What to Cook this Week: Healthy Recipes I've Tested

Here are all the healthy recipes I've tested for you this week and if they're worth adding to your weeknight rotation. I'll go through how hard they were to make, how long they took, and how they tasted!

Chicken and Zucchini Casserole

Chicken & Zucchini Casserole

This baked chicken and zucchini casserole is creamy, hearty and low-carb! Add this easy family-friendly dish to your dinner rotation.

EatingWellEatingWell’s Editorial Guidelines

Time to prepare: under an hour (less than the recipe predicts)

Difficulty: low

Rating: 7/10

This recipe is a great low-carb option if you have dietary restrictions, and if you don't you can always just serve it on top of pasta, with garlic bread, or even as a dip if you dice everything small enough.

I tried this recipe in pursuit of learning how to make zucchini tasty (I don't understand putting it into chocolate cake or replacing pasta with it, it just makes both things worse). I'm happy to say that this recipe was a pretty delicious way to use zucchini! It took less time than the recipe predicted it would take, and it was a pretty simple recipe to prepare. I would make this again any time!

Jerk-Spiced Salmon & Quinoa Bowl with Mango Vinaigrette

Jerk-Spiced Salmon & Quinoa Bowl with Mango Vinaigrette

This jerk-spiced salmon recipe is balanced by a bright mango vinaigrette that brings the roasted vegetables, grains and fish together for a balanced meal.

EatingWellMillie Peartree

Time to prepare: 30 minutes (less than the recipe predicts)

Difficulty: low

Rating: 6/10

This recipe was tasty and easy to make, but a tiny bit confusing flavor-wise. If you are open-minded and ready to take your palate on a combination cross-continental adventure, then this recipe might be for you! For me, the flavors didn't make sense together, but this would be great if you separated it into two dishes.

I don't necessarily associate butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and cranberries with mango and jerk spice, but that might just be because I know that this is mixing fall and summer produce, and produce from opposing climates. As I said, the recipe was still tasty, but the idea of fusing an American fall salad with mango jerk-spiced salmon is very foreign to me.

Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad

Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad Recipe by Tasty

This hearty Brussel Sprout Quinoa Salad makes a great side dish at a dinner party or an easy-to-pack lunch. It’s quick to whip up and is packed full of flavor.

TastyKatie Aubin & Karlee Rotoly

Time to prepare: 3o minutes

Difficulty: low

Rating: 9/10

This salad is dynamic, crunchy, tasty, flavorful, and cohesive. When I said that the recipe before this should be separated into two dishes, this is the ideal version of the Brussels sprout quinoa salad.

While shaving Brussels sprouts can be a slightly laborious process, I did see a hack somewhere (I lost the link so unfortunately I can't give them credit) that suggested you could just throw them into the food processor to shred, which would make this salad even easier. The only problem I have with this salad that makes it a 9/10, instead of a 10/10, is that the warm quinoa makes the Brussels sprouts more....fragrant, so it's a little pungent.

Panko Crusted Salmon

Panko Crusted Salmon

This delicious Panko Crusted Salmon recipe is smothered in lemony mayonnaise and topped with buttery herbed Panko bread crumbs.

Simply Home CookedDina

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Difficulty: low

Rating: 10/10

This salmon is moist, crispy, flavorful, decadent, and so delicious. It's easy enough to be a weeknight meal but fancy enough to serve to your dinner guests. I will be making this all the time, and you should too!

It's fair to address the elephant in the room, and that is that this recipe is high in fat. But if you serve it with some roasted asparagus and rice or quinoa, it all balances out nicely. Just be aware of that if you're sensitive to really fatty dishes. If you're not sensitive though, then be aware that you don't need to fear fat! Fats help keep you full and satiated, and salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids that help your brain, mental health, sleep, inflammation, bones and joints, and disease risks.

Sweep Apple Chicken Sausage Pasta

20 Minute Chicken Sausage Pasta - Iowa Girl Eats

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage Pasta easy, nutritious, and ready in about 20 minutes!

Iowa Girl EatsKristin

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Difficulty: low

Rating: 10/10

This recipe is so easy and tasty, and it's a great way to turn sausages into a more satisfying and well-rounded dinner. The use of white beans in a pasta dish is so simple, yet a great way to add more protein and fiber - I'm going to start doing this with all kinds of pasta dishes.

I used chicken apple gouda sausage from Costco to make this recipe, and it worked brilliantly (more cheese is never less delicious). I have no complaints about this recipe, I think it's perfect how it is.

Check Out Some High Fiber Recipes

Gluten-free Vegan Snickers Overnight Oats

Carrot Cake Baked Oats

Tomato & Mozzarella Focaccia with Garlic Confit

About the Author

Hi! I'm Alexandra, and I've been cooking and baking for about 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and your heart happy, without putting any food off limits, or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.

By Alexandra Massengale