Healthy Side Dish Recipes For Two

Find healthy, delicious side dish recipes for two. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Homemade Plain Greek Yogurt

Rating: 4.5 stars
1
Learning how to make Greek yogurt at home is simple with this easy homemade Greek yogurt recipe. Start by making homemade yogurt by heating milk, combining with a little bit of already-cultured yogurt and letting it sit in a warm spot until the milk turns into yogurt. Making protein-rich Greek yogurt takes one more step than making regular yogurt: straining the yogurt to thicken it. You can add the leftover liquid--also known as whey--to smoothies, or you can use it in place of buttermilk in baking.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Air-Fryer Kale Chips

Homemade kale chips are incredibly easy to make. Thanks to the air fryer, fresh kale leaves turn extra crispy in under 15 minutes with much less fat than some store-bought options. Warning: These will go fast!
By Adam Hickman

Oven Sweet Potato Fries

Rating: 3.9 stars
9
Making oven fries out of sweet potatoes brings out their inherent sweetness.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Oven-Baked Curly Fries

These oven fries crisp up without the greasy mess of deep-frying. Plus they're a bit easier and faster to make than traditional hand-cut fries thanks to the quick work of the spiralizer. Just watch the thickness: cut too thin, the fries will burn easily.
By Erin Alderson

Garden Fresh Quinoa

Quinoa is a whole grain and contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. With its high fiber and antioxidant content it's easy to see why everyone is talking about quinoa these days! Try it with garden vegetables in this delicious, quick-and-easy dish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Lemon-Parm Popcorn

Rating: 5 stars
2
Perk up your popcorn with a bit of lemon pepper and Parmesan cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Easy Whole-Wheat Couscous

Feel free to double this recipe to suit your needs. To add more flavor, swap reduced-sodium broth in for the water.
By Katie Webster

Sauteed Spinach with Toasted Sesame Oil

Rating: 4.5 stars
3
A delicious and quick spinach saute is a nice addition to any meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamed Spinach

Rating: 3.67 stars
3
EatingWell's updated version of creamed spinach has a low-in-fat cream sauce that's rich with Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baked Chili-Lime Zucchini Chips

Crunchy chips are so satisfying--even when you swap in zucchini for potatoes. In fact, you might even find you like these baked zucchini chips even better than potato chips.
By Beth Lipton

Sauteed Spinach with Pine Nuts & Golden Raisins

Rating: 5 stars
5
Pine nuts and sweet golden raisins brighten up sauteed spinach.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

Boiling the sweet potatoes ahead of time speeds up the grilling process, meaning this crispy and delicious side dish will be on the table in under 30 minutes!
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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Inspiration and Ideas

21 Thanksgiving Sides for Two

21 Thanksgiving Sides for Two
These Thanksgiving side dish recipes will steal the attention from any turkey. Each recipe yields just the right amount for two people, so it’s easy to celebrate without worrying about endless leftovers. Whether it’s Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole for Two or Skillet Green Bean Casserole for Two, these side dishes are classic, healthy and delicious.
Spiced Pinto Beans

Spiced Pinto Beans
Rating: Unrated
3
Any leftover beans would work in this quick side dish.
Zucchini Fritters with Orange Shrimp

Zucchini Fritters with Orange Shrimp
Rating: Unrated
1
Lemony Carrot Salad

Lemony Carrot Salad
Rating: Unrated
3
Bean and Veggie Patties

Bean and Veggie Patties
Grandma Ginger's Fish Casserole

Grandma Ginger's Fish Casserole
Rating: Unrated
3

Oven Fries for Two

Rating: 5 stars
2

These oven-roasted fries are simple and healthy yet as wholly satisfying as their fried cousins.

All Healthy Side Dish Recipes For Two

Mexican Potato Omelet

Rating: 3 stars
2
Whip up this simple, tasty omelet on those nights when it seems the refrigerator is bare. Frozen hash browns are perfect for such occasions--just look for a brand with little or no fat. And while the cheese adds some fat, it also provides almost a third of your daily calcium needs.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quinoa & Black Beans

Rating: 4 stars
5
Stir in your favorite jarred salsa for extra zing. Also good the next day for lunch.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mashed Maple Squash

Rating: 4 stars
2
Acorn squash makes a sweet substitute for potatoes in this easy mash. Use a serrated grapefruit spoon to get all the seeds and stringy fibers out of the inside of the squash.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sausage & Lentil Casserole

Rating: 4.67 stars
4
Requiring 45 minutes from start to finish, this casserole classic is one of the longer recipes in this book; however, it takes only about 10 minutes to assemble. While it bakes, you can put together a salad, or simply enjoy a glass of wine. If you want to make it vegetarian, substitute soy “sausage” for the Italian sausage and vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Greek Potato & Feta Omelet

Rating: 4 stars
1
Potatoes have a special affinity with eggs. If you keep frozen hash browns on hand (check the label and choose hash browns with less than 1 gram of fat per serving), you can whip up a simple, satisfying omelet like this one at a moment's notice. To cut back on saturated fat, use 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sauteed Spinach with Red Onion, Bacon & Blue Cheese

Bacon and blue cheese transform spinach into a stellar side. Popeye would be jealous.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Veggie-Stuffed Potatoes

These slow-cooker roasted potatoes are bursting with colorful vegetables, mild pine nuts, and tangy feta cheese. Serve as a side with steak, or add some beans and make it a vegetarian main dish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole for Two

If you love sweet potato casserole, but don't have a crowd to enjoy it with, try this stuffed sweet potato "casserole" for two. One sweet potato yields the perfect amount for two people while keeping true to the classic flavors you'd expect for Thanksgiving and other holidays.
By Hilary Meyer

Quick Cheese Grits

Serve alongside spice-rubbed shrimp and sauteed greens.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Steak & Purple-Potato Salad

Rating: 4.75 stars
1
This hearty steak and potato salad is inspired by salpicón, a favorite dish in Chile. The purple potatoes add vibrant color but you can substitute any young “new” potatoes that are harvested early in the season--even small fingerlings would work. Serve on a bed of spicy mesclun greens to round out the meal. This recipe can easily be doubled.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Beets & Shallots

Beets are packed full of vitamins and minerals, and they're delicious, too. Roasting beets brings out their natural sweetness. This healthy and full-of-flavor side dish combines beets with mild shallots.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Warm Apple-Cabbage Slaw

This easy apple-cabbage slaw is terrific on top of grilled chicken sausage or served with pork.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Brussels Sprout & Potato Hash for Two

Rating: 4.67 stars
2
This breakfast-meets-dinner Brussels sprout and potato hash recipe is a quick, easy dinner, perfect for a cool fall evening. Resist the urge to stir it too much! Cooking the hash undisturbed allows a crispy caramelized crust to form on the potatoes at the bottom of the pan. Look for hash browns that don't have added salt to help keep sodium in check.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sauteed Watercress

Peppery watercress is nicely balanced by sweet garlic and tart vinegar in this quick saute.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sauteed Chard with Chile & Garlic

Spicy red pepper, garlic and lemon juice balance any bitterness in this sauteed chard dish.
By Marie Simmons

Wild Rice Salad

Double this salad and add leftover cooked chicken or pork for a great lunchbox treat.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Herbed Whole-Wheat Couscous

Rating: 3.5 stars
2
Quick and versatile, serve this couscous alongside any saucy dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Peanut Butter & Cereal Banana Skewers

Rating: 5 stars
1
Sure, cereal with milk is great and all, but why stop there? Skewer banana halves on popsicle sticks and roll in your favorite cereal for a fun on-the-go breakfast, or freeze for a couple of hours to enjoy as a chilled treat.
By Joyce Hendley

Granola Cream-Stuffed Apple

For a satisfying snack, try this apple with creamy granola filling.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Couscous with Orange

Because this couscous recipe takes just 15 minutes to prepare, you can rely on it any time you need a sensational side dish. Mild tasting couscous is cooked in chicken broth and flavored with mild green onions and a chopped orange--it's versatile enough to go with just about any entree.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Buttermilk-Herb Mashed Potatoes

Rating: 5 stars
1
Simmering a garlic clove with the potato infuses it with flavor. Use whatever fresh herbs you have in your refrigerator.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sauteed Plantains

Plantains are a starchy, less-sweet relative of the banana. They are typically sold underripe, with yellow skin, but are best when the skin is almost completely black. Buy underripe plantains about one week in advance and ripen on the counter.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Asian Brown Rice

Crunchy water chestnuts and red bell pepper stirred into nutty brown rice is the perfect accompaniment for grilled teriyaki-marinated pork chops.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Skillet Green Bean Casserole for Two

Green bean casserole is usually built for a crowd, but not this one! It's perfectly portioned for a smaller Thanksgiving and done on the stovetop to free up oven space. Fresh breadcrumbs combined with caramelized onions deliver a savory alternative to the classic fried onions.
By Hilary Meyer
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