21 Healthier Eats For People Who Hate Salad

Because you can't spell "salad" without "sad."

Amy Sefton / BuzzFeed

1. Quick And Easy Salmon With Simple Roasted Potatoes

Ashley Rodriguez for BuzzFeed

Plus a frisée salad with citrus dressing! Recipe here.

2. Creamy Penne Pasta with Garlic, Fire Roasted Tomatoes, and Spinach

veganosity.com

Oniony, tomato-y goodness with some spinach leaves tossed in for good measure. And ::whispers:: it's vegan. Recipe here.

3. Spicy Skirt Steak with Asian Slaw

barbellsandbellinis.com

Okay yes it ~is~ red meat. But keep your meat portion smaller and your slaw portion bigger, and you're good to go. Recipe here.

4. Cheesy Turkey Jalapeño Taco Skillet With Brown Rice

thegarlicdiaries.com

To make it a little healthier, you can cut the cheese in half. But really, what did an extra 3/4 cup of cheese ever do to anybody? Recipe here.

5. Spicy Soba Noodles With Chicken

inthiskitchen.com

Soba noodles, made from buckwheat flour, are a great gluten-free option. And if you haven't had Tamari sauce before, definitely get some to make this dish. Recipe here.

6. Lasagne Boats with Turkey and Spaghetti Squash

reciperunner.com

Just, trust on this one. It's basically a vehicle for cheesy delicious sausage and marinara sauce. Recipe here.

To make it easier to cut the spaghetti squash, make a few holes in the top of it with a knife, then microwave for 3 to 5 minutes to soften (see the technique in this video).

7. Banana Pancakes with Brown Sugar

sallysbakingaddiction.com

Made with Greek yogurt, ripe banana, whole wheat flour, and not much else. Although you could toss in some cinnamon and nutmeg for SPICED banana pancakes. Yes. Recipe here.

8. Single Skillet Chicken Puttanesca

deliciousmeetshealthy.com

You can serve it over brown rice if you're wanting a grain, or just eat the chicken with the sauce and olives. It would taste best with the white wine, but (as the recipe suggests) vegetable broth would be a slightly lighter but still flavorful substitute. Recipe here.

9. Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks

jocooks.com

It's basically a cheese pizza with a cauliflower pizza crust, except with the sauce on the side, which helps with sogginess. Recipe here.

10. Zucchini Noodles with Cilantro Lime Chicken

ifoodreal.com

If you're looking to eat healthier and don't have some sort of spiralizer, get one, because zucchini noodles are so. worth. it. Recipe here.

11. Black Bean Burger with Mango Chutney

contentednesscooking.com

Look. at. that. beautiful. burger. Recipe here.

12. Creamy White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

cookingalamel.com

Bonus: the spinach gives you a few bites of veggies. (Although you can't just, like, eat around it). The creaminess in this comes from Greek yogurt, which you might want to add only after you remove the pan from the heat, so it doesn't curdle. And to keep it on the ~healthy~ side, make sure you use whole wheat pasta. Recipe here.

13. Healthy Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

apple-of-my-eye.com

This recipe couldn't be simpler: you cook the beef, you cook the onion, garlic, and water chestnuts, then just mix everything together and spoon onto a lettuce leaf. Recipe here.

14. Zucchini Bread Waffles

makingthymeforhealth.com

The thick batter translates into two delectable waffles, although you can still ~see~ the zucchini. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Recipe here.

15. Poblano Pepper and Mushroom Tart in a Cornmeal Crust

Hugh Forte of Sprouted Kitchen / sproutedkitchen.com

This crust is made with cornmeal and vegetable broth (and a little cheese) instead of butter, and the filling calls for milk instead of cream (stick with the 2% to keep it lower fat). But you won't care, because mushrooms + poblanos = savory deliciousness. Recipe here.

16. Shakshuka with Grains and Feta

James Ransom / food52.com

If you've never had eggs cooked in spicy tomato sauce before, you're missing out on one of the greatest comfort foods in existence. Serve with some brown rice or crusty whole grain bread. Recipe here.

17. Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

yummyhealthyeasy.com

These have carrots and mushrooms in the sauce, but nO oNe WiLl EvEr KnOw. You could also throw a red bell pepper or some spinach into the food processor for good measure. And make sure to serve on whole wheat burger buns. Recipe here.

18. Cheesy Ancho Chile Tamales with Kale and Apple

This recipe substitutes coconut oil for lard in the masa, and includes a few lacinato kale leaves to help carry the delicious ancho chile and chipotle flavors. Recipe here.

19. Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

justataste.com

It sounds fancy, but it's actually really easy to throw together. Recipe here.

20. Sweet and Smoky Chili with Avocado and Jalapeños

floatingkitchen.net

This recipe uses a 1/3 c maple syrup, which you could easily halve. You could also use just 1/2 tbsp of oil to cook the turkey in step one (although using a full tbsp will give the meat a little more flavor). Recipe here.

21. Blackened Fish Tacos with Quick Sriracha Aioli and Avocado Lime Slaw

recipetineats.com

Go light on the aioli — if you're topping with fresh jalapeños, you won't need a ton of it anyway. Then go for corn or whole wheat tortillas, instead of white flour. Recipe here.