious at room temperature or chilled, the dish can be eaten as a warm pasta dinner one day and a cold entree salad the next. For tender-crisp vegetables, cook them in boiling water for two minutes and place them in an ice bath after.
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Give your brown rice Southwestern flair with a delicious burrito bowl. We’ve packed in the flavor using black beans cooked in spices and corn kernels lightly charred in a skillet. Top with pico de gallo, sour cream, and your favorite veggies.
Southern Living
Okra, shrimp, and diced tomatoes make this Cajun favorite delicious and healthy, too. This recipe doesn’t require a roux, as the okra gives it the traditional dark color. Use fresh okra in the summer or frozen if it’s out of season.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
Straightforward grilled salmon and corn become so much more flavorful when tossed with a spinach, herb, and tomato salad. Use a variety of heirloom and cherry tomatoes for a range of color and flavor. You can substitute other greens, such as arugula, for the spinach.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Rice, fennel, apples, and sausage all cook together in this easy sheet-pan recipe. A coating of apple cider vinaigrette adds tanginess to the sweet flavors. For good results, use microwaveable rice and cover fully with the other ingredients.
Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Give your couscous a Southern twist with fresh-peeled shrimp and fragrant bell peppers. This quick dish gets cooked in one skillet, providing plenty of flavor with little mess. To prevent the shrimp from becoming rubbery, remove them from heat the moment they turn pink.
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely
This low-carb meal uses riced cauliflower piled high with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, grilled onion, and hearty chickpeas. Marinated chicken thighs add plenty of protein. Punch up the flavor with a yogurt-tahini sauce blended with garlic, herbs, and lemon juice.
Caitlin Bensel
This tuna salad has nothing to do with mayonnaise, and you won’t miss it one bit. Our version is made with a lemon-herb vinaigrette and rotini, not to mention fresh arugula, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and pickled peppers. We recommend using good-quality tuna packed in oil for more flavor and better texture.
Alison Miksch
If you prefer shrimp over fish, here’s another healthy and flavorful take on tacos. The shrimp gets a rub of cumin, chile powder, and lime zest before it’s tossed on a grill. Combined with a cabbage slaw and chargrilled tortillas, you can’t go wrong with this meal.
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis
Try out this less fatty and more flavorful version of the old standby. Where does all that flavor come from? A combination of ground turkey and ground turkey sausage, plus Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs. We still include the ketchup-based sauce, but mixed with tomato sauce for more freshness.
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely
Briny shrimp, juicy tomatoes, and fresh basil come together in a summery pasta. The light and silky sauce is only requires reserved pasta water and Parmesan. Sprinkle with more cheese and basil, and you’ve got a tasty seaside meal.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
We always love the combo of salmon and teriyaki, but this recipe gives the fish special treatment by poaching it in the slow cooker with lemongrass and fennel. Then the salmon is brushed with a pineapple-soy glaze for the traditional teriyaki flavor. Serve with brown rice and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts and mushrooms.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
The slow cooker does most of the work in this one-step, dump-and-go chili recipe. Skinless chicken thighs cook to fall apart tenderness along with navy beans in a rich broth of onions, chiles, and spices. This meal is hearty enough on its own, but also delicious with a crusty slice of cornbread.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This delicious fusion recipe brings Southeast Asian flavor to backyard grilling. The Charred Vegetable Rice, tossed with cilantro and lime juice, provides a fantastic side for the curried chicken. This recipe serves four but can easily be doubled for a big family grill-out.
Jennifer Causey
This vegetable-forward pasta feels anything but heavy since it’s loaded with spinach, broccolini, bell peppers, and spinach. The pasta cooks right in the pan with chicken stock, making preparation very easy. White vinegar and red pepper flakes make this savory dish slightly snappy.
Greg DuPree, Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
This vegan mac and cheese may not have dairy, but it still offers plenty of comfort in a bowl. Butternut squash, shredded vegan cheese, and dairy-free yogurt create the creamy texture. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy, slightly nutty flavor that will leave you craving more.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
Much like Panzanella, fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad made with toasted pita instead of Italian bread. This recipe is bright and fresh from mint leaves, lemon, and ground sumac. Crisp romaine and toasted pita provide crunch, while the field peas provide the earthy-tasting protein. You can also add chicken or fish to this salad.
Photo: Hector Sanchez
Traditional wedding soup can be made quickly thanks to frozen turkey meatballs. Brown them in a Dutch oven and then simmer them with celery, onions, carrots, beans, tomatoes, and stock. Stir in baby spinach to get in your greens and top with lovely curls of Parmesan.
Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
In this one-pot meal, standard white rice soaks up the flavors of chicken, broth, and Southern staples like okra, shrimp, and bell peppers. For a vegetarian version, just leave out the meat and swap in vegetable stock instead. This is a versatile meal that can include any number of garden-fresh veggies.
Photography and Styling: Karen Rankin
Skip standing over a hot skillet with this easy recipe for Sheet Pan Fajitas. Simply toss the sliced chicken breast, peppers, and onions in spices and broil on a foil-lined sheet pan for 10 minutes. A squeeze of lime juice later, you’ll be eating your favorite Tex-Mex meal.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This chicken stew filled with good-for-you vegetables and whole grains takes just 30 minutes on the stove. We love the smoky richness of the bacon, but you can make the dish even lighter by omitting it. Stir in spinach before serving for a delicious helping of greens.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Blueberries and pickled onion make this Grilled Chicken Salad taste like summer. The dressing adds a ton of personality by incorporating pickling liquid along with lemon and mustard. With creamy goat cheese and crunchy candied pecans on top (or toasted pecans for a less sugary option), you’ll love every full-flavored bite.
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely
Grilled poblano-yogurt dressing makes these tasty rice bowls truly remarkable. The smoky dressing heightens the flavors of grilled corn, blackened shrimp, and creamy avocado slices. This recipe can easily transition to a salad for a lighter option.
Becky Luigart-Stayner
This recipe from Marian Cooper of Cairns, Birmingham, Alabama, is as fresh as it comes. The squash spends just five minutes in the pan before it’s tossed with lemon, mint, walnuts, and feta. Add white beans for a heartier option.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos
Two spice rack staples—cinnamon and nutmeg—give bone-in chicken breasts a wonderful depth of flavor. Surround them with lemon slices and baby potatoes that will soak up all the juices released on the sheet pan. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, olives, and feta for the final touch.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
This main dish salad is packed with healthy greens and protein. Save time in the kitchen with a rotisserie chicken and a bag of pre-shredded cabbage. A touch of honey in the spicy and tangy dressing complements the sweet and salty honey-roasted peanuts.
Jennifer Causey
Let the slow cooker do the work of filling your kitchen with savory soup smells. This meatless recipe has an abundance of protein and fiber from lentils and veggies, not to mention loads of flavor from herbs and tomatoes. To thicken the soup, transfer some of the lentils to a blender and then add the puree back to the pot.
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
In this recipe we add the ingredients in stages to make sure your shrimp stays juicy and tender. Minced garlic, fresh thyme, and lemon juice provide all the flavor this dish needs. Use microwaveable rice to get dinner on the table fast, or pull out your rice cooker.
Smoked chicken and fire-roasted tomatoes add warmth to this chicken tortilla soup. But the secret ingredient, New Mexico chile powder, is a regional touch that sets it apart. New Mexico chile powder is a single-chile powder made from grinding dried New Mexico chiles and should not be confused with chili powder, which is a seasoning blend.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Pull together some tortellini, rotisserie chicken, and greens for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner. This summery recipe includes yellow squash, bell peppers, corn kernels, black-eyed peas, and heirloom tomatoes. Keep toasted pecans on hand on a regular basis for this salad and other meals.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Yes, even pork can be healthy with this lean and fast-cooking cut of meat. Just use a meat thermometer to keep the tenderloin from overcooking. In this recipe, the shaved fennel and zucchini salad will add zest and color to your plate.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Italian turkey sausage, chopped kale, and black-eyed peas star in this wholesome slow-cooker soup. Make certain to add the tomatoes at the end so that the acid won’t prevent the peas from getting tender. The short ingredient list and 15 minutes of active cook time are sure to make you a fan of this easy recipe.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
In this Mediterranean recipe, we’ve paired a lemony Dijon-honey vinaigrette with orzo pasta, chickpeas, feta cheese, roasted eggplant, and chopped Peppadew peppers. This zingy combination results in a meal with plenty of crunch, creaminess, and heartiness. Serve it alongside grilled meats or enjoy the salad as a main dish.
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner
Feel like French tonight? Try this recipe for salmon crusted with Dijon mustard, bread crumbs, and herbs de Provence. A simple homemade vinaigrette completes this no-fuss meal (save any leftovers for a nice niçoise salad).
Victor Protasio
Browning pork tenderloin in a skillet leaves behind tasty bits that form the base of the dressing for this farro, apple, and arugula salad. All of those sweet, salty, crispy, and chewy elements combine on your plate for one tasty meal. And of course, substituting other whole grains or greens is always an option.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners
This pasta and pinto bean salad has all the flavors you love, but with healthy, low-fat ingredients. Charred poblano chile and corn kernels lend it smokiness, peppers and scallions add zip, and pinto beans and pasta make it more than filling. This dish can be a weeknight supper or a side for special occasions.
Greg DuPree
Instead of loading up on brown sugar, allow the natural sweetness of the root vegetable to shine through. This savory soup is a blend of sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, onions, and warm spices. Top with plain yogurt and chopped pecans for a beautiful finish.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Ripe peaches and grilled sweet onions complement barbecue-seasoned pork tenderloin in this summery salad. The combination is especially sweet when nestled on top of peppery arugula and drizzled with honey-mustard dressing. Grilled baguette slices make the perfect croutons.
Alison Miksch
Fat dollops of lemon-dressed ricotta cheese elevate this dish to a light yet satisfying main. The recipe revels in spring vegetables like tender asparagus, crisp peas, and crunchy radish slices, not to mention fresh mint. Pea tendrils taste just like the peas and make an unexpected and charming garnish.
For a healthier take on barbecue, try moist and meaty slabs of pork tenderloin basted with your favorite barbecue sauce. Or, slather on our Italian-Style Salsa Verde, which is a blend of spicy peppers, fresh herbs, and olive oil. This recipe gets its smoky flavor from a dry rub and a good sear in a cast-iron skillet.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This comforting soup will fill your kitchen with the savory aromas of spices, vegetables, and aromatics. The chard has a milder flavor than most greens, which should please any picky eaters in the family. Serve a basket of warm, homemade bread with the soup and you have a complete and hearty dinner.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This brightened variation of chicken soup includes lemon peels along with a generous amount of lemon juice in the stock. We’ve subbed in sweet potatoes for carrots to pack in even more nutrients and balance out the acidity. Use pre-cooked chicken if you want to save on time.
Peter Frank Edwards; Prop Styling: Kendra Surface; Food Styling: Anna Hampton
This soul-warming stew recipe is from Ashleigh Shanti, the chef behind Benne on Eagle, a James Beard Award-nominated restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina. The recipe combines roasted pumpkin with peanuts, garlic, ginger, paprika, cayenne pepper, and hominy for a spicy, nutty flavor and plenty of texture. Use a medium-sized sugar or pie pumpkin, or try butternut squash instead.
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton
Filled with corn, black-eyed peas, and lots of gooey cheese, these hearty stuffed peppers make a festive and healthy summertime meal. This dish can also be made with sweet bell peppers. For easy peeling, seal the char-grilled peppers inside a plastic bag to steam and loosen the skins.
