Eating healthy is crucial to your overall well-being, but not everyone has the time and energy to cook complicated meals, especially after a long, tiring day. If you’re often busy with work but want to cook more nutritious meals for your family, here are six recipes you can try at home.

These recipes only require six ingredients or less, and some ingredients and spices that you already have in your kitchen.

3-Ingredient pancakes

Who doesn’t love pancakes? This recipe is a healthy alternative to store-bought pancake mixes that are often full of added sugars and preservatives.

You only need bananas, eggs and baking powder to make a stack of these tasty pancakes.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 large ripe banana
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons butter, or as needed
• A pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)

Preparation:

1. Get a bowl and mash the banana with a fork.
2. Add the eggs, baking powder and cinnamon to the banana and mix the batter well.
3. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
4. Spoon the batter into the hot butter and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry for two to three minutes. Flip and cook the pancakes until browned on the other side for another two to three minutes.
5. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Elf leaf (Brussels sprouts) salad

Do your kids hate Brussels sprouts? Encourage them to eat their leafy greens with this simple recipe for elf leaf salad.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

• 9 to 10 ounces Brussels sprouts
• 2-ounce block Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups de-stemmed kale leaves
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• A generous pinch of sea salt

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• A generous pinch of sea salt

Preparation:

1. Pull the leaves off of the Brussels sprouts and leave the inner core behind. If you’re cooking with your kids, let them do this part. When you’re done, you should have about three cups of leaves.
2. Place the leaves in a big bowl together with the kale. Add the salt, then give the greens a massage.
3. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the Parmesan cheese. Set the cheese aside.
4. Toast the almonds in a small dry saucepan over medium heat. Stir for three to five minutes until lightly golden. Taste then set aside.
5. To make the dressing, combine the vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup and salt in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
6. Add the toasted almonds and raisins to the bowl of shredded kale and sprout leaves.
7. Pour a bit of the dressing over the greens, toss, add the cheese, then toss again. Taste.
8. Add more dressing if you want to before serving.

Antipasto chopped salad

Chopped salads are a popular order for business lunches, but this recipe is for a delicious vegan antipasto version. When you’re craving a healthy lunch, make this salad and enjoy its rich Mediterranean flavors.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1/2 pound (225 g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts
• 6 cups (345 g) chopped romaine
• 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped black or green olives
• 8 ounces (225 g) cubed seitan

Ingredients for the dressing: 

• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian herb blend
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon coconut sugar
• A pinch of pepper

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, white vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, Italian herbs, salt, coconut sugar and pepper together until the mixture is emulsified and creamy-looking.
2. Divide the dressing between four 24-ounce (710-ml) jars, then layer the following salad ingredients in the jars in the order listed: chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, seitan and romaine.
3. Close each jar with a tight-fitting lid. When ready to serve, gently shake the jar to coat everything with the dressing, then empty into a bowl.
4. Serve chilled. The salad jars will last up to one week in the refrigerator.

Black bean burger

Eating healthy doesn’t mean making do with store-bought veggie burgers that don’t taste good.

Treat yourself to a delicious black bean burger by following the recipe below. You need black beans and spices you might already have in your spice rack, like black pepper, paprika and sea salt.

Ingredients for servings:

• 1/2 cup black beans (cooked or canned), mashed with a fork
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion and/or garlic powder
• A pinch or two of sea salt
• A pinch of cayenne
• Additional chopped fresh herbs or spices of your choice

Preparation:

1. Combine the mashed beans with the flaxseeds, herbs and spices.
2. Use your hands to form the mixture into a big patty. Add a teaspoon or more of water if the mixture won’t stick together.
3. Cook the patties on a grill or skillet that’s been sprayed with coconut oil for about five minutes on each side.

Once the black bean burger patties are cooked, you can serve them on burger burs with condiments or you can try some of the suggestions below:

• Serve them diced in a salad with your choice of vegetables and light dressing.
• Serve them in a wrap with mustard, carrots, sprouts and tomatoes.
• Instead of flattening the mixture into patties, form them into “meatballs” before cooking and make spaghetti with tomato sauce and basil.
• Chop the patties after cooking and serve with quinoa, vegetables and pesto.
• Serve with tacos. Add guacamole, salsa, lettuce and cashew cheese to keep it vegan.
• Serve grilled with some hummus, lettuce and tomato.

Spiced chicken noodle soup with cashews and coconut

This recipe makes a warming version of chicken noodle soup with creamy coconut milk. For a hearty dish, add pasta.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 10 1/2 Oz. skinless chicken breasts, left whole
• 1 scant cup of coconut milk
• 1 3/4 cups of cold water
• 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons cashews
• 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste
• 2 bay leaves
• Sunflower oil

Preparation:

1. Heat one tablespoon of sunflower oil in a saucepan and fry one tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste on high heat for 30 seconds or until it sizzles and the raw garlic smell disappears.
2. Add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, carrots and cashews to the ginger-garlic paste. Pour 1 3/4 cups of cold water, then bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is white and hot all the way through when you cut one chicken breast through the center with a knife.
4. Remove the chicken breasts and bay leaves from the mixture with a slotted spoon. Discard the bay leaves and chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
5. Let the mixture cool slightly, then pour it into a blender and process until smooth.
6. Pour the sauce from the blender into the same pan and add the coconut milk. Season with salt and black pepper and heat through until hot.
7. Place the cooked chicken pieces at the bottom of four soup bowls then pour in the soup. Serve very hot.

Vegan secret ingredient tomato soup

If you’re craving a bowl of soup, try this recipe for dairy-free, vegan tomato soup.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans
• 3 oz. tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation:

1. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, crushed red pepper and freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) to a soup pot. Cook and stir the herbs and oil over medium heat for about a minute or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
2. Add the tomato paste and brown sugar to the mixture. Continue to stir and cook the tomato paste mixture over medium heat for two to three minutes.
3. Pour the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth into the pot and stir well.
4. As the soup begins to heat through, add the cannellini beans along with the liquid from the can to a blender and puree until completely smooth.
5. Pour the pureed beans into the soup and stir to combine again.
6. Place a lid on the pot and let it come up to a simmer.
7. Once the soup starts simmering, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
8. After simmering for 20 minutes, add the nutritional yeast to the soup and stir to combine.
9. Taste the soup and add salt as needed before serving.

Improve your eating habits with these nutritious, tasty recipes that you can make at home using healthy, tasty ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

Sources:

Mindodygreen.com 1

AllRecipes.com

Mindodygreen.com 2

Mindbodygreen.com 3

Mindbodygreen.com 4

Mindbodygreen.com 5

BudgetBytes.com