Most people are hesitant to start a diet and make sure they are healthy. This is because they feel they will have very limited eating options and they won’t be able to follow such a strict diet. It is true that by following a diet you choose not to indulge in unhealthy or fatty food.

This does not mean that there aren’t enough healthy recipes to make sure you can enjoy your diet while becoming healthier.

Diet-Friendly Side Dishes

Here are some side dish recipes that you can prepare and eat guilt-free-

  • Low-Carb Zucchini Pasta
  • Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
  • Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Onion, and Garlic
  • Mediterranean Kale
diet food

Low-Carb Zucchini Pasta

Pasta is a dish that most of us love to eat and it makes for a great side dish to serve with some chicken or roast recipe. There is a way to continue enjoying this delicacy without having to cheat on your diet. Making Low-carb Zucchini pasta helps you achieve this goal.

Healthy recipe

Ingredients:

  • two peeled zucchini
  • One tablespoon of olive oil
  • A quarter cup of water salt
  • ground black pepper to taste

Method To Prepare:

  • Cut lengthwise slices of zucchini using a vegetable peeler.
  • Peel until you reach the seeds.
  • Turn zucchini over and continue ‘peeling’ until all the zucchini is in long strips. Then discard the seeds you find inside.
  • Slice the zucchini into thinner strips resembling spaghetti.
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook and stir zucchini in the hot oil for one minute.
  • Add water and cook until zucchini is softened. This should take five to seven minutes.
  • Season it with salt and pepper and serve.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Brussel sprouts are a nightmare for every food lover. They taste bland and seem uninteresting to even look at. It is almost impossible to make your kids eat despite telling them about the various health benefits of Brussel sprouts.

diet food

Ingredients:

  • One pound of trimmed Brussels sprouts.
  • A quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil.
  • Three tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
  • Four slices bacon cut into half-inch pieces.
  • Half a teaspoon of salt.
  • A quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Method To Prepare:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Now, place the trimmed brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking dish.
  • Drizzle over it with olive oil and maple syrup and toss it to make sure that it is coated evenly.
  • Sprinkle it with bacon and season with salt and black pepper.
  • Roast in the preheated oven until bacon is crispy and Brussels sprouts are caramelized, taking about forty-five minutes to do so.
  • Make sure to stir it halfway through.

Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Onion, and Garlic

As the name suggests, this is one of the classic side dish recipes which bring together the crispiness of bacon, and the taste of onions and garlic, modulated with the help of cabbage.

This is a roller coaster for your taste buds. And to top of it, you can eat this when you are dieting without having to worry about calories.

diet friendly dish

Ingredients:

  • Six slices of chopped bacon.
  • One large onion.
  • Two cloves of minced garlic.
  • One large head of cabbage that is cored and sliced.
  • One tablespoon of salt.
  • One teaspoon of ground black pepper.
  • Half a teaspoon of onion powder.
  • Half a teaspoon of garlic powder.
  • One-eighth teaspoon of paprika.

Method To Prepare:

  • Place the bacon in a large stockpot and cook over medium heat until it turns crispy for about ten minutes.
  • Add the onion and garlic and cook this mixture and stir until the onion caramelizes.
  • Immediately stir in the cabbage and continue to cook and stir it for another ten minutes.
  • Season it with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover the pan to make sure it cooks properly and let it simmer, stirring occasionally.
  • Do this for about half an hour. Your dish will be ready to serve once this is done.

Mediterranean Kale

This is a simple and light side dish recipe that goes easy on the stomach and can be prepared within minutes. This can be your quick fix or go-to recipe when you are pressed for time on a busy day. It combines the succulent taste of kale with a lemony zest to treat your taste buds.

diet food

Ingredients:

  • Twelve cups of chopped kale.
  • Two tablespoons of lemon juice.
  • One tablespoon of olive oil.
  • One tablespoon of minced garlic.
  • One teaspoon of soy sauce.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Ground black pepper to taste.

Method To Prepare:

  • Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and then fill it with water that reaches just below the top of the steamer.
  • Cover it and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
  • Add the kale and steam until just tender for about seven to ten minutes depending on the thickness of the leaves.
  • Whisk it together with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
  • Toss steamed kale into dressing until well coated and then serve fresh.

Simply try these healthy side dish recipes and add one to the next party.