Here’s one seriously nutritious south-of-the-border skillet dinner! Most Mexican dinners contain generous portions of grains and dairy, so we’ve lightened this one up by taking out traditional rice and replacing cheese topping with fresh avocado and pico de gallo. It’s mildly spicy and very satisfying!

In this skillet dinner canned beans are combined with onion and tomato to create a hearty, flavorful base for marinated chicken breasts. The whole process is really quick and simply, doing a little sautéing on the stove and then popping the skillet into the oven while you prep the toppings.

Leftovers from this meal are simply wonderful as packed meals the next day. When healthy eating tastes THIS good it’s hard to stop! And why would you want to stop?!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 8

Here’s what you need

For the Mexican Spice Blend:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia
• 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced
  

For the Skillet:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed
• 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 (15oz) can white beans, rinsed
• 1 avocado
• ½ cup pico de gallo
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
  

Instructions

1. Combine the spice blend in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend over all of the chicken pieces. Place in a ziplock bag in the fridge to marinate for an hour, up to overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the olive oil in a large, oven-safe, skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cooking until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, salt, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the rinsed beans and bring to a simmer, about 4 minutes.
4. Arrange the marinated chicken breasts over the top of the bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. Top with sliced avocado, pico de gallo and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
   

Nutritional Analysis
322 calories, 14g fat, 14g carbohydrate, 3g sugar, 829mg sodium, 6g fiber, and 35g protein.

​Are you eating tons of salads? I sure hope so. A big, colorful salad topped with a serving of protein is just about as healthy a meal as you will ever find. And, when done right, it’s also one of the tastiest meals!

Eating like this makes it possible to shed body fat while sustaining energy levels and muscle tone. This Curly Endive Salad with Butternut Squash with a big ‘ol serving of protein on top makes a fantastic go-to dinner salad. That is, dinner IS the salad; salad IS the dinner. It’s light and tight and will leave you looking and feeling light and tight :-) 

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 6

Here’s what you need

For the Butternut Squash

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• sea salt

For the Vinaigrette

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon shallot, minced
• ⅛ teaspoon liquid stevia
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• sea salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad

• 8 cups curly endive, torn
• 1 avocado, chopped

Instructions

1. Place the coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. While the coconut oil melts, in a large bowl combine the butternut squash pieces with the cinnamon, red pepper flakes and a few cracks of sea salt. Once coated, add the butternut squash to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. 
2. In a small bowl combine the vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk until fully combined. 
3. In a large salad bowl combine the endive, avocado and butternut squash. Toss with the vinaigrette and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis
91 calories, 5g fat, 10g carbohydrate, 2g sugar, 156mg sodium, 5g fiber, and 2g protein.

It’s hard to find a dinner recipe that’s as healthy as this one: white fish and veggies, steamed in a parchment parcel with fresh herbs, lemon and white wine. You’d also be hard pressed to find a white fish recipe that is this easy to make and tastes this darn good!

Cooking “En Papillote” (with Parchment Packets!) 
En Papillote is a fancy French way of saying “cooked in paper” :-) So we are going to be French and fancy today while making this super-quick-n-awesome recipe! 
This recipe cooks in a packet made with parchment paper, which is one of the reasons that it’s so quick and healthy.  Parchment paper packets use steam to quickly and healthfully cook the contents. It also makes clean up a breeze – crumpling up some paper and throwing it in the trash is my kind of KP! Parchment paper is grease and moisture resistant paper that has been specially treated for oven use. It won’t burn in the oven on bake, however don’t put it under the broiler – it will burn there! There is no right or wrong side of parchment paper – either side can be used.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 4

Here’s what you need

• ½ cup red onion, cut into think matchsticks
• 1 zucchini, cut into matchstick
• 1 carrots, cut into matchstick
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 (6 oz.) halibut fillets, or other white fish
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into half moons
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• ¼ cup white wine

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl toss the thinly sliced onion, zucchini and carrot with the olive oil and minced garlic.
3. Cut four 12-by-16-inch pieces of parchment paper and fold each in half. Open the parchment paper and arrange each fillet in the center of the top half of each parchment. Generously season with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with one quarter of the veggies, 2 slices of lemon, two sprigs of thyme and 1 Tablespoon of white wine.
4. Fold the bottom half of the parchment paper over the fish. Start folding and crimping the parchment paper ends together from one end all the way around the fish to the other end, creating a sealed envelope. Fold the end under the fish. The fish and veggies should be fully encased, with no breaks in the parchment paper for steam to escape – we need that steam as part of the cooking process! Place the packets on a pan.
5. Bake the fish packets for 12 to 18 minutes and remove from the oven. Serve the packets on plates, tearing them open just before serving. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis
231 calories, 4g fat, 8g carbohydrate, 3g sugar, 166mg sodium, 2g fiber, and 36g protein.

Moroccan cuisine contains an exquisite combination of savory and sweet spices to create unique flavors. The result is often quite memorable, as in the case of this Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken. You’ll notice cinnamon in the ingredient list, not a typical spice to be included in a chicken dish, however the combination works beautifully. 

Vibrant fresh veggies like butternut squash, tomatoes and onions create a nutritious base on which to serve this tender, spiced chicken. Meals like this are the building blocks for creating a lean, fit body.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 8

Here’s what you need
For the Slaw

• 1 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced
• ½ small head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 cup of cilantro, chopped

​
For the Citrus Dressing

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cubed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
• ½ cup pimento stuffed green olives, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, minced​

Instructions 

1. In a slow cooker, combine the squash, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and broth. Season generously with salt and pepper. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and ground black pepper. Rub spice mixture all over chicken thighs; place chicken on top of vegetable mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
3. Once cooked, remove the bones and shred the meat. Transfer the veggies with a slotted spoon to a serving platter and top with the shredded meat, chopped olives and minced chives. Enjoy! 

Nutritional Analysis
268 calories, 10g fat, 9g carbohydrate, 3g sugar, 560mg sodium, 2g fiber, and 35g protein.