Healthy Low-Calorie Recipes

A hit of lime zest and crunchy salt flakes on ripe watermelon is an addictive, salty-sweet way to enjoy a refreshing and hydrating snack. Pair it with a few pistachios for a protein boost.

Good-quality canned salmon is high in protein and brain-loving omega-3 fatty acids. Mix it with pesto-spiked yogurt and pile it old-school style into a halved avocado for a quick healthy lunch.

Peanut butter and banana are the original power couple. Top a simple toasted English muffin with the duo, then sprinkle everything with a hit of ground cinnamon for a healthy breakfast of champions.

We cut down the cooking time for this healthy chicken stew by fortifying store-bought broth with chicken and aromatics and then using the flavorful liquid to both simmer the rice and make the gravy. Try subbing 5 fresh curry leaves if you can't find the Indonesian bay leaves.

The key to cooking juicy chicken without a spit in this healthy recipe is high heat and dark meat. The yogurt in the marinade gives the chicken both its tender texture and its alluring char. More yogurt in the sauce, along with crunchy cucumbers and herbs, keeps the flavors bright.

Empanadas usually are served hot and blistered from the deep fryer, but home cooks will be glad that these baked healthier handpies offer similar pleasures without a trip into a vat of bubbling oil. The simple dough, similar to pie crust, comes together in a jiffy in the food processor. For a fun tweak, make the recipe into mini empanadas with 3-inch, rather than 6-inch, rounds of dough.

The key to this delicious quesadilla recipe is the zippy make-ahead chicken that's stewed with charred tomatoes and smoky chile powder, though canned tomatoes (especially the "fire-roasted" kind) and chipotles in adobo will do in a pinch. The spice level is up to you, so feel free to season to taste with chipotle.

Traditionally, Chongqing chicken is made by encasing the meat in crunchy batter, like popcorn chicken but better. To make it at home, we decided to mimic the effect with a simple cornstarch dredge and just a little oil, sparing you both time and the stress of deep-frying. Practiced eaters focus their chopsticks on the meat, avoiding the many chiles and Sichuan peppercorns that give the dish its tongue-tingling character, but we encourage you to risk the lovely agony.

Traditionally, the star of this famous Burmese salad, laphet, is made by fermenting just-picked tea leaves for several months underground. While laphet is starting to be imported, it is still hard to find. This version, using readily available green tea, offers a quick alternative. Mix the salad at the table so everyone can appreciate the diversity of ingredients--from crunchy to savory--that make it so special.

Swapping out mayonnaise in favor of lime juice and shallots is a simple change, but its impact gives this healthy chicken salad recipe a light, fresh feel. For more color, try swapping in a bit of red cabbage for the green.

Spooned into small bowls to eat alongside the rest of the meal, citrus salads act as bright accents to rich curries in Myanmar. If you can find Meyer lemons, use a mix of grapefruit and Meyer lemons for a less bitter and more floral bite.

This easy Asian green bean salad recipe gets a deeply savory flavor from shallots and fish sauce. Part of the reason is time: after it's made, the dish is left at room temp for 20 minutes to allow the green beans to absorb more flavor. Serve with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Ginger salad is nearly as popular as tea-leaf salad in Myanmar and is just as crunchy. This version uses purchased pickled ginger; i.e., the same ginger on your sushi tray. This healthy salad recipe also has the nontraditional addition of romaine lettuce, which gives it a lighter bite.

Flan gets a savory treatment in this decadent vegetarian appetizer recipe. Sweet-salty gorgonzola dolce, crème fraîche, asparagus and eggs melt together into a delicious custard. Serve with crusty bread and dry Italian Gavi di Gavi white wine.

Beet juice gives this classic Italian vegetarian risotto recipe a gorgeous (millennial) pink hue. Look for bottled beet juice with other juices at well-stocked supermarkets or juice some of your own. Just be sure to wear gloves!

Crunchy on the outside and slightly soft in the center, these easy homemade breadsticks are a good way to use your sourdough starter. Substitute 1 tsp. of fresh starter for the active dry yeast, adding it with the olive oil and malt syrup. No barley malt syrup? Use molasses instead.

Skip the jar of tomato sauce at the supermarket. This homemade ragù is so simple and so good that you'll want to make it in batches and freeze it so you always have some around. For the homemade pasta, this healthy recipe uses whole-wheat flour instead of the "00" type often used, adding a nutty flavor and fiber. Serve with your favorite Italian red wine.

At Ristorante il San Pietro in the Piedmont of Italy, they use scamorza affumicata, an aged smoked mozzarella, but smoked fresh mozzarella works too in this healthy homemade vegetarian pasta recipe. You can substitute dry pasta, such as cannelloni or manicotti, for the fresh. Cook 12 noodles according to package directions, then stuff and sauce them.

In this healthy salmon dinner, you'll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen's current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.

Drizzle melted dark chocolate onto sliced kiwis and sprinkle with pistachio nuts for a fast healthy dessert or snack that satisfies your sweet, salty cravings.