Photo by Kalyn
From Kalyn’s Kitchen

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Now that all the celebrations are over, it’s time to buckle down and try to shed some of those pounds that we gained over the holidays. The problem for me is that most diet food just screams “deprivation”. It’s probably because a lot of diet recipes are basically adapted from recipes with more fat and sugar, which probably taste better. Though many of the recipe adaptations are very good, they still tend to remind me that I’m not eating the real thing. And on top of that, even though holidays are over, it’s still the middle of winter, and I’m not in the mood to eat light, summery foods. So instead of depriving myself this year, I’m going to seek out delicious, hearty food that is just coincidentally healthy.

Photo by Susan Russo
From FoodBlogga

First stop on my quest for yummy, healthful foods is sweet potatoes. They’re high in vitamins, fiber, and though they have carbs, they are considered “slow carbs” so they fit into the later phases of low carb diets like Atkins and South Beach. Most holiday sweet potato recipes pile butter and sugar on them, but I think they’re absolutely delicious in less decadent preparations too. Susan from FoodBlogga makes an interesting twist on candied sweet potatoes with her Honey Roasted Sweet Potato with Pomegranate Glaze. The Homesick Texan takes her sweet potatoes the savory, spicy route with her Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle.

Photo by Mansi of
Fun & Food Cafe

Some of my favorite cold weather dishes are pureed vegetable soups. They are just so hearty and warming, and the great (and sneaky) thing about a lot of them is that they have a thick, almost creamy texture without using cream. This Roasted Cauliflower and Bell Pepper Soup looks like the perfect cure for a cold winter day. Potato and leek soup is another great soup for this time of year, and this version from The Budding Cook is a great example of one without a ton of cream. My absolute favorite winter soup has got to be butternut squash soup, and Orangette manages to make her luscious Apple and Butternut Squash Soup without a drop of dairy. Soups with pureed vegetables aren’t the only healthful wintery soup though. Kalyn’s Spicy Pinto Bean Soup with Ham, Tomatoes, & Cilantro looks like a delicous and hearty meal-in-a-bowl.

Photo by Susan of
Fat Free Vegan

It’s easy to forget to eat your greens during the winter, but the cold season provides some great leafy veggies like kale and collard greens. These greens are great simply sauteed with garlic, but also make a great addition to a hearty bean soup like this Collard Greens and White Bean Soup from Fat Free Vegan. These bitter greens also do well in strongly spiced dishes like this Lentils and Kale Pappu from Batasari.

Photo by Susan of Sticky,
Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

One thing that I can’t get enough of (diet or no diet) is fresh fish. Although some are high in fat, they are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of heart disease. Lucky for me, some of my favorite ways to make fish are also the simplest and most healthful — like Misoyaki (basically glazing it with a miso mixture and baking it). Sticky, Gooey,Creamy, Chewy has an easy and delicious recipe for Misoyaki Salmon (based off of Kirk from Mmm-yoso’s Misoyaki Black Cod). Steaming fish is another great way to prepare it and highlight its freshness. This recipe from the Food Network shows you how to steam whole fish like the Cantonese. Toni at The Bungalow Kitchen uses a similar flavors, but steams it in paper (En Papillote). This method is very quick, versatile, and convenient for making ahead as Alton Brown demonstrates, and more importantly it’s healthy and tastes great.

With all these wonderful, seasonal, healthful ideas available, being on a diet shouldn’t feel so much like being on a diet. I hope all your New Year’s resolutions come to pass. If you have more ideas for delicious and healthy food, let us know in the comments.

You can use the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine to find lots of great recipes to suit your diet needs, including low fat recipes, low calorie recipes, and low carb recipes.

Howie Wang is the founder of FoodieView.com. His penchant for pork belly, cookies, and Chex mix has cost him dearly this past holiday season.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 at 11:09 am and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.