Free Healthy Recipes

A variation on tomato bruschetta, these make a special breakfast dish. Please don’t be tempted to use any old bread – this recipe is designed for taste and health. White crusty bread may taste OK but it’s nutritionally low in value. In the processing of white flour, the grain is first stripped of its husk removing the fibre and valuable B vitamins; the flour is then ground intensively with bleaching agents added to make it pure white. The result, a fluffy white bread with a high GI, which will fill a gap for a minute but do little else.

I stole this idea from a café close to my home. If you are having guests to stay it’s a rather impressive way to start their day – you’ll convince them in an instant that you’re a gourmet chef – when in fact all you’re doing is serving cereal and fruit. They’ll love it and you can stay healthy at the same time.

These gluten free muffins are naturally sweetened by apple juice and coconut and while not as sweet as most cakes and pastries they’ll still satisfy that occasionally need to seek comfort in carbs!

On a gloomy cool day it's nice to make a batch of muffins and serve them hot with a cup of tea. The muscatel grapes added to the muffin mix give them an intense flavour you won't get from using blueberries on their own alone. They're moist, yummy, high in fibre and a pretty healthy indulgent treat when rain stops play outside.

Each mouthful just bursts with blueberries. Wholesome and low in added sugar. Toddlers just love these as a treat. Be warned though, the gooey blueberries can be a little messy.

To find a healthy sweet dessert that tastes great AND is easy to make ticks all the boxes in my opinion. Easy raspberry and yogurt souffles are some of these great dishes. It’s an impressive low GI treat that will satisfy a sweet tooth yet it’s not that high in KJ. It’s very yummy and looks much harder to make than it really is.

A fresh fruit frozen yoghurt high in vitamins A and C, as well as calcium. A Spring or Summer treat that’s quick, easy and a healthier alternative to most commercial frozen yoghurts available.

This makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert.

This recipe from the spring section of The Greengrocer’s Diet is ridiculously easy and quick to make. Make double the amount and on the second day it turns into a berry bircher muesli.

This refreshing smoothie is from the summer section of The Greengrocer’s Diet (Pan McMillan RRP $39.99)

I’ve seen many carnivores look expectantly at this vegetarian version of a meat loaf as it’s far more interesting and delicious. The walnut is one of the most nutritionally rich nuts available and works beautifully in a nut loaf. Someone once told me that foods are good for the body part they resemble. How much truth there is in that is questionable, (some sausages that are good for nothing), but in the case of walnuts with their “brain like” form, there is some justification to believe it. Walnuts contain a high percentage of Omega 3 fat that cannot be made by the body. Amongst other things Omega 3 fatty acids are believed to help improve cognitive function, in other words how your brain works.

Save this one for the weekend after you’ve had a long morning walk. It’s a deviation from the traditional scrambled egg made with milk, or, in some cafes, cream, but in my opinion much nicer. Rich in calcium, abundant nutrients from the eggs, cancer preventing lycopene from the roasted tomatoes, protein, good carbs and good fat, this meal’s got it all. The beauty of it also is, other than the tomatoes, which can be roasted on baking paper to save washing up, it ‘s all made in the one pan.

These easy pots make a delicious light supper dish on a weekend when lunch was the main meal of the day. They are light and nutritious and won’t weight heavily on the stomach before going to bed.

Nine times out of ten, I’ll end up ordering the tuna salad, or if it’s a posh place the salade nicoise. It would seem the nicoise is made with real tuna; otherwise it’s straight from a can. Regardless, I like them both. Tuna is a good source of iron, perfect for non meat eaters and with the egg the whole salad provides almost enough protein for the day.

Adding a few olives, tea oil and nigella seeds makes the humble egg sandwich distinctly more sophisticated. Not that the egg sandwich should ever be humble. The egg has a lot to shout about containing no less than 13 vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

This recipe is an extract from the Diabetes & Pre-Diabetes Handbook, and provides a suitable breakfast meal for those with pre-diabetes, or anyone looking for a delicious low GI start to the day. Peter Howard's pancakes are so versatile - sweet or savoury. And for breakfast, you can make the choice. Avocado slices with pepper and cottage cheese makes a suitable lunch with salad on the side.

It’s hard to imagine how something that looks this good could be healthy too, but it is and it’s well worth the effort to make it. Using spelt flour in the pastry reduces the gluten content of the pastry without effecting the taste.

This recipe is inspired by the famous Balinese dish. Boiling the eggplant whole for 5 minutes softens its skin, reduces the amount of oil required to cook it and the overall cooking time. Fried shallots are available from Asian stores and selected supermarkets.

This is a real favourite and incredibly easy to make. Don't be put off by the filo pastry. The real trick is allow it to reach room temperature and work fast. I use a pastry brush to brush the sheets lightly with oil. Thanks to Costa Georgiadis for passing this recipe of him mother's on.

It's amazing how good a few kaffir lime leaves mixed through fresh papaya tastes. Sprinkle over the top, a little fresh lime juice served on these coconut crumpets and you've made have an exotic dessert with fresh flavours of the East.

For those of you who haven't noticed it's hot, and I for one am not in the slightest bit interested in all the traditional nonsense of Christmas. Take a large salmon, ask the fishmonger to remove the head, fins and scales, bake it in the oven and serve with new potatoes with chopped mint and a drizzle of olive oil, a crisp green salad with sliced avocado and a cool refreshing mango and coriander salsa. If you want to be more decadent decorate fresh prawns around the outside - what could be nicer, and how much better knowing it's good for you.

A very fussy-eating friend of mine described this salad as a 'taste sensation' and I am still reeling from the compliment. The tartness of the pickles against the sweetness of the mango is simply divine.

Another low fat dish, this dish gets its wow flavour from the orange and pinenut combination. Watercress is such a rich source of vitamin C and in my opinion should be added to every salad to boost good health.

A great lunch or dinner served with a huge green salad and steamed sweetcorn, or could serve eight people as an entree. Make sure to use camellia tea oil for its numerous health benefits. Recipe courtesy of www.phase5.com.au

Here we combine the comfort factor of turkey, full flavoured parmesan (to taste through the sinuses) and pine nuts as the main source of zinc.

With some gluten free muesli costing as much as $14 for 500g, from a financial point of view it’s worth making your own. From a health perspective it’s also worth making your own as you can fill it up with many more nutritionally valuable ingredients. Puffed grains typically have a high GI therefore to counter this and make a breakfast which will sustain you for most of the morning it’s good to add nuts and a few seeds.

With the miso used for flavour and pinenuts added to the sauce and crust this vegetarian pie will suit most meat eaters tastes hearty and meaty. This is gluten free, vegetarian food at it's best.

If you want something substantial and delicious here's the meal. It will give you a great feeling of satiety similar to what you would experience from a meat stew. The mushrooms, eggplant and onion give it substance while the tahini sauce transforms into creamy stroganoff type dish, without the cream.

If, like most of us you don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen cooking and washing up, this dish is for you. In one pot you combine the healthful properties of leek, low GI cannelini beans and flathead for protein. Add to it some gluten free kudzu to thicken the sauce and promote complete digestion and you’re done in less than 30 minutes. For an extra boost of veggies, serve with steamed broccoli.

Black eye beans are native to Africa but are used extensively in the Deep South USA in soul food. They are a great source of calcium, vitamin A , folate and fibre. Here's a very easy meal the whole family can enjoy.

Gluten intolerant or not, this breakfast quinoa will give you an exceptional kick start to the day. It doesn’t take long either. Once made you can keep it in the fridge and enjoy it over a few days.

Now, we all know that blokes love meat on their plates. So, how do you cook up a nice slab of meat and impress your guest just as much? This whole rib goes beautifully as a Sunday lunch, served on a bed of leafy greens and accompanied with a lovely Shiraz. It’s also great for dinner any other day or cold for the next day’s lunch. Recipe courtesy of Alec Bragg's new recipe book 'Pants off Salmon'. It is available in September at all good book stores and online at: www.jojopublishing.com

This is a lovely recipe that's ridiculously easy to make. It may seem slightly daunting to cut up and skin a chicken yourself but do it once and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. It's the cheapest and freshest way to go!

There's nothing to beat this winter warmer. It heats you up from the inside and fills you up for hours. Make sure you use a great quality stock though. It makes all the difference.

Pies don't have to be laden with saturated fat and gristle! These delicious pies are packed full of veggies and are perfect on a cold winters day.

These gourmet chicken burgers offer a twist on the traditional chicken burger, and contain substantially less fat.

This is one of my favourite recipes. The extent to which you make of it is up to you, but I like to make everything including the chilli sauce! Choose a couple of varieties of Asian greens to accompany the chicken. I like to combine a crunchy variety like Pac Choy or Buk Choy with a leafy green such as Gai Lan.

Here’s a healthy sandwich, with a fraction of the fat but just as much taste as a regular chicken and mayonnaise sandwich.

Who doesn't love a roast dinner? Many people buy those horrible rotisserie chickens from the supermarket but baking your own is so easy to do, and the taste is far superior.

Bright colours add to the beauty of this clean and fresh dish that is easily prepared. Low in fat and carbohydrates yet high in protein it's a winner all round.

A good veggie lasagne does take a bit of preparation but it’s not hard to do and the results are well worth the effort. And unlike traditional lasagne made with whole milk and full fat cheese this roast vegetable lasagne is low in saturated fat, with less than 200mg of sodium and with so many veggies and it’s loaded in fibre, vitamins and antioxidants.

Made from beans instead of minced beef this is an economical meal that is low in saturated fat, high in fibre, and loaded in antioxidants.

To find a healthy sweet dessert that tastes great AND is easy to make ticks all the boxes in my opinion. Easy raspberry and yogurt souffles are some of these great dishes. It’s an impressive low GI treat that will satisfy a sweet tooth yet it’s not that high in KJ. It’s very yummy and looks much harder to make than it really is.

This spicy and flavoursome marinade is delicious with a robust textured fish such as blue eye trevalla. The longer you allow it to marinate the better, and if you are feeding a family, don’t be put off by the term spicy – it’s not peppery spicy and will kids love it.