37 Healthy Recipes for Your Microwave

A quick mango salsa gives this easy chicken dinner recipe a tropical flavor boost. A generous serving of spaghetti squash rounds out the healthy meal.

Warm cherries topped with luscious ricotta cheese and toasted almonds makes for a rich-tasting--yet calorie-conscious--treat.

These baked potatoes topped with canned tuna, artichoke hearts, provolone cheese and basil may seem unconventional, but the flavor combination is awesome. Serve with a mixed green salad.

Yogurt, sour cream and herbs are combined to make a perky topping for these healthy baked potatoes. Add some sliced tomatoes on the side to brighten up the plate and spoon some of the sauce over them too.

For a satisfying last-minute supper, it's hard to beat a sweet potato zapped in the microwave. The fragrant filling of beans and tomatoes adds protein. Be sure to eat the skin, which is full of fiber, as well.

Make your own cup of instant soup at home with this chicken curry zoodle (spiralized zucchini noodles) recipe. Pack several jars at once to take to work for easy lunches throughout the week.

Frozen mixed berries become an almost instant fruit topping in the microwave. Serve over angel food cake or Greek-style yogurt.

Sweet red bell pepper balances the bitterness of broccoli rabe in this vegetable risotto recipe. If you can't find broccoli rabe, use chard instead. For an easy risotto method, we've also included instructions for making this dish in the microwave. Make it a meal: Serve with Arugula & Strawberry Salad.

Plenty of black beans, salsa and chopped fresh vegetables mean a healthy amount of dietary fiber in this Tex-Mex layered dip. We use reduced-fat sour cream along with full-fat (and full-flavored) cheese to make the dip lighter without compromising great taste. Be sure to have lots of baked tortilla chips on hand when you serve it.

You don't need a deep fryer to make crispy potato chips. We toss thinly sliced potatoes with just a touch of olive oil, pop them in the microwave and voilà! Crispy, crunchy homemade potato chips with 8 grams less fat per serving than regular chips.

With the news that dark chocolate contains some healthful properties, there is a better excuse than ever to indulge during the holiday season. Specks of green pistachios and red dried cherries in this chocolate confection make for a festive holiday gift.

This healthy dessert recipe is a quick and healthy way to satisfy your chocolate craving.

This quick homemade applesauce recipe makes a healthy snack or fruit dessert for kids. Applesauce is also a fabulous complement to potato pancakes or latkes.

The chocolate will stiffen if it gets cold, so enjoy it while it's still warm. Skewer and dip anything you like--pear slices, dried apricots, even marshmallows.

Steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets tossed with a tangy lemon dressing is a great alternative to a green salad or steamed vegetable side dish.

This easy pizza-inspired roll-up is a kid-pleaser.

Very ripe mangoes make this simple Chinese pudding sublime. Traditionally, agar-agar--a derivative of seaweed--is used as the thickener. We use more commonly available gelatin and add sweetened condensed milk for a touch of creaminess. Use a very fine sieve for the smoothest texture. The recipe can be cut in half to make 4 puddings instead of 8.

Serve this fresh summertime treat as a vegetable side dish or as a condiment to accompany your favorite grilled fish, chicken or steak.

Satisfy that chocolate craving with a drizzle of melted chocolate chips over banana slices for an easy treat.

Spread leftover refried beans on whole-wheat toast and top with salsa and cheese for an easy breakfast that has plenty of staying power.

This elegant dessert is the perfect make-ahead finale for a summer dinner party. The strawberries look like ruby-red jewels floating on the rosy wine gelée.

A boozy fire emanates from these drunken cherries that get better with age. Serve them with cheese or combine the cherry-infused bourbon with seltzer or other soda to make a special cocktail. Fill a 12-ounce rocks glass with ice, add 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) of the cherry-infused bourbon (or rum), top with seltzer and garnish with the bourbon cherries.

In this Asian-flavored spaghetti squash recipe, thin slices of lean pork tenderloin are marinated with lemongrass, ginger, brown sugar and soy sauce. The flavorful marinade is then cooked with peanut butter and coconut milk to make a delicious sauce for this low-carb noodle bowl. 

This three-ingredient dish, known as piele in Hawaii, is fabulously simple. Coconut milk--an occasional indulgence because of the saturated fat--contributes rich flavor.

In this Italian-inspired healthy pork Milanese recipe, you'll swear that these crispy pork medallions were deep-fried, when in fact they're cooked with a nonstick skillet and a mere 3 tablespoons of healthy extra-virgin olive oil. While the pork and sweet potatoes are cooking, steam broccolini or green beans and serve with a squeeze of lemon to round out the meal.

Asparagus adds a touch of spring to this overstuffed ham-and-cheese twice-baked potatoes recipe for two. Use another vegetable, such as broccoli, if you prefer.

This grilled pork chop recipe features a savory rhubarb sauce that can cook in the microwave while you grill the pork chops.

This easy pizza-inspired roll-up is a kid-pleaser. 

Building the perfect taco is a very personal task--cheese under meat, cheese on top, no cheese at all? This is just our recommendation.

This quick homemade applesauce recipe makes a healthy snack or fruit dessert for kids. Applesauce is also a fabulous complement to potato pancakes or latkes.

For a change of pace from traditional bread stuffing, try this elegant, nutty-tasting pilaf, which features quick-cooking whole-grain bulgur. 

Stuffed baked potatoes are a great family-friendly weeknight supper. Here we stuff them with fresh cilantro, salsa and Jack cheese for lots of flavor and cook them in the microwave to make them quick and easy. Round out the meal with a simple avocado salad.

Spicy Southwest flavors pair with sweet and tangy pickled red onions to create a standout turkey burger. If you're used to having your burgers made of beef with plenty of melted cheese on top, don't worry. You won't be disappointed. Serve with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries.

This creamy cauliflower mash makes a perfect low-carb stand-in for mashed potatoes. Here we take simple mashed cauliflower and mix in garlic, buttermilk and a touch of butter to create a flavorful side dish that has about one-quarter of the calories of typical mashed potatoes. If you like, vary it by adding shredded low-fat cheese or chopped fresh herbs. 

Steak kebabs get a Southwestern spin with poblano peppers and a creamy sauce spiked with cilantro, chile powder, cumin and vinegar. The potatoes are partially cooked in the microwave before putting them on the grill so they're done at the same time as faster-cooking steak, peppers and onions. Serve with: Green salad and Spanish rice.

We steam brightly colored bell peppers in the microwave to save time and then stuff them with orzo, spinach and feta. This basic recipe will work with almost any filling--try substituting different types of cheese, herbs or beans. Serve with whole-wheat pita bread and cucumber salad. 

With this spaghetti squash and meatballs recipe, you can reduce the carbohydrates and increase the vegetable servings by skipping pasta and serving the Italian-seasoned turkey meatballs and quick, homemade marinara sauce over thin strands of cooked spaghetti squash instead. Cooking the squash first in the microwave and then in a skillet to cook off the extra moisture, gives the squash a more spaghetti-like texture.