The Best Healthy Recipes from Around the World

From dinner to dessert, spice up your meals with these all-star international dishes--that won't wreak havoc on your diet!

1. Amazing charoset:
Per 1/4 cup: 150 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 41 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein

This dried fruit spread is one of the symbolic foods eaten during Passover Seder and used as a spread on matzah. Even if you don't celebrate Passover, you can still enjoy this sweet paste as a healthy topping on oatmeal or Greek yogurt. Though many different variations of charoset exist, this blogger's low-cal version brims with heart-healthy nuts and potassium-rich figs.

Ingredients:
2 c. raisins
1/2 c. pecans
1/2 c. almonds
4 oz. dates (about 7), pitted
4 dried figs
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1-2 tbsp. sweet wine or fruit juice

Directions:
Grind dry nuts in food processor, remove, and set aside. Put the nuts, raisins, dates, figs, and cinnamon into the food processor a little at a time and add the applesauce and wine/juice as you grind to help keep it moving. Pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse paste. Remove the charoset from the processor and place it in a sealed container. Spread onto matzah and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers for later use.

Makes about 3.5 cups.

Recipe provided by Eating Bird Food

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2. Slow cooker Thai-style beef stew:
For 1/2 c. stew: 285 calories, 7 grams sugar, 9.5 grams fat, 11.8 grams carbohydrates, 38 grams protein

For a no-fuss way of enjoying tender beef stew with an infusion of Thai flavors, try this slow cooker recipe. Just make sure to use a lean cut of beef such as flank steak, eye of round roast, or moose/bison roast. Alternatively, you can replace the beef with chicken breast or lean pork for an equally tasty dish.

Ingredients:
3.1 lb. sirloin beef tip roast
1 c. lower-sugar teriyaki sauce
1 c. rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

For toppings:
2 tbsp. green onions, chopped
2 tsp. dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 c. bean sprouts
2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Trim fat from beef (if needed). Place the meat, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and crushed pepper into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove beef from slow cooker and shred. It should shred very easily. Add peanut butter to leftover liquid in slow cooker; stir well with whisk . Add beef back into the slow cooker and stir. Top each serving with green onions, chopped peanuts, bean sprouts, and cilantro.

Makes 9 servings.

Recipe provided by Busy But Healthy

3. Spinach and sausage ravioli:
53 calories, 2.8 grams fat, 2.8 grams carbohydrates, 4.1 grams protein

This stuffed ravioli dish is a twist on the classic Italian pasta; they're made with thin wonton skins instead of pasta dough, so they're lighter but just as yummy. While the recipe certainly isn't authentic Italian or Asian food, it's a mouthwatering fusion of two totally different kinds of cuisine.

Ingredients:
1 pckg. wonton wrappers
1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. sautéed spinach, chopped
1 Italian sausage, chopped and browned
1 c. grated Parmesan
1 large egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small dish of water (for wetting the edges of the wonton skins)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, sauteed spinach, and browned sausage bits. Season with salt and ground pepper. Mix well. On a baking sheet, lay out several whole wonton skins. Spoon about 1 tsp. filling into the center of each skin. Dip a finger into your water dish, then run it along the 4 edges of each wonton skin. Lay a second whole wonton wrapper over the first layer with filling. Press down firmly to seal your ravioli shut, making sure to get rid of all the air bubbles. To get rid of air bubbles, press the skins together starting from the base of the filling, then work your way to the edges. Repeat until all your filling/wrappers are gone. When all your ravioli are assembled, start boiling water in a large pot. Drop ravioli 3-4 at a time into the boiling water. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, then fish them out. Serve with a creamy sauce, or plain drizzled with olive oil/salt/pepper.

Makes about 2 dozen ravioli.

Recipe provided by Just Putzing Around the Kitchen

4. Mixed berry flaugnarde:
175 calories, 3.4 grams sugar, 14.1 grams fat, 6.8 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein

We've yet to try a French dessert we didn't like, and thankfully, we've found one that won't wreak havoc on your diet. This light flaugnarde is low in calories, carbs, and sugar, but the irresistible combination of juicy mixed berries with coconut milk and nutmeg serves up one drool-worthy dessert.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1/2 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. melted coconut oil
1/4 c. almond flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp. coconut sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 c. mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease a 9-in. pie or tart dish (butter , coconut oil, or non-hydrogenated palm oil shortening). Wash the berries and pat dry. Spread evenly in the bottom of the pie dish; set aside. Combine the eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, almond flour, vanilla, nutmeg, coconut sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; blend or process until smooth (batter will be thin). Pour evenly over the berries. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy, and set in the center. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe provided by Jan's Sushi Bar

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\ 5. Egyptian fava bean breakfast:
621 calories, 23 grams sugar, 28 grams fat, 76 grams carbohydrates, 22 grams protein

Fava beans are a staple in the typical Egyptian diet, and this breakfast of champions exploits their rich flavor and starchy texture. The beans are not only scrumptious as part of a satisfying breakfast, they're also packed with nutritional value in the form of protein, fiber, and iron!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. dried fava beans, rinsed and soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours with 1 tbsp. baking soda (or just use canned, rinsed beans)
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 small jalapeno pepper, sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Directions:
Drain the beans and rinse well; place in a pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer until extremely soft. At this point, you should peel the waxy skin off each bean if you like (not essential, but much better as the skins are quite chewy). Simply squeeze one tip of each bean until the bean pops out of the skin. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion; cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and just beginning to brown. Add about half the beans to the skillet and mash with a wooden spoon or spatula to create a bean-onion mush. Add the remaining (whole) beans, tomato, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss the jalapeno slices over all just before serving. To serve, sprinkle the beans with fresh lemon juice and drizzle with extra olive oil, if desired. Best served with flatbread.

Makes 2 large servings.

Recipe provided by Diet, Dessert and Dogs

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