Healthy Sides That Are Easy to Make

JOEL GOLDBERG

Trying to eat healthier? We support it! Just don't fall into the trap of going for the same boring meal again and again. We've found that the best way to jazz up your healthy meals is to add fun, colorful side dishes with lots of flavor and good mouthfeel (crunchy! spicy! herby!). Check out these 35 side dish recipes that all have a little something extra going on—you'll want to pair them with every meal.

Most nights, we definitely fall prey to the ease of just tossing whatever veggies we've got around in a pan with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. When we look for ideas to shake our menu up, we've got to get creative so as to add flavor, but not lose that simplicity. The easiest way to do this is to take all we know about stir frying, roasting or grilling our vegetables, and then taking it a few steps further with the toppings. We're talking feta cheese, crushed pistachios, peanuts, golden raisins, black and white sesame seeds (or use everything bagel seasoning, we won't judge), dill… the options are truly endless.

We're also very partial to a protein-packed bean salad, particularly ones we can make ahead of time and serve hot or cold. We've included a few of our favorites here, like our black bean and corn salad or mediterranean chickpea salad, but get creative with the beans you like best (or whatever you've got kicking around in your cabinets).

We know eating healthier can sometimes mean avoiding some of your favorites, like potatoes. We've also included a few ways we like to make them that cut some of the calories but not the flavor, like our air fryer roast potatoes or oven baked french fries. Love mashed potatoes but hate all the butter and carbs? Try swapping in butternut squash or parsnips for all that creamy goodness, sans potatoes.

For more healthy ideas, check out our list of dinners and desserts too!

1 of 35

Air Fryer Crispy Potatoes

The air fryer works some kind of magic on potatoes—they get extra crispy all over and stay perfectly soft on the inside. Toss them in just a little bit of oil so all of the seasonings stick to make these the most addicting potatoes ever.

Get the Air Fryer Crispy Potatoes recipe.

2 of 35

Grilled Broccoli

Seasoned with a little soy sauce, honey, Worcestershire, and ketchup, the spicy-sweet-umami combo is guaranteed to satisfy even the most carnivorous of eaters.

Get the Grilled Broccoli recipe.

4 of 35

Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts

Inspired by the popular Chinese takeout dish Kung Pao Chicken, these saucy Brussels sprouts are dangerously addictive. If you want to up the spice level, feel free to add red chili peppers with the garlic.

Get the Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts recipe.

5 of 35

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Our lemon-parsley vinaigrette is perfectly tart and fresh with a hint of spice and you can put it on everything. This means that if you want to switch out any of the salad ingredients for your preferred addition, you have our blessing. We know that this is a "chickpea salad", but you can totally switch out chickpeas for your favorite canned beans: creamy cannellini beans, black beans, or kidney beans are all great options.

Get the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad recipe.

8 of 35

Mashed Butternut Squash

Butternut squash has an advantage on potatoes when it comes to a puree. After roasting, butternut squash becomes extremely smooth and creamy. Instead of the added milk or cream, the squash gets blended with a little butter for a velvety smooth side dish. It's one of our favorite ways to serve the vegetable and it takes very little effort!

Get the Mashed Butternut Squash recipe.

9 of 35

Black Bean And Corn Salad

This easy salad comes together quickly and works as a side dish, a great topping for tacos, or as an appetizer with tortilla chips. Think of this as a medley of the most exciting parts of a vegetarian burrito bowl, unadulterated by rice, and hyped up by a little honey-lime action.

Get the Black Bean And Corn Salad recipe.

10 of 35

Garlic-Sesame Sautéed Spinach

This easy sautéed spinach recipe is our take on the classic Korean banchan (aka side dish) sigeumchi namul. The rich flavor of toasted sesame oil pairs beautifully with the verdant spinach, and fresh scallions, peppery raw garlic, and rice vinegar bring a pleasant brightness that'll keep you coming back for more.

Get the Garlic-Sesame Sautéed Spinach recipe.

11 of 35

Oven Baked Fries

Who wants to deep fry in a huge pot of oil every time they want fries? Not us, it's just not worth it. But these? They're worth the 30 minutes, the easy clean-up, and the relatively measly 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.

Get the Oven Baked Fries recipe.

12 of 35

Miso Roasted Carrots

These sweet-savory carrots are topped with the MOST delicious mix of crunchy nuts and spices. Pulse the nuts and coriander seeds in a spice grinder or food processor if you've got one, but no sweat if not — it's easy enough to chop the nuts on the cutting board and smash the coriander seeds with the back of a knife.

Get the Miso Roasted Carrots recipe.

13 of 35

Roasted Garlic-Parsnip Puree

14 of 35

Black Eyed Pea Salad

Eaten during New Year's for good luck and prosperity, we like to use black eyed peas as a salad year-round. You can absolutely make this salad using dry beans, but canned black eyed peas also work great. The best part of this simple salad is that it gets better as it sits, so feel free to make this ahead.

Get the Black Eyed Pea Salad recipe.

15 of 35

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

16 of 35

Perfect Bok Choy

Quick-cooking bok choy is one of our favorite veggie sides. Here we pair it with ginger and sesame oil for a simple, but elevated plate of greens.

Get the Perfect Bok Choy recipe.

17 of 35

BBQ Braised Kale

I've seen a lot of in my days, and Far too few kale recipes use the rib stems. The good thing about braising is that the low and slow simmering process will take care of any undesirable toughness, infusing smoky flavor into the stems while breaking it down into a tender bite.

Get the BBQ Braised Kale recipe.

18 of 35

Greek Salad

Known as horiatiki, this traditional Greek salad is made with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, and feta. The easy dressing is a mixture of red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, dried oregano, and extra-virgin olive oil. Best part? This Mediterranean side dish only takes 15 minutes to prepare.

Get the Greek Salad recipe.

19 of 35

Beer Braised Cabbage

Don't overlook the humble cabbage! This straight cabbage braise (without meat!) is the perfect way to experience cabbage in all its vegetal glory.

Get the Beer Braised Cabbage recipe.

20 of 35

Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage

21 of 35

Moroccan Carrot Salad

This carrot-and-raisin salad gets an upgrade with a slightly spicy, slightly sweet, and very addicting sauce. It brings out the sweet freshness of the carrots and makes the whole dish sing. We are tempted to pour it over all of our salads from here on out.

Get the Moroccan Carrot Salad recipe.

22 of 35

Creamed Spinach

Creamed spinach is a simple side dish that is also the perfect way to use up an abundance of dying spinach. The creaminess will make you forget you're eating greens!

Get the Creamed Spinach recipe.

23 of 35

Bean Salad

Beans are wonderful: creamy, full of fiber and protein, and so colorful! We went with kidney beans, chickpeas, and green beans here, but use your favorites! Anything will taste great in this Greek yogurt and tahini sauce.

Get the Bean Salad recipe.

25 of 35

Garlic Butter Mushrooms

Just a teaspoon of balsamic takes these mushrooms next level. If you can't find crimini mushrooms, look for baby bellas or button mushrooms—they're essentially the same thing!

Get the Garlic Butter Mushrooms recipe.

26 of 35

Grilled Artichokes

There's no denying the artichoke's allure: they're the roses of the vegetable kingdom. We're pairing the smoky flavors of the grill here with a cool, green pistachio-yogurt cream and adding a little bit of spice and crunch with fried garlic chips and a pistachio-sesame topping.

Get the Grilled Artichokes recipe.

27 of 35

Loaded Grilled Cauliflower

Of all the different ways to prepare cauliflower, grilling might be our favorite. The steaks still have a bit of crunch, and the smoky flavor plays well with melty cheese and creamy ranch dressing.

Get the Loaded Grilled Cauliflower recipe.

28 of 35

Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant

Eggplant is infinitely better grilled, and this one comes with a simple and addicting tahini dressing. The Mediterranean vibes will have you feeling like you're relaxing along the coast!

Get the Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant recipe.

29 of 35

Kabocha Squash

If you're unfamiliar, kabocha squash is more savory and nutty than its cousin, butternut squash. This makes it a perfect match for the caramelized umami-sweet flavor of this maple-soy brown butter here.

Get the Kabocha Squash recipe.

30 of 35

Best-Ever Lentil Salad

This super versatile lentil salad is a meal-preppers dream. It's healthy, it's flexible, it keeps for a full week, and it tastes better the longer it sits! For this recipe, use lentils that will maintain their shape after they're cooked, lkike brown, black (or beluga), or green lentils, rather than yellow or red.

Get the Best-Ever Lentil Salad recipe.

galvandowerent.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.delish.com/cooking/menus/g2601/healthy-side-dishes/