We all know that a healthy diet means a better lifestyle overall. Healthy eating may help prevent certain serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Alas, the phrase “healthy eating” usually conjures unappealing images of steamed vegetables and bland salad.
But healthy meals need not be bland! In fact, they can be full of flavor with the added bonus of being light on calories. Alex Snodgrass will show you how it’s done. The face behind the highly successful food blog, The Defined Dish, Snodgrass offers simple healthy recipes that are in line with Whole30/Paleo diets.
But scrolling through her Instagram page, you might actually forget that Snodgrass puts an emphasis on healthy ingredients. “I am from Texas and us Texans like big bold flavors,” jokes Snodgrass on her website. “So I never skimp on flavors with my healthy dishes. They’re hearty, healthy, and freaking delicious! However, it’s also all about balance for me.” In true Texan spirit, there’s also the occasional super indulgent dish, so you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out on your favorite foods.
Big on flavor, Snodgrass’ tip for beginners is to lean into salt and pepper. “You’ve got to use the salt and pepper,” she noted once in an interview with USA Today. “Like, when cooking a soup, it’s not just adding it at the end.”
Snodgrass stresses that salt and pepper should be added in layers. “Like when you’re sautéing your vegetables in the beginning, just to make sure that you add a little bit of salt there so that it’s layered in there and it’s not just on the top, just sitting there and it doesn’t really flavor the dish.” Salt, says Snodgrass, brings out a lot of flavors.
Naturally, there’s also an emphasis on vegetables in her recipes. A recent favorite of hers is zucchini. “My new favorite way to eat all the summer zucchini: Grilled Zucchini with Calabrian Chiles, Herbed Goat Cheese and Pepitas!” wrote Snodgrass on Instagram. “This is such a great side dish with grilled fish, chicken or steak BUT it’s also a super fun summer appetizers!”
Another benefit of healthy eating is that the whole family can get on board, which makes mealtimes a time of growth and frienship. “I’ve always loved to share food with people, and I think it’s one of those things that brings people together: your family, your friends, and so many different cultures together,” says Snodgrass. “It’s really nice to be able to share on a wide scale and put healthy and delicious dinners on other family’s tables so they can enjoy each other with my food.”
