Easy

Like other cruciferous vegetables, brussels sprouts contain glucosinolates, chemical compounds that have been shown to help prevent cancer. Partnering the little cabbages with pear gives this dish even more fiber, as well as a balance of sweet and savory flavors.

Sweet meets spicy when parboiled baby carrots are sautéed with honey, ginger, and sliced hot red chile. Not to be confused with the type sold in bags at the supermarket, the baby in this recipe are young carrots with the tops still attached. If you can’t find them, buy regular carrots; cut off the thick sections, then halve or quarter them.

A frittata is an excellent make-ahead meal, delicious served hot, cold, or at room temperature. Black beans are a great source of fiber, which helps to balance blood sugar.

This aromatic stew can be made with other types of fish, including haddock or regular cod, but sablefish delivers higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. A whole-wheat baguette is good for sopping up the broth.

Made from uncooked oats, dried fruits, and nuts, muesli does not contain sweeteners, oil, or other more fattening ingredients found in many store-bought cereals. Nondairy milk, such as hazelnut, almond, or hemp milk, makes an easy substitution for those with lactose intolerance.

Wild salmon is widely available in cans. To ensure that you’re getting the most sustainable option, look for the blue Marine Stewardship Council logo on the label. The warming spices that make up curry powder—typically a combination of turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, and cumin, among others—also offer a wealth of health benefits, including boosting metabolism and decreasing inflammation.

Balsamic vinegar and brown sugar combine to make a tart, sweet dressing for all kinds of berries—a high variety ensures you’ll get a range of antioxidants. Serve the salad as is or topped with chopped toasted nuts.

In this heart-healthy wilted salad, the spinach contributes folate, and pecans help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

The eye-popping combination of hues in this salad is sure to perk up the appetite, which in turn stimulates digestive enzymes. Pairing grapefruit and avocado also delivers nutritionally: Red grapefruit contains lycopene—which may help lower risk of heart disease and pancreatic, lung, and prostate cancers—and the antioxidant is best absorbed when eaten with healthy fat, such as that contained in avocado.

This sauce tastes great over pasta, fish, or grilled chicken—and is packed with beneficial lycopene from the cooked tomatoes.

Lightly sautéed greens transform a standard egg-and-toast breakfast into a special morning meal that could also serve as a light supper. The kale adds a healthy boost of calcium, folic acid, and carotenoids, as well as vitamin K.

Egg salad sandwiches are often loaded with mayonnaise, but this version relies instead on ricotta and yogurt for creaminess. Watercress and whole-grain bread are other healthful updates. Eggs, of course, provide high-quality protein in addition to a variety of other nutrients, such as choline.

Although more commonly cooked, brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, and kale also make delicious raw salads, as long as they’re thinly sliced. This salad—which combines two of the vegetables—serves as a particularly nice fall or winter first course, when it’s hard to find flavorful leaf lettuces.

Kiwifruit, lime juice, chiles, and cilantro make a tropical—and antioxidant-rich—accompaniment to simple seared shrimp; you can also use the relish to top grilled fish, or as a healthy dip with tortilla chips. Serve the shrimp and relish with black lentils and whole-wheat naan (Indian flatbread), as shown, or with brown rice and tortillas.

Pomegranate juice offers powerful antioxidants that strengthen the vascular system. Flaxseed adds a boost of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

In this simple dish that originated in the northeast of Italy, olive oil serves as both a key ingredient and a garnish.

Traditional Japanese soba noodles can be made of wheat or buckwheat, a fruit seed related to rhubarb that’s loaded with manganese and the antioxidants quercetin and kaempferol. Because the seed is also gluten free, buckwheat noodles are a good choice for those with gluten sensitivities.

The toasted turmeric, coriander, and cumin in this Indian-influenced soup have soothing, anti-inflammatory benefits, and add so much flavor, there’s little need for salt. With only one tablespoon of oil in the whole pot, the soup is also low in fat.

A cross-continental blend of flavors, this dish features a lively sauce that combines European paprika and sake or mirin (rice wine) from Japan. Turnips, popular in both European and Asian cuisines, add fiber, potassium, calcium, and vitamin C. Serve the shrimp over wholewheat pasta or brown rice.