Live your healthiest, happiest, most purposeful life
Author: Lacy Ngo
Lacy Ngo is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Human Nutrition. Lacy focuses on mindful eaitng and living and her blog provides over 400 nutrition and weight loss tips as well as inspiring faith stories
These 15 super easy healthy appetizers are perfect for a party or get together! I love them because they are healthy AND require absolutely no cooking!
The Easiest & Healthiest Tailgate Recipes Ever!
Y’all, I love being with people, and I love football! And I want to watch football WITH my people at the drop of a hat. That is why I basically stick to these 15 super EASY AND HEALTHY appetizers when I need to bring something to a tailgate or to a football viewing party.
Heck, I pretty much stick to these 15 recipes whenever I go to ANY party or have any social event at my house. These are perfect go-to healthy appetizers, potlucks, or picnic recipes, and most of them require NO COOKING at all!!!!
These 15 super easy & healthy recipes are perfect for a tailgate or football viewing party!!! I love them because they are healthy AND require absolutely no cooking!
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These are perfect go-to healthy appetizer recipes, and most of them require NO COOKING at all!!!!These are 15 perfect and EASY healthy appetizer, potlucks, or picnic recipes, and most of them require NO COOKING at all!!!!
10 No-Cooking-Involved Recipes with Probiotic Rich Greek Yogurt
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10 No-Cooking-Involved Recipes with Probiotic Rich Greek Yogurt
Before we get to the recipes you may be wanting a quick reminder as to…
Why Should I be Eating Probiotics again?
Probiotics are live good bacteria found in food that promote gut health. Studies are now showing just how crucial gut health is to our overall health and even mood!!!
Probiotics promote gut health and thus may benefit our bodies in a multitude of ways.
Although more studies are needed, research suggests that Probiotics May:
Help repair the gut lining
Support immune function
Have anti-inflammatory properties
Reduce the risk of some cancers
Decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke
Reduce the risk of cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Aid in addiction recovery
And for some people, help with mood and even mood disorders like depression, anxiety, and stress!
Say whuuuuh! Talk about being beneficial!
So your next question might just be,
“How Can I Get More Probiotics in My Life?”
Probiotics are found in fermented foods and vegetables like kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented pickles, miso, and Kombucha You can also find probiotics in kefir and yogurt. Snacks fortified with probiotics are now popping up all over the place. This are an option as well, although the above natural sources are usually the best options.
Greek Yogurt: The Versatile Probiotic
One food rich in probiotics that we can easily incorporate into our diets is Greek yogurt.
Many people add fruit to Greek yogurt to make a satisfyingly sweet snack, and I like this option too. However, many times I want something savory vs. sweet. Because I lean towards savory foods, I wanted to come up with ways to creatively use Greek yogurt in recipes. Sounds easy enough, except heating up yogurt, although tasty, can kill the probiotics.
Soooo… I started working on no-cooking-required Greek yogurt recipes. That way I knew the probiotics were safe from dying in the heat! Plus, I don’t have time for complicated recipes anyway. No-cooking-required recipes are fantastic for this time-crunched momma!
After months of experimenting, I came up with 10 no-cooking-involved probiotic rich Greek yogurt recipes (okay… I gave you a bonus recipe so you actually get 11!)
You wanted more healthy no-cooking-required recipes, so here is one more! This Chickpea Salad is another healthy appetizer or side recipe. Great when you need to make something quick!
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This Healthy Chickpea Salad is super easy! In fact, absolutely no cooking is involved. Great as a healthy appetizer or side!
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbs plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbs. Cilantro
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red onions, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomato halves
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tbs. olive oil
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
To Make
Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Serve cold.
Brussels Sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables! You can make so many delicious recipes with them! This particular recipe is always a crowd favorite as a healthy appetizer or healthy side. This Brussels Sprout Salad is super easy to make and required very minimal cooking! In fact, the only time I need the stove is to boil the water used to blanch the Brussels Sprouts.
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This Brussels Sprout Salad is always a crowd favorite as a healthy appetizer or healthy side. It’s super easy to make and required very minimal cooking!
Serves 8
Ingredients
48 Brussels sprouts
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ cup olive oil
1 cup almonds
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
To Make
On the stove, boil 2 cups of hot water in a medium pot.
Place Brussels sprouts in a colander in the sink.
Carefully pour the hot water over the Brussels sprouts in the sink.
Immediately rinse in Brussels sprouts in cold water.
Once the Brussels sprouts have cooled enough to touch, shred the Brussels sprouts using a grater.
Oh my goodness! I am in love with Avocados and Guacamole! In fact, my kids know I love avocados so much that they point them out whenever they see them! So of course I had to include a Guacamole recipe in our “No cooking required” healthy recipe series! Like all the recipes on Mindfulness in Faith and Food, this Guacamole is super easy to make!
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I love recipes, like this super simple guacamole, that require no cooking! A delicious source of healthy fats! A perfect healthy and quick appetizer!
Ingredients
3 Avocados (HASS!, Dark and slightly soft)
¼ cup cilantro
1/3 cup red onions
1 tsp. jalapenos, chopped
¼ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 tsp black pepper
1/3 tsp garlic, minced
To make:
Slice the avocados in half.
Remove the avocado peel.
Mash the avocados until your preferred consistency. (I like a few small lumps in mine)
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir unitl the guacamole is well mixed.
Healthy Chips and Crackers: Perfect for your Guacamole Dip!)
Plus Tips on How to Make Deli Meat Sandwiches Healthier
A Healthy Take on the Classic Turkey Sandwich: Easy, no cooking required, healthy lunch idea
The Scoop on Heavily Processed Meat
Sometimes you just want a good old fashioned deli sandwich (my favorite is a turkey sandwich), and yet you wish you could eat a healthier version.
After all, luncheon meat is often heavily processed, and limiting processed foods has been shown to promote gut balance; and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, dementia, some cancers, and inflammation.
Moreover, heavily processed foods may reduce cognitive focus and attention and immune function.
Highly processed luncheon meats include pepperoni, salami, and bologna, just to name a few.
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Healthier Lunch Meats
One way to make a healthy sandwich is by purchasing fresh chicken or turkey and cooking the meat yourself. But if that is still not going to satisfy your deli meat cravings, then keep reading because many healthier deli meats are currently available. When you are shopping for lunch meat, choose:
Below is one of my favorite Deli Meat Sandwiches Recipes!
Classic Turkey Sandwich
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 Nitrate/Nitrite Free Turkey Slices
4 Slice provolone cheese
4 Spinach Leaves
1 Tomato, Sliced
8 slices of whole wheat bread
4 Tbsp. Yogurt spread
4 Tbsp. Italian Dressing
1 tsp Black Pepper
Yogurt Spread Ingredients
Yogurt Spread
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
To Make
Place four slices
of bread side-by-side on a clean surface.
Now add two
slices of turkey to each piece of bread
Next add a slice
of tomato to each piece of bread
Then add the
lettuce leaves
Drizzle the
lettuce with the Italian dressing
Now sprinkle each
slice with Black Pepper
Spread the yogurt
spread onto the other four pieces of bread
Place the other
pieces of bread on the lettuce leaves with the yogurt spread facing down
Make it a Wrap
You can also make a wrap instead of a sandwich using whole wheat wraps. My favorite wraps are The Ole’ Xtreme Wellness!
Want Your Sandwich Toasted?
You can also make a hot sandwich. Simply add the turkey and brie to your bread, and place the bread into the oven set at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Add the cold ingredients to the bread after the bread has finished toasting.
Like all the recipes on Mindfulness in Faith and Food, this healthy Vegetable Pizza is super easy to make! In fact, it’s another great recipe from the “No Cooking Required” series!
Why I Love This Recipe
Lots of healthy vegetables!
Great source of probiotics and Fiber!
No Cooking Required!
Perfect for parties!
Cold Vegetable Pizza: Lots of healthy vegetables! Great source of probiotics and Fiber! No Cooking Required! Perfect for parties!
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I love playing around with food and discovering new ways to combine ingredients. Sometimes my new creation doesn’t workout too well…but sometimes it turns out so well that I can’t help but do a little happy dance! Making this Salmon Goat Cheese Quesadilla recipe is one of those times I did the happy dance! Seriously, I was giddy with excitement with how delicious this salmon recipe was! And it was soooo easy! These quesadillas require absolutley no cooking and are done in minutes! Plus this salmon recipe is super healthy and is a great source of Omega-3s!!!!
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Seriously, I was giddy with excitement with how delicious this salmon recipe was! And it was soooo easy! These Salmon Goat Cheese quesadillas require absolutley no cooking and are done in minutes! Plus this salmon recipe is super healthy and is a great source of Omega-3s!!!!
I love trail mix! It’s healthy and you can eat it anywhere! Trail mix goes great in a lunch box and is easy to take with you when you travel. Trail mix even makes a fun appetizer at parties! In fact, we had a fun trail mix bar at my daughter’s birthday party one year. The kids and adults loved being able to build their own trail mix.
Now you can build your own too! Pick and choose from the list below to make your own healthy trail mix!
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How to Build a Healthy Trail Mix: Pick and choose from the list to make your own healthy trail mix! Great from lunches, parties, and on-the-go healthy snacks! The perfect sweet and salty snack!
This mouth-watering salsa dip is super easy AND super healthy!!!! This healthy salsa dip is a hit at parties, and is a fantastic source of probiotics, fiber, and vegetables!
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Delicious, Healthy and no-cooking involved! This loaded creamy salsa dip is a huge hit at parties and socials!
Serves 8-12
Ingredients
16 oz. jar of salsa
2 cup yogurt
1 can refried beans
1 cup cheese
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup black olives (optional)
A dollop of guacamole (optional)
To
Make:
Mix the salsa and yogurt together in a medium bowl.
In a medium casserole dish, layer the ingredients in the following order: refied beans, salsa-yogurt mixture, cheese, lettuce, tomato, scallions
Top with a dollop of guacamole and olives.
For best results, cover and let the dish sit in the fridge for about an hour.
Serve with healthy chips! See healthy chip ideas below!
Healthy Chips and Crackers: Perfect for your Healthy Salsa Dip!)
