Healthy eating is as delicious as it is nutritious—a feast for the senses as well as good for the body. The Healthy Eating Plate is an excellent guide for creating healthy, balanced meals, and cooking is a great way to experiment with new flavors. Below we offer tips for stocking a healthy kitchen, as well as recipes for cooking at home. If you’re a chef or cooking for a large crowd, we have tips and recipes for food service, too!
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5 Quick Tips to Stock a Healthy Kitchen
- Produce – Choose locally grown vegetables and fruits whenever you can, and eat plenty every day. Aim for a variety of colors — variety is as important as quantity; no single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy.
- Grains – Trade in white rice for whole grains such as barley, bulgur, oat berries, quinoa, brown rice, and more. Try perusing your local grocery store’s bulk bins to discover new, delicious whole grains that are often simple to prepare.
- Protein – Rely on healthy protein such as fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, and a variety of beans and nuts.
- Healthy fats and oils – Use liquid vegetable oils whenever possible for sautéing vegetables, stir-frying fish or chicken, and as the base of salad dressings. Good choices include canola, sunflower, corn, soybean, peanut, and olive oil.
- Other essentials – Even a small amount of a high-quality ingredient can have a big impact on flavor. Stock your kitchen with high-quality basics like extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh and dried herbs, and a variety of unsalted nuts (such as walnuts, almonds, and pistachios), and you’ll have flavorful building blocks for any recipe.
Featured Recipes
Green Lentil Hummus with Herbs and Olives
Tuck into this hummus with some pita or lavash—the perfect crowd-pleasing snack.
Endlessly Customizable Stuffed Peppers
With so many delicious and creative filling combinations, it’s no surprise that stuffed pepper dishes can be found in cuisines all over the world.
Wild Mushroom Soup with Soba
A simple, yet intensely savory soup showcasing a variety of wild mushrooms.
All Recipes
Vegetable Recipes
- Asparagus with Warm Tarragon–Pecan Vinaigrette
- Asparagus Spears with Mandarin Orange
- Baby Arugula and Shaved Fennel with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
- Braised Cabbage with Leeks and Sesame Seeds
- Braised Oyster Mushrooms, Coconut, and Macadamia
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Carrot Coriander Soup
- Cauliflower Tomato Soup with Indian Spices
- Cauliflower and Walnut Soup
- Endive Salad with Citrus Walnut Dressing
- Endlessly Customizable Stuffed Peppers
- Fresh Spinach with Sesame Seeds
- Garlic-Braised Greens
- Green Beans with Dried Cherries
- Green Beans with Chili Garlic Sauce
- Green Chutney
- Grilled Eggplant Cutlets
- Kale with Caramelized Onions
- Marinated Shiitake Mushroom and Cucumber Salad
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Mushroom Stroganoff
- Pan Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Coffee and Hazelnuts
- Portabella “Steak” Sandwiches with Umami Sauce
- Provencal Vegetables
- Quick-Pickled Beets & Fennel
- Rich Vegetable Stock
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Walnut Oil
- Roasted Beets with Balsamic Vinegar
- Roasted Balsamic Vegetables
- Roasted Squash with Pomegranate
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
- Ruby Chard Decorated with Itself
- Sauteed Rainbow Swiss Chard
- Simple Celery-Date Salad
- Southwestern Corn Hash
- Spicy Broccolini with Red Pepper
- Spicy Indian Slaw
- Subz Makhni (Stir-Fried Vegetables in a Tangy Tomato Honey Curry)
- Sugar Snap Peas with Fresh Mint
- Tarragon Succotash
- Tunisian Carrot Salad
- Vegetable Stock
- Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
- Wild Mushroom Soup with Soba
- Yellow Squash with Sage
Fruit Recipes
- Arugula, Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Citrus Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing
- Almond Coconut Macaroons
- Dried Fruit and Nuts
- Grilled Watermelon Salad with Roasted Figs
- Seasonal Fruit Compote with Spiced Nuts
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Whole Grain Recipes
- Barley Roasted Portobello and Fennel Salad
- Blueberry Muffins
- Brown Rice Pancakes
- Bulgur Pilaf
- Couscous with Mint and Pine Nuts
- Couscous–Quinoa Tabouli
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Fantastic Bulgur Dish
- Farro Risotto with Walnut Pesto
- Farro Roasted Confetti Vegetables
- Forbidden Rice with Scallions
- Hearty Whole Grain Bread
- Irish Brown Bread
- Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins
- Lemon Chickpea Muffins
- Mediterranean Rice
- Mixed Up Grains
- Mushroom Barley Risotto
- Oatmeal and Onion Roti
- Pasta in Zemino with Seafood, Chickpeas, and Greens
- Pasta with Fresh Basil Pesto, Corn, and Zucchini
- Quinoa Chia Edamame Veggie Burger
- Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
- Spicy Coconut Rice with Limes
- Three-Green Wheat Berry Salad with Mushroom “Bacon”
- Wheat Berries and Chives
- Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins
- Whole Wheat Penne with Pistachio Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes
- Wild Rice with Cranberries and Cider
Dressings, Dips, and Sauces
- Greek Skordalia
- Green Lentil Hummus with Herbs and Olives
- Guacamole
- Hot Pepper Vinaigrette
- Hummus
- Italian pesto alla Trapanese (Almond, Parsley, Basil and Tomato Sauce)
- Mint Vinaigrette
- Oregano Garlic Vinaigrette
- Spanish Romesco Sauce (Red Pepper and Almond Sauce)
- Turkish Muhammara (Red Pepper and Walnut Sauce)
- Turkish Tarator (Walnut and Garlic Sauce)
- Walnut Pesto
- White Bean and Kale Hummus
Nuts, Seeds, Beans & Tofu Recipes
- Asian Trail Mix
- Cozy Red Lentil Mash
- Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
- Curried Red Lentil Soup
- Dukkah
- French Style Lentils
- Garbanzo Beans with Spinach and Tomatoes
- Green Beans with Tofu and Crushed Peanuts
- Mushroom Tofu Veggie Burger
- Spicy Lemongrass Tofu with Asian Basil
- Sprouted Lentils
- Sprouted Lentil, Cabbage, and Celery Slaw
- Thai Eggplant Salad with Coconut Tofu Strips
- Tomato and White Bean Salad
- Whole Wheat Penne with Pistachio Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes
- White Beans, Wild Rice and Mushrooms
- Vegetarian Refried Beans
Fish & Seafood Recipes
- Cod and Littleneck Clams
- Crawfish Étouffe
- Crispy Pan Seared Bass with Walnut Romesco and Pea Shoot Salad
- Fish Creole
- Miso-Marinated Salmon Grilled on Alder Wood
- Pan Roasted Salmon with Dill, Olive Oil, and Capers
- Pan-Roasted Salmon Served with Minty Snap Peas
- Shaved Fennel Salad with Coriander Crusted Hamachi
- Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo
- Shrimp with Red Curry and Crispy Sprouted Lentils
- Wild Salmon Salad
- Fish Tacos with Cilantro Slaw
Poultry Recipes
- Chicken, Shrimp, and Fruit Salad
- Lemongrass Marinated Chicken Breast with Olive Couscous
- Olive Oil Dressing (Stuffing) with Chicken and Walnuts
- Rosemary and Lemon Grilled Chicken Breast
- Spicy Chicken Kebabs with Moorish Flavors
- Stir Fried Chicken with Celery, Chiles, and Toasted Macadamia Nuts and Cashews in Lettuce Cups
- Moroccan Chicken Stew with Apricots
- Murg Hara Pyaaz (Stir Fried Chicken and Spring Onion)
Dairy Recipes
- Baked Ricotta with Rosemary and Pepper Flakes
- Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Garlic, and Basil
Beverage Recipes
A note about recipe development
Some of the recipes were contributed by well-known chefs like Ming Tsai and Mollie Katzen, who collaborated with Harvard University Dining Services chefs Martin Breslin and Patty Gregory. Other recipes are from the renowned Culinary Institute of America. These contributors created colorful dishes that are both healthy and delicious.