Healthy recipe websites I use on repeat
You might think as nutritionist all my meals would be my own recipes. Whilst I have made a far few recipes myself like this tropical turmeric smoothie bowl, these rosemary crackers or this carrot cake tray bake, most of the time I find inspiration from healthy recipes websites. I love to cook and make 99% of my meals from scratch at home (even though sometimes I am preoccupied and forget to add flour to the banana bread and then wonder why it’s like soup).
I like to use recipes as a guide and adapt them to my tastes which usually means eliminating spice (even too much black pepper is like fire to me) and making it dairy and gluten free.
In my opinion, if you want to improve your health preparing most of your meals at home is key. Ready meals are laden with sugar, flavourings, emulsifiers, vegetables oils and preservatives. These ultra processed meals can lead to gut dysbiosis, inflammation, weight gain and poor metabolic health.
I genuinely use these websites again and again for meal, dessert and healthy snack recipes. I have even recommended some of them in clinical assignments and nutrition plans as part of nutrition degree.
The best healthy recipe websites
Not the most appetising name but the recipes definitely does not taste like bird food (not that I have ever eaten bird food). I made this cake for my birthday (I split the batter and made half chocolate and half vanilla for marble cake) and was delicious with extra dark chocolate melted on top cus why not.
James used nutrition to health from chronic fatigue syndrome, one of the syndromes (along with fibromyalgia and IBS) that seems to baffle conventional medicine. This naan bread recipe is the best! I love it dipped into butternut squash soup. Only problem is if I make it ahead of time, I will have eaten it before my soup is ready.
Lisa turned to healthy recipes when she experiences burn out followed by multiple autoimmune conditions. I am currently a little obsessed with smashed potato after seeing it on TikTok, these smashed potatoes every bagels with smoked salmon would make a great lunch or Sunday brunch.
After a trip to Bali I was left with parasitic infections and post-infectious IBS. As part of my recovery I went Paleo, a diet based on how our Paleolithic ancestors would have eaten: dairy free, grain free, legume free and free of processed and refined foods. Michele, the creator of Paleo Running Momma, also used a Paleo diet to address her IBS as well as to improve her athletic performance. Her recipes were a life saver for the 6 months that ate strictly Paleo. She makes really great gluten free sweet treats.
First of all, I very much appreciate the pun name. Secondly there are so many great simple recipes like this roasted carrot soup with za’atar chickpeas or this honey salmon with ginger scallion sauce, which I shall now have to make for dinner. Ali’s food philosophy is ‘a little bit of everything’ and she shares both plant-based and omnivore recipes that reflect the seasonal availability of food in Barcelona where she currently resides.
Noelle is a fellow nutritional therapist who believes in eating nutritious wholefoods. Similar to myself, in her adolescence and 20’s Noelle used diet and exercise to lose weight and it quickly became an obsession that ran her health into the ground. She now eats for nourishment and joy. Her recipes are allergen friendly (you can search by dairy free, egg free, nut free etc) but chocolate brownies are very much on the menu.
Monique has also been on a journey with disordered eating. Sharing her recipes has helped heal her relationship with food. This is my favourite chocolate cake, although I find I need more liquid than is stated. This sheet pan herby lemon garlic chicken with potatoes would make a perfect weekday dinner and I am a sucker for a no bake sweet snack like these chocolate peanut oatmeal bars.
Sarah was one of the first health influencers I followed back in my early 20’s when I was heavily into yoga, smoothies and cardio workouts. I have tried a fair few of her recipes from her YouTube videos and I have never been disappointed (except for that one time I put an entire heaped tsp of camu camu powder, rather than ¼ tsp, into the cookie batter and it tasted like pee…but that was entirely my fault).
Growing Annanas
Ok so technically this one isn’t a recipe website but Anna regularly posts easy healthy recipes on her TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channel. I can’t get enough of mini pancake cereal and cookie crisp cereal (yes’ breakfast is my favourite meal!). Anna also has an incredible YouTube workout channel which I highly recommend checking out.
Jamie Oliver
I adore Jamie’s Christmas recipe book. The vegan gravy is hands down the BEST gravy, even though I’m not vegan. I eat the winter ragu at least once during any given week (turkey/ beef mince + veg + rosemary + stock/ bone broth + cheese served over pasta is just so comforting) and enjoy these sprouts as Christmas.
Most of Jamie’s recipes do contain dairy and gluten so I adapt them to suit my nutritional needs like swapping milk for almond milk, cheese for nutritional yeast or vegan cheese, butter for olive oil, or substituting plain flour for gluten free bread flour. I also tend to add a few more veggies; you can never have too many vegetables.
