These 6 Recipes Will Make You Actually *Crave* Healthy Foods (2024)

Sure, you always start the day with a plan to eat healthy. But let's face it: most of us are just a few child meltdowns and stressful business meetings away from diving face first into a bowl of ice cream.

Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with doing that every once in a while—life's too short not to enjoy a bowl of the most decadent chocolate peanut butter swirl out there—but science shows that the more often you do it, the more likely you are to catapult into a vicious cycle of unhealthy eating. When you're stressed, you crave sugary comfort foods. Problem is, when you give in to those cravings you're pretty much guaranteed an energy crash later, which sets the cycle of reaching for more unhealthy foods in motion.

But what if there was a way to stop the cycle and actually crave healthy foods (you know, instead of just having them because you know it's good for you)? Candice Kumai, chef, health journalist, and author of the new book Clean Green Eats says there is—it's all about retraining your taste buds. "Switching gears so that your body is getting in as many whole, unprocessed, completely natural foods as it can—instead of overloading it with the sugar so many of us are used to eating—is all you have to do," she says. "It can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it, and eventually your body will really, honestly want that nutritious snack over food that isn't going to do anything good for you."

So how exactly do you get started? Candice breaks it down into four easy steps:

1. Create a support system. "The people you surround yourself with are the biggest influence on your life," she says. "You and your partner can succeed better together, whether that partner is a spouse, one of your kids, or even just a friend that you check in with daily. You'll motivate each other to try new recipes, new ingredients, and maybe even a new cooking class to keep things fun and interesting."

2. Focus on the positives. "It's never a good idea to focus on the negatives when it comes to changing your diet," she explains. "Focus on what you can have, what you get to have—not on what you can't have." Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Slim By Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life found that even just being slightly unhappy about your choices could lead you to eat more food, and your selections aren't likely to be as nutritious.

3. Try a no-processed-foods challenge. "For 10, 14, or even 30 days, give yourself a whole foods challenge where the only thing you do eat is whole, natural foods like smoothies, almonds, and avocados," she says. "Restock your pantry—without those "bad" foods—and visit your farmer's market. You'll begin resetting your palate, and once you start weaning off the sugar, starch, and grains you'll start to crave more real foods that keep you full and your energy high."

4. Get creative. "We're not telling people to eat rice cakes or drink juice all day," she explains. "This is about eating whole, real food so you're not really depriving yourself. And it'll keep your energy up, give you more mental focus, and improve sleep, circulation, and libido."

To give your creativity a kick-start, Candice provided six healthy recipes that will keep you feeling satisfied, energized, and wanting more.

Coconut-Almond Smoothie

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter

2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup baby spinach

1 teaspoon spirulina powder

11⁄2 frozen bananas

3⁄4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Kale Avocado Caesar Salad

Serves: 4

For the Salad:

1 bunch lacinato kale, tough ribs removed, leaves torn

1/2 Fuji apple, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons

1 avocado, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds

For the Light Caesar Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Prep the vegetables for the salad. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, pepper, sea salt and Worcestershire sauce. Add the chopped kale and Fuji apple slices to the bowl and toss well to coat with the vinaigrette. Plate the salad and top with the avocado cubes and hulled hemp seeds.

Radish & Watercress Detox Salad and Almond Tahini Dressing

Serves: 2

For the Almond Tahini Dressing:

3 tablespoons tahini paste

3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

For the Salad:

1 cup cooked and cooled farro (prepare per package instructions)

1 bunch fresh watercress, ends removed

1/3 cup cooked edamame or peas

1 bunch radish, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sliced almonds

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients to make the dressing, whisk well to combine. In the same bowl, add in the cooked farro, the watercress, the peas and/or the edamame. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, thinly slice the radish, transfer to the large bowl.

Using salad tongs, mix until evenly dressed. Garnish salads with sliced almonds and serve.

Cold Sweet Pea Basil Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 16-ounce package frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for finishing

1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Sliced almonds for garnish

Optional Toppings:

Fresh mint or basil leaves

One dollop Greek yogurt

In a small sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Add the cooled onion mixture to a blender or food processor, followed by the peas, basil leaves and salt, blend to combine. Stream in the almond milk and vegetable broth until the mixture has a nice, velvety soup consistency.

Serve the soup at room temperature or chilled with the extra almond milk and garnished with sliced almonds to finish.

If desired, top with fresh mint or basil leaves and a dollop of Greek yogurt, for an extra boost of protein.

Pasta with Almond Pesto

Serves: 6; yields: 11⁄2 cups pesto

For the Light Almond Pesto:

3⁄4 cup whole, unroasted almonds

3 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1⁄4 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes (measure/use minimal oil)

1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄4 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the Pasta:

1 1⁄2 cups penne or bow-tie pasta (regular or whole wheat)

Optional Toppings:

Fresh basil

1 to 2 tablespoons thinly shaved Parmesan cheese

Place the almonds into a food processor and pulse until ground. Add the basil, garlic, sundried tomatoes and sea salt and pulse again to combine. Once the ingredients are somewhat mealy, gradually add the olive oil and water, and process until the mixture is finely chopped yet still has texture, about 1 minute. Pulse in the lemon juice.

Begin to make your pasta. When it's al dente (firm to the tooth), strain and cool. Place the warm pasta into a large bowl, and toss with 1⁄3 cup pesto until well coated. Top with fresh basil and Parmesan, if desired.

Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut Smoothie Bowl

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 frozen bananas

1⁄4 cup whole natural almonds

3⁄4 cup kale, stems removed, chopped

3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch (dark) cocoa powder

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 scoop pea protein powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon spirulina powder (optional)

Optional Toppings:

Whole almonds

Sliced almonds

Fresh mint

Coconut pieces

Sliced banana

Almond butter

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve and divide the smoothie mix immediately into two serving bowls and top with your choice of toppings.

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