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Healthy Recipes

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The meals and snacks you eat every day play a significant role in your health, affecting immunity, digestive health, bone health, and more.

 What’s more, a healthy diet can help you prevent or manage many chronic diseases.

 Whether you're a beginner cook or an experienced chef, knowing which healthy ingredients to reach for and building an arsenal of nutritious recipes can play a key role in achieving your health and wellness goals.

FAQ

What is the healthiest meal you can make?

There’s no single “healthiest” meal you can make, but in general, a healthy meal contains a balance of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and lean protein. It also ideally contains plant-based foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans and legumes.

Start with a lean protein such as skinless chicken, salmon, or beans and lentils. Then fill your plate with fiber by choosing a whole grain such as quinoa or brown rice, a vegetable like broccoli, and a fruit like berries.

If you’re consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim for 2 cups of fruit, 2 ½ cups of vegetables, 5 ½ ounces of protein, 3 cups of low-fat dairy or fortified soy milk, and 6 ounces of grains (at least half of which should be whole grains).

Meet Our Experts In Healthy Recipes
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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
Reyna-Franco-bio

Reyna Franco, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American Col...

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Justin Laube

Justin Laube, MD

Medical Reviewer

Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, a...

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Karen E. Todd

Karen E. Todd, RD, CSCS, EP-C, CISSN

Medical Reviewer

Karen E. Todd, RD, CSCS, EP-C, CISSN, is a registered dietitian and strength and conditioning specialist committed to evidence-based education in lifelong wellness, sports nutritio...

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Kara-Andrew-bio

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle ...

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Melissa-Sleight-bio

Melissa Sleight, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine
Melissa Sleight, RDN, is a board-certified lifestyle medicine dietitian with over 15 years of experience. She has a passion for educating her clients about improving their health t...
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Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She comp...

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Jennifer Frediani

Jennifer Frediani, PhD, RD

Medical Reviewer

Jennifer K. Frediani, PhD, RD, ACSM-CES, is a nutrition scientist, exercise physiologist, and registered dietitian with over two decades of experience in clinical research, educati...

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Roxana Ehsani, RDN

Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN

Medical Reviewer

Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, is a Washington, DC–based registered dietitian-nutritionist, board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, and media spokesperson, consultant, a...

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Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN

Medical Reviewer

Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media. She previously managed and oversaw nutrition content, recipe development, meal...

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Alison Ozgur, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Alison Ozgur, RDN, is a wellness expert with advanced training in whole-food, plant-based nutrition. She is also an adjunct instructor of nutrition at Jersey College in Teterboro, ...

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Sylvia E. Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, CPT

Medical Reviewer

Sylvia Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, CPT, is an internationally recognized nutrition expert who is relentlessly passionate about helping people fall in love with creating and enjoying deli...

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Kayli Anderson, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainabl...

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EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Benefits of Healthy Eating for Adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 14, 2024.
  2. Gropper SS.  The Role of Nutrition in Chronic Disease. Nutrients. January 28, 2023.

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