Originating in Egypt but popular and pervasive throughout the Middle East, falafel makes for a hearty and delicious vegetarian accompaniment to a fresh and creamy kale salad. Traditionally made with fava beans, most falafel today are made of chickpeas. While cooking dried chickpeas from scratch is customary, swapping in canned chickpeas makes this recipe quick and easy to throw together at the last minute. Kale, a bonified superfood, is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, boosting your health all the way around. Chickpeas offer fiber as well, aiding digestion, and are an excellent source of plant-based protein. 

One of Spanish culture’s best-known and most culturally significant recipes, paella is now beloved worldwide for its rich flavor and numerous variations. Originally from the Valencian community on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, paella is traditionally prepared with rabbit, chicken, beans, and broth. Some versions include meat and/or seafood; vegetables are also popular. The recipe below delivers a big punch of flavor while being nutritionally balanced and packed with vegetables. Saffron, the spice that gives paella its trademark yellow hue, is harvested by hand from the stamen of flowers. It boasts anti-cancer properties and is packed with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and mood-boosting properties. 

Originating on the isle of Crete, Kolokithokeftedes are now popular throughout all the Greek Islands and incorporate classic Greek flavors to delicious effect. Translating to ‘zucchini meatball,’ Kolokithokeftedes make a delicious and satisfying meal, especially when paired with creamy tzatziki. In the recipe below, traditional white flour is swapped for chickpea flour, making these fritters gluten-free and packed with plant-based protein and fiber. The Greek yogurt in the tzatziki also packs an impressive protein punch, offering bone-strengthening calcium and gut-protecting probiotics. Serve with a grain salad for a satisfying and well-rounded meal. These fritters are an excellent candidate for meal planning- make a double batch and freeze them to have a healthy, quick meal at your fingertips.

Healthy cooking and eating can often feel elusive, expensive and time prohibitive. This quick and family-friendly recipe, made with affordable pantry staples, proves the opposite to be true. Affectionately known as Pizza Beans by my 2 and 5 year olds, this recipe inspires uncharacteristic excitement for such a healthy combo. White beans are packed with plant-based protein and fiber, and provide a neutral base for punchy tomato sauce and creamy mozzarella cheese, giving pizza vibes, but delivered in a healthful way. Tomato sauce is a flavorful way to incorporate a plethora of vitamins and minerals into your diet. Rich in vitamins C, A, K, B, potassium, folate and manganese, as well as cancer-fighting lycopene, you’ll want to incorporate tomatoes into your cooking to support your overall well-being. Mozzarella cheese contains gut-boosting probiotics, as well as protein, calcium and iron. Incorporating just a few vegetarian meals throughout your week benefits both your health and the health of the planet. Serve this recipe alongside a big green salad and some toasty bread to soak up any extra sauce. 

Sometimes called a fry-up, a full English breakfast is a hearty plate enjoyed throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. It typically includes bacon, sausage, black pudding (a type of sausage), eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast and beans, though regional variations abound. In Georgian and Victorian times, the gentry enjoyed lavish breakfasts like these each day, and the tradition slowly emerged in the wealthy middle class, who wished to emulate the gentry. By the industrial revolution, the working class adopted the fry-up to fuel their long days of work.

This recipe gives a slightly lighter and vegetarian twist on the classic fry-up, while still delivering all the savory deliciousness and a satisfying start to your day. Beans provide protein and fiber, while mushrooms offer antioxidants and vitamin D. Eggs also provide protein, as well as choline, which supports eye health. Enjoying a hearty, protein-rich meal at the start of the day has been shown to boost your metabolism, and keep you satiated and less likely to have an energy crash throughout your day. Enjoy this fry-up with a big cup of tea! 

Quiche is a delicious way to sneak lots of healthy produce into your family, while also minimizing food waste by utilizing a variety of ingredients in smaller quantities. Versatile and quick to prepare, it’s the ideal recipe to have in your repertoire for both easy meal prep and no-stress entertaining. Feel free to swap in similar quantities of produce for the ingredients listed below. Try whatever is in season where you live, or take advantage of more affordable frozen produce (just thaw and drain before using). While widely considered a classic French dish, the etymology of quiche actually derives from a variety of European countries. Italy and England both popularized a variation of egg and cream baked into a crust in the 13th and 14th centuries. The name quiche can be traced to ‘kunchen,’ the German word for cake or tarte. Regardless of the origin story, quiche is surely a delicious and healthy addition to your culinary collection.

A product of French imperialism in Vietnam in the 1860s, bánh mì have become wildly popular both within Vietnam and globally. A common street vendor food, these delicious sandwiches can easily be made at home and tailored to your personal preferences. Pork, chicken, pate, egg and even ice cream are common variations. Here, protein-rich soy-marinated shrimp combines with bright and zingy quick-pickled vegetables and lots of fresh herbs for an unbeatable combination. Shrimp are a rich source of selenium, choline and vitamin B12, and contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Cilantro is a powerful detox aid, helping to chelate heavy metals from the blood when consumed consistently. Perfect for entertaining or meal prep, this recipe allows you to assemble all the components ahead of time and pull them together quickly at the last minute.

When paired with sweet corn and salty feta, the peaches truly take center stage. A light rice wine vinegar dressing brings everything together, making this the ideal lunchtime salad, or the perfect pairing for a grilled protein or pasta at dinner. Beans add satiating protein and a boost of fiber, while lettuce and cucumber offer hydration and vitamins A, C, K and iron. Peaches contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, making them a standout for improving digestion and gut health. They also help stabilize blood sugar and can help protect your eyes and skin with beta carotene. If peaches aren’t in season where you live, you can swap in chopped apples, berries or other stone fruit for equally delicious results.

Popular throughout the Middle East, India, Italy and North Africa, flatbreads are a delicious and affordable way to stretch a meal and fill out your table. The yogurt in the dough is traditional in some countries and adds extra protein and calcium, making these more satiating. Pairing salmon, an excellent source of unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, with a side of greens allows for maximum utilization of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the meal. Your body needs fat to metabolize those nutrients, so this pairing gives you extra bang for your nutritional buck.

This impressive dessert is the perfect way to celebrate the summer season. Take advantage of candy-sweet local strawberries, and make like the Swedes with this delicious and beautiful recipe. Perfect for entertaining, it’s also ideal for treating yourself at fika. Swedes are famous for fika, which simply means taking a break for coffee, a sweet treat and socializing—something we could all use in our own frenetic schedules. Strawberries are health powerhouses in their own right, boasting high leaves of polyphenols and antioxidants, as well as fiber, helping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and protect your heart. The almond milk and flour in the crust here provide vitamin E, magnesium and fiber, as well as satiating protein to keep your blood sugar stable.

Absolutely packed with umami flavor, this vegetarian recipe is sure to win over any skeptics around your table. Eggplant offers a satisfying meaty texture, especially when coated in sweet and spicy sauce and charred on a grill. Rich in B vitamins, fiber and potassium, eggplant is an excellent addition to your recipe rotation. Cabbage slaw adds a crunchy counterpoint, and contains sulforaphane, a powerful nutrient that protects against cancer and aids in lowering blood pressure and inflammation. Gochujang, the foundational ingredient in this Korean BBQ sauce, is a fundamental ingredient in Korean cuisine. Made of red chili pepper flakes, sticky rice, fermented soybeans and salt, it adds an irresistible umami flavor, and the capsaicin in the chili pepper can boost your metabolism and reduce insulin spikes.