healthy summer

Crunchy homemade coleslaw with lemon and mustard is one of the healthiest side dishes around.

Each serving provides 78 kcal, 4g protein, 10.5g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 1g fat (of which 0.5g saturates), 6g fibre and 0.5g salt.

Healthy homemade coleslaw

100 grams/3½oz low-fat natural yoghurt

½ lemon, juice only

tbsp grainy mustard

tbsp roughly chopped soft herbs, mint

½ red onion, thinly sliced

carrots, peeled then peeled into ribbons

sea salt and black pepper

This salsa recipe is a real crowd pleaser – fresh, healthy, low-fat and made in one step. Enjoy with Mexican corn chips.

Fresh Salsa

tomatoes,

onion,

chillies,

coriander, finely chopped

salt,

lime juice,

water

Fresh salsa

Quick to cook, for breakfast, lunch or supper, this satisfying healthy omelette contains two of your daily servings of veggies, plus filling protein from the eggs.

Each serving provides 218 kcal, 17g protein, 4g carbohydrates (of which 4g sugars), 14.5g fat (of which 3.5g saturates), 2g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Healthy omelette

olive oil

¼ red, orange or yellow pepper, chopped

free-range eggs

fresh (large pinch) or dried parsley (small pinch)

cherry tomatoes, halved

spinach, torn

chives,

black pepper

This easy Mediterranean chicken recipe is a great meal to have bubbling away on the stove for a simple supper with friends or a family-friendly mid-week meal. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.

This recipe is perfect for batch cooking, cook the chicken sauce and divide it into portions and pop in the freezer, it will keep in the freezer for 2 months. You can cook the potatoes while you reheat the sauce. 

Mediterranean chicken with potatoes

chicken

onion, diced

carrot, finely diced

garlic cloves, sliced

tin tomatoes

250 milliliters/9fl oz chicken stock

herbs

potatoes,

salt and pepper

This simple pasta salad is perfect for lunch or as a barbecue side dish. To make it vegan, omit the feta.

Each serving provides 567 kcal, 22g protein, 70g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 20g fat (of which 9g saturates), 7g fibre and 2.5g salt.

Easy pasta salad

pasta,

½ unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest and juice

¼ red onion, finely chopped

olive oil, ideally extra virgin

cucumber,

grams/3½oz cherry tomatoes, quartered

grams/½oz fresh basil, roughly chopped

60 grams/2¼oz feta, crumbled (optional)

black olives (optional)

Learn how to cook courgettes in three delicious ways – fried, baked and spiralised.

For the sprialised courgette, you will need a spiraliser or large noodle attachment of a free-standing mixer or food processor. 

How to cook courgettes

courgettes,

tbsp sweet chilli sauce

soy sauce

salt and black pepper

½ tsp chilli flakes

pesto

pine nuts, toasted, to serve (optional)

grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)

Learn how to cook courgettes in three delicious ways- fried, baked and spiralised.

How to cook courgette

Try this simple one-pot chicken breast tagine. It uses store cupboard basics for a satisfying meal for four, or can be batch cooked for instant dinners.

Moroccan-style chicken with couscous and yoghurt

garlic cloves, crushed

275 milliliters/10fl oz chicken stock

chicken breasts

tomatoes

cinnamon

ginger

dried apricots or prunes (or both), chopped

tbsp clear honey

coriander,

natural yoghurt, optional, to serve

The delicate flavour of cod is wonderfully paired with lemon, garlic and parsley in this simple dish.

This meal provides 322 kcal, 33g protein, 16g carbohydrate (of which 0.6g sugars), 14g fat (of which 8g saturates), 0.6g fibre and 0.9g salt per portion.

Roast cod with a lemon, garlic and parsley crust

tbsp finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

lemon,

60 grams/2¼oz butter, melted

lemon juice

lemon

A healthy and delicious noodle dish that will feed the whole family. 

Each serving provides 259 kcal, 7g protein, 38g carbohydrates (of which 1g sugars), 7g fat (of which 1g saturates), 6g fibre and 2g salt.

Rainbow noodles

wholewheat egg noodles

vegetable oil

red pepper, seeds removed and finely sliced

spring onions, finely sliced

garlic cloves, finely chopped

carrots,

courgette,

lime, juice only

150 milliliters/5fl oz vegetable stock

unsalted

coriander

red chilli, roughly chopped

Whip up an easy and healthy dinner in no time with this spicy chicken traybake. We've replaced potatoes with root vegetables to reduce the carbohydrates and included plenty of spice to turn up the flavour. If you're not into spicy food, check out the recipe tips for other flavour ideas.

Each serving provides 361 kcal, 44g protein, 30g carbohydrate (of which 14g sugars), 5.5g fat (of which 1g saturates), 7g fibre and 0.5g salt. 

Ras-el-hanout chicken traybake

400 grams/14 ounces sweet potatoes,

red onion,

garlic

chicken breast

lemon, quartered

tsp ras-el-hanout spice mix

thyme

tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt, to serve

A twist on the classic New York-style Waldorf Salad with chicken and a creamy, but low-calorie, garlic dressing. This is a little over 500 calories, so if you are dieting pair it with a lower calorie breakfast or lunch to make sure your intake is no more than 1200–1500 calories.

Each serving provides 515 kcal, 55.5g protein, 42g carbohydrates (of which 42g sugars), 12.5g fat (of which 2.5g saturates), 5.5g fibre and 0.8g salt. 

With a GI of 58 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

New York chicken and apple salad

crunchy red apples,

level tsp runny honey

grams/5½oz

celery sticks, thinly sliced

spring onions, thinly sliced

Little Gem, leaves separated, roughly torn

x 150 grams/5½oz cooked chicken breasts, skin removed, roughly torn

1–2 tbsp chopped toasted walnuts

200 grams/7fl oz fat-free natural yoghurt

garlic clove, crushed

tbsp cider vinegar

level tbsp wholegrain mustard

2–3 tbsp chopped fresh dill

This quick and easy recipe will show you how to make homemade tzatziki, a great accompaniment to Greek dishes. 

Tzatziki

Greek-style yoghurt

cucumber

garlic cloves, grated finely

extra virgin olive oil

paprika,

Freekeh is dried green wheat, harvested while the grains are still soft, then sun-dried. It is very common in the Middle East and North Africa, and is used in the same way as bulgur, couscous or pearled spelt. It works well as an accompanying pilaf or a salad, in this case with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, mint and spring onion.

Each serving provides 347kcal, 6g protein, 46g carbohydrates (of which 7g sugars), 18g fat (of which 3g saturates), 1.5g fibre and	0g salt.


Freekeh salad

200 grams/7 ounces freekeh, pearled spelt or pearled barley

spring onions, finely chopped

pomegranate, seeds only

pomegranate molasses

tbsp pistachios, roughly crushed

This fresh-tasting vegetable pasta is ready in about 15 minutes and is perfect for a quick healthy lunch or dinner.

Each serving provides 440 kcal, 14g protein, 58g carbohydrate (of which 11g sugars), 14g fat (of which 2g saturates), 13g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Quick vegetable pasta 

150 grams/5 ounces whole wheat pasta,

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

yellow pepper, deseeded and

cherry tomatoes

spring onions, trimmed and sliced

¼ tsp dried chilli flakes

½ small lemon, finely grated zest and juice

spinach leaves (around 75 grams/2½oz)

grated Parmesan (or alternative vegetarian hard cheese), to serve (optional)

A thick slice of Spanish omelette, packed with chorizo, peas and potatoes, can be enjoyed hot or cold. Keep a few slices handy in the fridge for lunches or a speedy midweek tea.

Each serving provides 421 kcal, 27g protein, 17g carbohydrates (of which 6g sugars), 26g fat (of which 9g saturates), 4g fibre and 2.2g salt.

Lunchbox chorizo frittata

tsp rapeseed oil

onion, roughly chopped

red pepper, seeds removed, chopped

200 grams/7 ounces chorizo, skin removed and roughly chopped

milliliters/2fl oz milk

garlic clove, finely chopped

grams/3½oz frozen peas

parsley

green salad, to serve

Trendy poke bowls have all the deliciousness of sushi but in a bowl, which means there’s more of it! With a sticky rice base, they can be topped with fresh ingredients, or leftovers from the fridge – make it colourful, make it delicious, make it yours. 


Salmon poke bowls

sushi rice rice

tbsp apple cider vinegar

salt

tsp sugar

grams/1 mayonnaise

tsp sesame oil

fish sauce

tbsp Sriracha sauce

lemon, juice only

tsp black pepper

salmon

tbsp pickled red cabbage

carrot,

spring onions, sliced

sesame seeds

nori sheets, snipped into strips

Nadiya shares her delicious Salmon Poke Bowl that you can rustle up in 15 minutes

Salmon Poke Bowl

Make a courgette pasta sauce in this easy vegetarian recipe from Antonio Carluccio. The spinach balls are amazing.

Courgette pasta with spinach balls

spinach

eggs,

nutmeg

garlic clove, blended to a purée with ½ tsp water

breadcrumbs

garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped

chilli, finely chopped

60 grams/2¼oz parmesan,

This is such an easy chicken taco recipe, and it's also a healthy meal choice for anyone on a low-calorie diet.

Each serving provides 496 kcal, 33g protein, 56g carbohydrates (of which 11g sugars), 14g fat (of which 3g saturates), 5.5g fibre and 2.2g salt.

Top 40 healthy summer recipes from across the web

The most viewed healthy summer recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Healthy homemade coleslaw

Fresh Salsa

Healthy omelette

Mediterranean chicken with potatoes

Easy pasta salad

How to cook courgettes

Moroccan-style chicken with couscou...

Roast cod with a lemon, garlic and ...

Rainbow noodles

Ras-el-hanout chicken traybake

New York chicken and apple salad

Tzatziki

Freekeh salad

Quick vegetable pasta

Lunchbox chorizo frittata

Salmon poke bowls

Courgette pasta with spinach balls

Easy chicken tacos

Griddled chicken with pesto

Easy tomato salsa

Greek salad

Middle Eastern lentils

Greek salad with crispy feta

Beetroot veggie burgers

Egg muffins

Healthy tandoori chicken kebabs

Easy chicken kebabs

Smoky vegetable jambalaya

Chicken yakitori

Noodle salad with chilli nuts

Salmon and broccoli quiche

Mango lassi

Summer fruit smoothie

Strawberry lassi

Bang bang chicken salad

Strawberry ice lolly

Vegan bacon bits

Fried bacon with poached egg and to...

Spanish tortilla

Salmon traybake

The most viewed healthy summer recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine