Quick & Easy Healthy Recipes

We've added a little red, white and blue to the classic gin fizz to create a summer cocktail that's perfect for Fourth of July celebrations or any other summer party. Sour cherries contain anthocyanins, antioxidants shown to reduce muscle soreness after workouts, and melatonin, which can help you sleep better. If you can't find them fresh, use frozen. Skip jarred or canned cherries to avoid added sugar.

For these meal-prep-friendly lettuce wraps, we swap the traditional warm filling for a cold plant-based bean salad filling loaded with fresh herbs and lemon. Topping each lettuce leaf with a little quinoa before adding the filling helps to keep the lettuce from getting soggy.

Make good use of crunchy and colorful seasonal produce in these meal-prep-friendly vegetable bowls. With just 30 minutes of prep, you get four healthy lunches that are ready to grab-and-go. We use bulgur, which cooks faster and is higher in fiber than brown rice, but you could swap in quinoa (or any hearty whole grain). Feel free to add chopped cooked chicken, shrimp or tofu for extra protein.

Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving. The great news is that these easy meal-prep lunches take just 20 minutes to prepare--that's 4 days of lunches in less than 30 minutes.

Mayonnaise adds great tang and texture to this easy pasta recipe--who knew? Black garlic, which is fermented, offers a sweeter, more mellow flavor than fresh. Find it at well-stocked supermarkets or substitute cloves of roasted garlic.

The roasted pepper and corn salsa that tops this gorgeous tomato salad has a kick from the tart sherry vinegar and moderately spicy and fruity Aleppo pepper. Red-wine vinegar and ground ancho chile are good alternatives. Grill some chicken, fish or other protein along with the corn for an easy summer dinner.

Corn, tomato and basil scream summer, but simplicity makes this easy dinner recipe perfect for the season. Serve the grilled skirt steak and relish with salad greens for a quick and healthy dinner you'll want to make over and over.

If Mexican street corn took a trip to Genoa, it might come back slathered in pesto butter like this grilled corn on the cob recipe. This Italian flair works because the flavors of basil and Parmesan have a natural affinity with corn.

Haricots verts are thinner than regular green beans, but you can use any bean with an edible pod (ask the vendor at your local farmers' market) in their place in this easy side dish recipe. Serve this healthy 3-bean salad with grilled chicken or fish for a satisfying summer meal.

This refreshing cocktail calls for elderberry syrup--if you've tried trendy St-Germain elderflower liqueur, which is made from the same plant, the flavor of elderberry syrup is somewhat similar but not as floral. Stock up on the syrup for this cocktail and for your health--research shows that it can help you recover from a cold faster. (One brand, Sambucol, is widely available in supermarket supplement sections.)

A common condiment in India, this yogurt-based sauce is used to help cool down spicy foods. Raita is versatile--you can mix it up with whatever cooked or raw veggies you have on hand in place of the cucumber.

This green hot sauce originating in Yemen gets its heat from jalapeños. If you like it spicy, leave the seeds and ribs on your peppers. For a milder version, take them out. Serve this quick hot sauce with hot-off-the-grill meats, fish and vegetables to add a bright pop of flavor to dinner all summer long.

Enjoy this fresh tomato sauce hot or cold. Its bold flavor is delicious in a simple pasta salad or topping any protein just off the grill.

These juicy burgers skip the traditional bread bun in favor of a savory grain-free cauliflower bun that contains a bit of Cheddar cheese. A mixture of onions, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce gives the burger patties tons of flavor, and the addition of a tangy special sauce completes the package for a burger with serious personality. Note: If you would like to make these burgers gluten-free, be sure to check the ingredients for the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to make sure they're gluten-free.

These scrumptious low-carb cauliflower buns use cauliflower rice in place of flour, with a bit of sharp Cheddar cheese and egg as binder to make a grain-free and gluten-free bun for burgers or sandwiches. Our take on cauliflower bread is particularly good with Classic Beef Burgers with all the fixings (see Associated Recipes), but we also love these buns with turkey burgers and veggie burgers.

Sweet peppers like red, orange and yellow bells stand in for tomatoes in this caprese-style salad and pair deliciously with the fresh mozzarella and acidic balsamic drizzle. Try green bell peppers if you prefer less sweetness. This easy, healthy recipe takes just 20 minutes to make.

Grilling cabbage and carrots gently softens the crunchy vegetables for a smoky yet still crisp version of a favorite summer side in this easy coleslaw recipe. For an easy grilled dinner, cook some chicken, fish or veggie burgers alongside the vegetables.

White beans mash seamlessly into a creamy protein-packed spread for a satisfying healthy sandwich that makes for an easy lunch or dinner. Mix it up by trying it with canned chickpeas or black beans. This vegetarian sandwich recipe is also a fiber superstar: avocado, beans, greens and whole-wheat bread team up to give it 15 grams of fiber, more than half of what most women should aim for in a day.

The combination of slightly smoky grilled eggplant and sweet tomatoes is delightful. The eggplant-tomato mixture served over whole-wheat pasta with fresh basil and a bit of salty cheese makes an easy, healthy weeknight dinner.

Don't skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won't protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep--in case you need more selling points for this recipe.