10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal

At Bob's Red Mill, we understand the importance of good food. Delicious and filling recipes are essential when creating your weekly menu. However, our favorite comfort food recipes can be quite heavy and don't often work well in a healthy diet. If you're searching for a way to lighten up your meals without giving up your favorite flavors, you are in the right place. This article will explore 10 ways that you can easily lighten up your meals without sacrificing their flavor. From spaghetti squash pasta to no-bean chili, when learning how to make dishes healthier, there are various recipes to choose from. Keep scrolling to discover which light ingredient swaps you can start making today.

Upgrade Your Pasta Dough

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal | Bob's Red Mill Blog We mean it when we say we're big fans of Italian food. Homemade pasta, fresh-baked bread, and refreshing salads are all dishes we regularly enjoy here at Bob's Red Mill. That being said, a giant bowl of pasta isn't something that we choose to eat for every meal. Though pasta is delicious (and we might want to eat it daily), a large bowl of it is usually accompanied by a lot of carbs and calories. If you're trying to eat healthier and cook in a light homemade meal, then traditional pasta probably isn't the right choice. However, that doesn't mean that you have to give it up altogether! You can turn a heavy meal into a light, healthy one by swapping out grain-based pasta noodles for a veggie-based version like spaghetti squash or butternut squash. At first glance, this Roasted Butternut Squash Gnocchi looks like a traditional bowl of pasta, yet underneath that creamy vegan sauce is a hidden boost of nutrients to support your health journey. Instead of potato, butternut squash is used to create this pasta. Besides its beautiful and vibrant orange color, squash is bursting with crucial nutrients like fiber and potassium. Vegetables contribute to strong immunity and health, and with this recipe, you get a serving of veggies in each bite!

Swap Pizza Crust for Flatbread

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal | Bob's Red Mill Blog Upgrading your healthy lifestyle is a big decision. It's no secret that we're a fan of healthy and wholesome foods. But just because we love eating healthy, doesn't mean that we don't love flavorful comfort food. In fact, it's just the opposite. By using wholesome and fresh ingredients, we've found that we can create healthy versions of our favorite foods with just as much, or more, flavor! Now, if you're wondering how you can turn a comfort food like a pizza into a delicious, light dinner option, then keep reading. This scrumptious Chickpea Flatbread recipe is a crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside treat that serves as the perfect crust for your favorite pizza. Load it up with all of the best Italian flavors, including melty mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and fresh herbs. Easy to make and quick to cook, this flatbread is a great way to lighten up dinnertime. Pair it with a fresh caprese salad for added deliciousness!

Make Your Meals Bite-Sized

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal | Bob's Red Mill Blog Delicious meals don't have to kill your healthy-eating mojo! If you're searching for lighter foods that will leave you satisfied without feeling like you over-indulged, try out these bite-sized ones. Bite-sized food is a great way to practice portion control, plus it's fun to eat. Add these bite-sized meals to your recipe rotation to keep things light and healthy at dinnertime.

Spinach Quinoa Bites

All this talk of pasta and pizza has left us craving something savory! These Spinach and Quinoa Bites are an easy way to add substance to a meal without overloading it with calories. Plus, both spinach and quinoa pack a hidden punch of nutrients to support your overall health. They are the perfect dish to pair with marinara sauce. Or enjoy them as a vegetarian meatball option over a big bowl of zucchini noodles. Customize these bites to your taste preferences and add your favorite savory herbs and spices to the batter. A delicious finger food, these bites live up to their "light and healthy" reputation.

Use More Greek Yogurt

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal | Bob's Red Mill Blog Use Greek yogurt instead of traditional sauces and high-carb dairy ingredients. Greek yogurt is a low-carb, high protein food that can be used in everything from desserts to savory pasta dishes. Adding Greek yogurt to a recipe is a great way to lighten up the carbs and calories while maintaining the same great taste. For a fun protein-filled greek yogurt dessert, try making these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins!

Sneak Vegetables Into Your Meals

Vegetables like carrots, butternut squash and zucchini are all perfect additions to your favorite meals. Swap them for meat in savory pasta recipes, or grill them up to make the ideal side for your next summer BBQ. Vegetables are incredibly rich in essential vitamins and minerals and low in calories, which make them a simple way to lighten up just about any meal. However you choose to add veggies to your meals, we're confident that you won't be disappointed. For a veggie-filled side dish, add this Vegetable Lentil Salad to your recipe rotation. Loaded with health benefits, it's a dish that even picky eaters will love.

Swap Cheese for Nutritional Yeast

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal | Bob's Red Mill Blog Try swapping cheese for nutritional yeast if you're trying to stay away from dairy or looking for a quick way to lighten up your meal. A vegetarian supplement used in baked goods, Nutritional yeast is a great way to add a creamy, cheese-like flavor to your dinner while still keeping it completely dairy-free! Aside from taste, nutritional yeast will help thicken the texture of whichever dish you add it to. Add it to soups, sauces, dips and even baked goods for a deliciously cheesy flavor. Apart from its flavor-boosting properties, nutritional yeast has some pretty great health benefits. High in vitamins like riboflavin, niacin and B 12, nutritional yeast packs a nutritional punch that's hard to overlook. Adding this cheesy substitute will boost the flavor of your favorite dishes and elevate the health benefits! To get started using nutritional yeast, make this Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce. Use it to make vegan nachos or a creamy pasta sauce!

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth with Good-for-You Desserts

A pretty cool thing happens when you use wholesome, healthy ingredients. They can transform even the sweetest dishes into a guilt-free dessert you can indulge in without disrupting your diet. So, how can you turn your favorite desserts into nutritious snacks? Swap out high-sugar ingredients for more nutritious counterparts! Try swapping traditional flour for almond or coconut flour if you want to make a flour-based dessert like cake, brownies, or cookies. Doing so will help cut down on unnecessary carbs and sugars found in most processed flours. Recipes like these Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies provide simple to follow instructions to make this swap seem effortless! Or if you are searching for a gluten free dessert and want to take the guesswork out of baking altogether, make your next dessert with our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.

Trade Your Favorite Milkshake for a Fruit/Veggie-Based Drink

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal | Bob's Red Mill Blog If you love the sweet taste of milkshakes and want to find a way to include this sweet drink into a healthy diet, then you're in luck. Many healthy, veggie and fruit-based smoothies can be made to taste just as sweet as milkshakes! By adding wholesome, naturally gratifying foods like berries, honey and mango to your smoothies, you can create a milkshake-like meal with half the calories! Looking for a sweet drink to start your morning with? Try out this Matcha Mango Smoothie Recipe.

Get Daring with Grains

10 Ways to Lighten Every Meal | Bob's Red Mill Blog Are you a fan of rice-based dishes and appetizers? We're right there with you! While rice can be great for you, it depends on which kind you use. White rice is heavily processed grain. During processing, many of the healthy nutrients are removed, and what's left is a high-carb filler. To lighten up your meals, start adding new, healthier grain variations to your dishes. Swap in quinoa for rice when you're making sushi, or try out a less common grain like buckwheat! Your meals will be packed with more nutrients and new flavors. For a unique way to work new grains into your brunch menu, make these Buckwheat Blini Bites. During the summer, when planning out your weekend adventures becomes a full-time job, a healthy brunch recipe may be just what you need to help power through the day's activities. These buckwheat blini bites are a thin, crepe-like pancake made with buckwheat flour. Bite-size and full of flavor, they are the perfect combo of sweet and savory.

Ditch the Soda

If you enjoy sweet drinks yet want to make sure you stick within your healthy diet, swap our sugary drinks with fruit infused water. Adding fruit to your water is a flavorful and healthy way to encourage you to keep hydrated. Don't know where to start? Try out this Lemon Chia Fresca Recipe. And there you have it, ten ways to lighten every meal naturally! From Greek yogurt to nutritional yeast, we hope this article has taught you how to make recipes healthier. Remember, healthy eating doesn't have to be hard. With just a few simple swaps, you can turn carb-heavy filling dishes into light entrees. Have a fun way to lighten up meals? Let us know which healthy swaps you make in the comments below!  
Bob's Red Mill
July 08 2020

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