3 Healthy and Delicious Diet Recipes

By Ann Vroman

One unfortunate truth about diets is that when we're on them, we have a tendency to focus on all the foods we can't have. A better approach would be to look at a diet as an opportunity to try exciting, delicious, and healthier foods. Here are three heart-healthy, low-calorie meals that don't skimp on flavor:

Orange-Tamari Salmon

This recipe features an exotic blend of citrus and tamari, with all the nutritional benefits of omega-3s!

What You'll Need:

1 1/2 lb salmon fillets (4 equal portions)

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 tbsp low-sodium tamari

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3 tbsp ginger (peeled and grated)

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/2 tsp olive oil (extra virgin)

1 tsp raw honey

Cooking Instructions:

Rinse fillets and pat them dry.

Combine white wine, tamari, orange juice, green onions, honey, and ginger in a bowl and whisk them until they form a well-blended marinade.

Place fillets in a baking pan with the pink flesh facing up. Pour the marinade evenly over all fillets. Cover pan with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

When you're ready to cook, remove fillets from refrigerator while you preheat your broiler.

Remove excess scallions and ginger from the fillets, and brush the scaled side of each fillet with extra virgin olive oil.

Place fillets, skin down, on broiling pan.

Broil fillets on high heat for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. The flesh should be slightly brown on top, and firm, flaky, and light pink throughout.

Spinach-Ricotta Portobellos

This vegetarian treat goes great with whole wheat pasta and a side salad. As an added bonus, each stuffed mushroom cap serves up a healthy dose of calcium and protein!

What You'll Need:

4 large Portobello mushrooms (caps)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper, divided

1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese

1 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

2 tbsp kalamata olives,diced

1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning

3/4 cup marinara sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Coat a baking sheet with no-calorie cooking spray and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place Portobello caps on baking sheet, gills facing up.

Sprinkle with sea salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Cook until tender (about 20 minutes).

While caps are cooking, mix ricotta cheese, spinach leaves, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, diced olives, Italian seasoning, and remaining pepper in a bowl.

Pour marinara sauce into a separate bowl and cook or microwave until hot.

Remove caps from oven and drain them. Place them back on the baking sheet and spread 1 tbsp marinara sauce on each.

Heap each cap with 1/3 cup ricotta spinach filling. Sprinkle all caps with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes, and serve with remaining warm marinara sauce.

Sweet & Tangy "Fried" Chicken

This recipe puts a healthy spin on a Southern favorite. It's also packed with selenium, a vitamin that boosts the production of disease-fighting antioxidants.

What You'll Need:

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp grade B maple syrup

2 tbsp peanut oil, divided

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

3/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt, optional

4 lb bone-in chicken pieces, skinless and fat-trimmed

1 1/2 cups whole grain breadcrumbs

Cooking Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix Dijon mustard, maple syrup, 1 tbsp peanut oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Whisk until well-blended.

Dip chicken pieces in mixture until evenly coated on all sides.

Cover chicken and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 6 hours).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a wire rack over a large baking sheet to cook chicken.

Mix breadcrumbs and remaining peanut oil on the surface of a large plate. Dredge the meatier side of each chicken piece through the breadcrumb mixture.

Arrange pieces on wire rack, dredged side up. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!

More Tips

Here are some more tips for putting together exciting and healthy recipes:

Try new meats. Veal, lamb, and bison are ultra-lean and full of flavor.

Add color to your recipes. A balanced diet should contain plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. Take this opportunity to try new varieties of produce.

Use whole-grain rice and pasta. Whole grain products provide plenty of fiber and keep blood sugar spikes to a minimum. Many dieters also find them to be heartier and more satisfying than regular white flour products

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