Healthy

In a world where unhealthy fast food reigns supreme, sometimes you have to set aside some time for rejuvenation with a healthy dish or two.

A balanced diet is supremely important for the health of both your body and mind. And while eating healthy isn’t always easy when surrounded by the allure of quick and cheap alternatives, making sure you have a good diet can be one of the best decisions you ever make.

This is because healthy eating leads to healthy living. And we’re not only talking about your weight or appearance. In fact, by maintaining a balanced diet, you’ll be able to lessen the chances of developing chronic diseases, cancer and even arthritis later in life. What’s more is that having a healthy diet also leads to having a healthy mind. A well-balanced diet is imperative to being able to concentrate for long periods of time, and to maintain high levels of energy.

It isn’t always easy to implement a healthy, balanced diet. Healthy food can be expensive, and can sometimes take a long time to make when compared to unhealthy alternatives. And of course, for many of us, the hardest part of all is that fast food can be incredibly addictive. Many fast food chains pump their food full of sugar, making us crave it even more—and making it harder to find the motivation to seek out healthier alternatives.

Luckily, a lot of misconceptions about maintaining a healthy diet are easy to disprove. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t always take hours to cook nutritious dishes.

Lasagna, reimagined

When you think of lasagna, all of those classic elements probably come to mind—a luscious combination of cheese, meat and pasta, all layered on top of each other and fused together in the oven. While that’s what most people think of when they hear the word “lasagna”, there are others who might have something else in mind.

For those who’ve decided to follow a raw vegan diet, lasagna probably seems like something completely out of grasp. Sure, perhaps a vegetarian lasagna might still do the trick—but attempting to create a tasty lasagna without meat and cheese might seem like a fool’s errand.

If you’re a raw vegan who is resigned to never enjoying the wonders of a lasagna again, get ready to change your mind. It’s time to cook up a raw vegan lasagna with zucchini, and you aren’t going to regret it. This raw vegan masterpiece combines layers of basil pesto, tomato cream, and a cheese-like paste made from macadamia nuts, water, and yeast flakes. This might all sounds a bit complicated but, as the age-old wisdom goes, nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy.

But luckily, this raw vegan lasagna isn’t actually as hard as it sounds. In fact, from start to finish, you’ll be enjoying this healthy, raw vegan dish in less than an hour.

A salad to die for

When people think about healthy food, images of boring, complicated and expensive dishes usually come to mind. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, with the following healthy recipe, you’ll be eating a cheesy celeriac salad with walnuts in 30 minutes or less.

The best part about this salad is that it ticks all the boxes—it’s quick to make, not too expensive, and deliciously tasty. And, of course, on top of all that, it’s healthy to boot. The combination of a soft gorgonzola with a hard emmental will literally blow your mind with its cheesy goodness. Together with other fine ingredients such as chopped apple, two tablespoons of natural yogurt, and crumbled whole rye bread, this salad is bound to take your breath away.

If you’re feeling adventurous, why not even make this dish for a potluck dinner with friends? It also works great as a side dish which you can bring to any dinner party. Who doesn’t love a cheesy salad?

The gluttonous side of healthy recipes

Healthy food. Tasty dessert. These two concepts aren’t usually closely associated with each other. But does it have to be this way? Aren’t there dessert recipes out there that you can enjoy guilt-free? Can’t you have your cake—and eat it too?

Well, you’re in luck. It’s time to get to know your fruity side with an aromatic fruit dessert topped with lemon verbena. Not only is this a healthy dessert only containing natural sugars—if you serve it for your friends, it’s bound to be the talk of the town for days. Everyone is going to want the recipe for this incredible dessert that left them clamoring for more.

The key components of this fruit-filled masterpiece are fresh ginger, filleted grapefruit and orange, and honey. Layer these succulent ingredients into a wide-rimmed glass, along with strips of fresh peppermint. Finally, it’s time for the garnish—a leaf or two of lemon verbena, an addition bound to please both the eye and the taste buds.