The best green foods for your healthiest St. Patty’s celebration yet. 17 St. Paddy's Day recipes from dietitians!
On holidays, it can feel almost impossible to eat healthy foods. Are there any St. Patrick’s Day foods that are healthy?
Luckily, there are so many healthy foods that come in the color green. Matcha, leafy greens, and mint are just a few popular favorites. A few simple tips, tricks, and ideas included in this article will inspire your healthiest celebration yet!
Read on for 17 of my favorite recipes -- ALL thoughtfully crafted by dietitians or nutrition experts and perfect for a Saint Patrick's Day menu.
1. Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake (Shamrock Shake Recipe)
There are so many things about this recipe I love that I don’t even know where to start. It has a handful of greens plus an avocado, and it’s sweetened with banana -- no added sugar or coloring necessary.
2. Green Matcha Ombre Chia Pudding
Ombre food is so much fun! Layered green levels of this chia pudding contain matcha, which is antioxidant-rich. Nut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup add a flavorful mix without any added sugars needed. I love it so “matcha”!
3. Healthy Broccoli Salad
This broccoli salad contains much needed nutrients, especially during the spring. Vitamin C and fiber are essential for immune health and digestion. This salad works as a side, snack, or appetizer! Or, it is delicious all on its own.
4. Easy Almond Scallion Basil Pesto
By Food Heaven
This recipe is about as easy as it gets. Pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts, which can get expensive. Instead, this recipe calls for roasted almonds.
5. Quick & Easy Green Udon Noodles
This meal is full of greens and fits easily into a busy weekday schedule. Fueled by asparagus and edamame, it’s naturally sweetened and full of flavors like ginger and sesame. This is not your average salad.
6. Mini Matcha Cupcakes
By Lively Table
It’s 100% okay to eat something sweet! What I love about these cupcakes is that along with sugar, they come in tinier portions and are packed with antioxidant-rich matcha. That means that there is no need for artificial colors, too!
7. Asian Collard Green Wraps with Chicken and Peanut Sauce
Flavored with ginger soy chicken and fresh veggies, these wraps will remember to wear green on St. Paddy’s Day, too. They are great for lunch or even as a snack. Perfect for busy days or last minute dinners, these wraps contain inexpensive ingredients.
8. Gut-Healthy Green Soup
By Alyssa Lavy
This soup is jam-packed with vegetables. The ingredients in it are all full of anti-inflammatory properties. Many people find that the months of December through February tempt them with gut-harming foods. This soup comes just in time for spring to revive and renew the gut and help good bacteria in the intestine grow.
9. Green Apple Cinnamon Smoothie | Vegan Protein Smoothie without Powder
This smoothie is a vegan favorite, especially since it is made to be protein-packed but without needing protein powder. It’s also incredibly easy to customize and takes less than 10 minutes to make .
10. Roasted Green Beans
By Health Stand
Three ingredients, that’s it! This roasted green beans recipe is simple but delicious. Great for a day when you need a quick and easy appetizer, these beans are done in under 30 minutes and can be made straight from a can.
11. Matcha Shortbread
These matcha shortbreads are easy to make -- just six staple ingredients you probably already have on hand. You can even cut them into shamrock shapes!
12. Green Goddess Glow Bowl with Cilantro Lime Cashew Pesto
Lindsay says “You might want to double the creamy cilantro lime cashew cream cause you’re gonna want to put it on everything!” This vegan bowl is said to leave you with glowing skin, too. Simple, tasty, green ingredients make this bowl the power to help you glow.
13. It’s Easy Being Green (Greens & Fruit Smoothie)
Mint, spinach, and mango help give this yellow-green smoothie its hue. Full of vitamin and mineral-rich fruits and veggies, this smoothie can be a great way to begin St. Paddy’s Day.
14. Supergreens Superglow Smoothie Bowl
The great thing about smoothie bowls is that you can pile a bunch of toppings on the top. The sneaky ingredient in this bowl? Zucchini! Add more green to the smoothie bowl by topping with hemp seeds, kiwi sleeves, matcha powder, and sliced mint.
15. Green Smoothie Popsicles
Sometimes putting a smoothie in a popsicle form just makes it, well, POP. This recipes has 40 calories per pop. That’s it! Packed with plant milk, sweetened by bananas, and powered by chopped green veggies, this popsicle is the perfect frosty treat as the weather gets warmer.
16. Pistachio Pasta Sauce
Most of us could use a boost of greens in our day, no? This pasta sauce is protein and green packed. Also -- it’ s made in under 10 minutes and can easily be frozen for later. Quick dinner to the rescue!
17. Foundational Five Eggs, Beans, and Greens Nourish Meal
This recipe has healthy carbohydrate choices mixed with healthy fats, protein, and of course, a healthy serving of flavors. Most people think green things are boring -- this bowl is here to challenge that idea.
I hope these recipes help you to get your green on! ☘ Which one is your favorite?
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