Healthy Recipes for Spring Foods That Help You Shed Pounds

August 27, 2019
Try these low-calorie recipes for the freshest ingredients of the season.Watch Video
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Spicy Ramen Cup of Noodles

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Make your own cup of instant soup at home with this vegetarian ramen recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.

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Asparagus Tabbouleh

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Asparagus and pomegranate seeds are a fun addition to this easy tabbouleh recipe. Serve this healthy whole-grain side with chicken kebabs, tzatziki and pita bread for a Middle Eastern-inspired dinner.

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Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

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Got leftover cooked chicken or turkey? Cook up a pot of soup! This recipe is a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread.

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Inside-Out Lasagna

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Here we take basic lasagna ingredients--ricotta cheese, pasta and tomatoes--and skip the layering and long baking time to make a super-quick and satisfying meal for the whole family. To cut down on prep time, look for presliced mushrooms. For meat lovers, brown some crumbled turkey sausage along with the onions and garlic. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and whole-grain baguette.

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Potato, Asparagus & Mushroom Hash

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Made with asparagus, roasted red pepper and mushrooms, this hash has a fresh and light, springtime taste. Serve with hearty whole-grain toast for an easy vegan breakfast or with an egg on top for a vegetarian take.

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Devilish Egg

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A hard-boiled egg is a protein-packed snack on its own--give it a little more pizzazz with a bit of mayo and mustard on top.

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Asparagus-Goat Cheese Soufflés

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Puffy and warm, these asparagus-goat cheese soufflés are the essence of spring. Serve them alongside a big salad with a tangy vinaigrette for a light supper or a special brunch. Though these are wonderful either way, the addition of truffle oil is spectacular and decadent-tasting.

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Simple Green Salad with Citronette

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Frisée and radicchio are both assertive, slightly bitter greens that add color and texture to any salad. Match them with mellower-flavored greens, such as red leaf lettuce, baby spinach or even Boston lettuce.

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Loaded Spinach Salad

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Like many spinach salads, this one features lots of chopped-up hard-boiled egg. But since most of the calories in an egg are in the yolk, this recipe uses just two whole eggs, plus the whites from six additional eggs, for a satisfying spinach salad that keeps the calories in check.

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Duck & Strawberry Salad with Rhubarb Dressing

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Strawberries provide a sweet counterpoint to rich duck breasts. Here, they meet in a quick salad for two, dressed with a rhubarb vinaigrette. Showcase the fruity, tangy dressing and the smoky grilled duck with the smoky, raspberry character of a Washington State Syrah.

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Black Bean & Hominy Succotash with Barbecued Portobello Mushrooms

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Here smoky-flavored grilled mushrooms are served over a black-bean-and-hominy succotash. Serve with: Cornbread and an avocado-and-tomato salad.

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Dandelion Greens with Toasted Garlic & Almonds

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This salad recipe works for just about any green, but we especially love it with the light bite of assertive greens like dandelion or escarole. If you want to make it with mellower greens like chard or spinach, skip the blanching (Step 1), which is included to tame the bitter flavor.

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Strawberry Pandowdy

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A truly old-fashioned dessert, “pandowdy” is said to refer to the cutting up of the flaky crust, or “dowdy-ing,” toward the end of the baking time. Once the crust is cut, the bubbly fruit cooks up around the crust. This dessert is good with whichever berries are ripe at the moment. In early summer go for strawberries. Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

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Grilled Eggplant & Portobello Sandwich

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Looking for a vegetarian option for your next cookout? This grilled eggplant and portobello sandwich is our answer. For extra flavor, we top it with slices of garden-fresh tomato and spicy arugula. Serve with a mixed green salad.

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Citrus-Infused Strawberries

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A touch of lemon juice and Grand Marnier add zippy citrus notes to fresh strawberries. Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

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Broccoli & Goat Cheese Souffle

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This elegant broccoli and goat cheese soufflé will wow your family and friends. Soufflés are surprisingly easy to make--the only trick is getting them on the table before they deflate. Serve with: A tomato-and-fennel salad and, for dessert, fresh strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

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Halibut Packets with Mushrooms & Polenta

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Garlicky mushrooms spiked with bacon make a lovely garnish for halibut and polenta. We can't decide what we like best about this dish: the flavors, healthfulness, ease or the fact that there is so little cleanup! Serve with steamed green beans tossed with olive oil, whole-grain mustard and a squeeze of lemon.

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Cobb Egg Salad

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The bacon, blue cheese and avocado in this egg salad make it decadent. Serve it open-face on a piece of toasted whole-grain bread.

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Chorizo Migas

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Migas, scrambled eggs with strips of tortillas, is a tasty breakfast or quick dinner. Poblano peppers, onion and salsa on top ensure you get some veggies in your eggs.

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Green Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

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This lively salad captures the essence of early summer with ripe strawberries, chives and baby spinach. To make it a meal, top it with grilled chicken breast.

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Strawberry & Cream Cheese Sandwich

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Sliced strawberries and reduced-fat cream cheese come together in a sandwich for this quick and healthy lunchbox treat.

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Huevos Rancheros Verdes

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Huevos rancheros or “ranch eggs” is a classic Mexican dish that is great for a quick dinner. Traditionally, it's made with a red tomato-based sauce. Here we use tart and tangy green salsa instead. Serve with: brown rice and slices of avocado.

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Barbecue Portobello Quesadillas

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This smoky mushroom-filled quesadilla is reminiscent of pulled pork. A touch of chipotle chile pepper adds extra heat. Serve with coleslaw and guacamole.

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Roasted Rhubarb Salad

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Rhubarb roasted for just a few minutes is a tart topping for a mixed green salad with raisins, walnuts and goat cheese.

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Baby Beet Greens with Spicy Mediterranean Vinaigrette

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This unusual salad ties together earthy greens, sweet-tart cranberries, smoky cheese and crunchy croutons with a spicy-sweet dressing. Baby chard and beet greens have bright-colored ribs and veins, which give this salad a beautiful look.

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Roasted Corn & Shiitake Mushrooms

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Roasting brings out the sweetness of the corn and browns the shiitake mushrooms. Rice wine and soy sauce balance the flavors. Try it with grilled pork tenderloin.

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Pancetta & Greens Frittata

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This frittata is packed with hearty greens and leeks with a touch of salty bacon or pancetta and Asiago cheese for flavoring. We tested the recipe both with egg substitute and whole eggs. It works great either way, but has fewer calories and less saturated fat when you use egg substitute.

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Cheesy Polenta & Egg Casserole

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This memorable brunch centerpiece is rich with cheesy polenta, crumbled sausage and baked eggs.

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Florentine Hash Skillet

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Here's a super-quick all-in-one-skillet breakfast to start your day, loaded with hash browns, spinach, egg and cheese.

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Deviled Eggs with Relish

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Deviled eggs are a perennial potluck favorite. Our recipe replaces some of the egg yolks with nonfat cottage cheese--keeping the filling velvety and rich while reducing some of the fat. No one will know the difference.

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