If you’re new to the Optavia program, you’re probably looking for recipes to make at home, known as “Lean and Green” meals.
These meals are designed to provide the right amount of healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals to help you feel better while reaching your weight loss goals.
You are watching: 23 Best Optavia “Lean and Green” Recipes
It’s easy to think about what you’ll be missing out on when you’re reduced to these low-calorie, low-carb meals.
But what if your options on the Optavia diet included recipes that helped you forget your limitations?
We’ve rounded up twenty-three “Lean and Green” recipes you can use on your Optavia journey and beyond.
Let’s get started!
1. Mini Mac in a Bowl
This Optavia meal tastes just like the classic McDonald’s burger without the bun. But don’t worry.
You’ll hardly remember it’s missing! Ingredients include everything you find on a Big Mac: ground beef, cheese, lettuce, onion, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing.
This Optavia recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make and is super easy to throw together.
This recipe only yields one serving, so plan ahead if you want leftovers. You might!
2. Chicken Shrimp Gumbo
Did you know gumbo is the official state cuisine of the U.S. state of Louisiana?
It’s that good! Gumbo is traditionally made with stock, meat, and veggies like celery, bell peppers, and onions.
You’ll need chicken and shrimp for this recipe, along with garlic, scallions, celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, okra, and seasonings like thyme, bay leaf, and cayenne.
This Optavia meal is perfect if you’re craving heartier food to cozy up with on a chilly day.
3. Tomato Braised Cauliflower with Chicken
Unlike stewing, braising is a combination cooking method that requires sautéing or searing at high temperatures, then cooking in a covered pot in some liquid.
This recipe is a little higher maintenance since you’ll be transferring the heat from boiling to simmering.
Read the entire recipe, so you know what to do and when.
After roasting the chicken for 20 minutes, you’ll need the chicken to rest for 10 minutes or so.
Braising is tricky, but the results are unforgettable.
4. Jerk Crusted Pork Chops with Spinach Salad
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning is a seasoning blend of all the hotness your tastebuds can handle and more!
Spices include cumin, nutmeg, allspice, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and hotter spices like red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.
Some variations may even list brown sugar as an option to help balance the spice with sweetness.
You’ll need to marinate the pork chops in the seasoning for at least 30 minutes.
You can either broil the pork or bake it. Either way, you’ll get tons of zing with this meal.
5. Grilled Fajita Bowls
Are you craving a Mexican dish? Bring on the fajitas!
You can use nearly any type of meat to make fajitas, but this recipe calls for flank steak, along with the traditional veggies: bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapeno, scallions.
Along with salt and pepper, the steak is seasoned with cumin and chili powder.
Scallions are grilled with lime juice for extra zest.
This dish is easy to assemble and customize and an excellent option for the whole family to enjoy!
6. Mini Pepper Nachos
The options are endless when it comes to nachos! These mini pepper nachos are fast and easy to make.
All you need to do is create the chicken mixture, place it on top of the mini bell peppers, and broil for 2-4 minutes.
This recipe calls for canned chicken breast, but fresh-cut chicken breast works too.
7. Blackened Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Looking for another Optavia-friendly option for Taco Tuesday?
Look no further! Here’s another beautiful lettuce wrap option stuffed with blackened shrimp, avocado crema, and tomato salsa.
You will need Old Bay Blackened Seasoning for this recipe, which is a spicy alternative to the traditional Old Bay Seasoning.
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You’ll also need Greek yogurt, avocado, and lime juice to make the avocado crema.
The tomato salsa is made with tomatoes, green peppers, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and remaining lime juice from avocado crema.
Place shrimp in lettuce, add avocado crema, top with salsa. Ready to enjoy!
8. Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Feta
Cod is a popular seafood option with a super flaky texture. Cod also has a mild natural taste, which makes it super versatile for adding flavors.
This dish includes zucchini slices as the “base” (you can use a mandolin slicer or cut by hand) and a tomato mixture and feta cheese on top of the cod.
The entire assembly is baked in the oven for 20 minutes in a casserole dish.
Top with basil and the remaining black pepper before serving.
9. Bibimbap Bowls
Want a cuisine with an extra kick? Korean foods are typically bursting with flavor and spice, and Bibimbap is no exception.
Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish, served as a rice bowl, topped with various meats and vegetables.
You’ll need some ingredients commonly used in Korean cuisine, including chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
What you do is cook the ground beef, steam the cauliflower rice in the microwave, then build the bowl.
That’s it! Another fast and easy recipe.
10. Chicken Parmesan
Italian food is one of the most famous cuisines in the world. But with bread and pasta, the calories add up.
With Optavia meals like this one, you can still enjoy classic Italian food.
This recipe requires two zucchinis, which you can cut, slice, or spiralize into noodles for that “pasta” look and texture.
For the chicken, you’ll need flour and nutritional yeast to make the crust.
This dish won’t be complete without a marinara sauce consisting of tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and scallions.
Enjoy a classic Italian dish just the way you need it: low-calorie, low-carb, and delicious.
11. Cauliflower Asparagus Risotto with Chicken
Risotto is a creamy Italian rice mixture traditionally made with rice, cheese, butter, and chicken stock.
Italy is the top European producer of rice, and risotto is one of the most common ways to cook rice as an Italian dish. But instead of rice, you’ll use cauliflower rice and nutritional yeast to make the risotto.
The chicken is roasted with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Asparagus is added to the rice for extra crunch and nutrition.
12. Chicken Cacciatore
Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. In cuisine, “alla cacciatore” refers to a meal created “hunter-style,” where everything is thrown together to cook.
Super easy! Cacciatore is traditionally made with chicken or ground game such as rabbit, along with onions, herbs, tomatoes, bell peppers, and sometimes wine.
This Optavia recipe calls for similar ingredients: bell peppers, tomatoes, scallions, zucchini, and mushrooms.
This is a slow-cooker recipe, so be prepared!
You’ll need to set the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours, but all you do is combine all the ingredients.
Quick, easy, delicious, and hearty, chicken cacciatore is a perfect comfort food option.
13. Asparagus and Crabmeat Frittata
A frittata is another Italian dish, similar to an omelet but thicker and traditionally baked or broiled in an oven-safe skillet.
Instead of traditional eggs, this Optavia recipe requires a liquid egg substitute to help reduce the fat and cholesterol in this dish.
The egg substitute is prepared with salt, pepper, and paprika for a subtle kick.
The crab meat is combined with chives and basil. Serve warm as a delicious breakfast or any meal for your day.
14. Lemon Garlic Oregano Chicken with Asparagus
This “Lean and Green” recipe requires steamed asparagus, but don’t let that scare you off!
Steaming softens the firmness of the stems, making asparagus tender and tasty.
The chicken is roasted and seasoned with lemon, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
The total time for this recipe is 45 minutes, but the result is delicious and yields four servings.
15. Cauliflower Pizza with Chicken and Tzatziki
Who says you have to sacrifice pizza while on Optavia? Not with this recipe!
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This one also requires tzatziki sauce and riced cauliflower as the crust.
You will need to squeeze cauliflower in a towel to remove excess moisture after baking, then combine with eggs and parmesan cheese to make a crust.
Top your crust with chicken strips, olives, and mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and serve.
16. Zughetti in Meat Gravy
What’s a meal plan without a classic spaghetti dish? Again, you’ll use zucchini as noodles, either cut or spiralized.
The sauce is made with ground turkey, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, Greek yogurt, and basil.
The zucchini is sauteed with salt for about 2 minutes. What’s for dinner?
A perfect alternative to traditional spaghetti, one you might keep on rotation while on Optavia!
17. Middle Eastern Salmon with Tomato, Cucumber, and Dill Salad
Here’s another tasty fish dish! This recipe includes one tablespoon of Za’atar, which is an herb, and also the name of a seasoning mixture created in the Middle East.
All you have to do is the season and roast the salmon, combine the salad ingredients and top with roasted salmon.
That’s it! Serve with lemon wedges for an extra burst of flavor.
18. Chicken Paella
Paella is a dish originally from Valencia, Spain. It is traditionally a saffron-flavored dish made with rice, meat, seafood, and vegetables.
This recipe requires two ounces of chorizo, a highly seasoned sausage commonly used in Mexican and Spanish cuisines.
Cauliflower rice is used as the rice alternative.
Cook the chicken and chorizo, add the cauliflower rice, tomatoes, saffron, green beans, tomatoes, and cook for 10 minutes. Delicious!
19. Tuna Niçoise Salad
Niçoise is a French word meaning “in the style of Nice”—that is, Nice, France. Niçoise is a French dish typically identified by tomatoes, black olives, garlic, and anchovies (or, in this case, tuna).
This Optavia recipe includes hard-boiled eggs, which you can prepare in advance or purchase at a grocery store to save time.
Prepare a bed of greens, layer with the veggies and tuna, and top with a super simple combination of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Enjoy!
20. Grilled Chicken Power Bowl with Green Goddess Dressing
Who doesn’t love bowl recipes? This recipe is loaded with nutrition and flavor.
Several steps are involved, including the process of making Green Goddess Dressing.
You’ll need to roast the chicken and steam the veggies before building the bowls.
After creating the bowls, combine all the dressing ingredients, and drizzle them on top.
This recipe yields four servings, which makes it an excellent option for meal prep.
21. Broiled Greek Burger with Lettuce Wraps
What makes a Greek burger a Greek burger? Tons of flavor! Greek burgers are typically made of a combination of ground meat, spices, herbs, and aromatics.
You’ll need to make tzatziki, a sauce widely used in southeast Europe and the Middle East.
Serve these delicious burgers with the tzatziki on Romaine hearts, iceberg lettuce, butter lettuce, or any large lettuce leaf of your choice.
22. Shrimp Scampi
“Scampi” refers to a type of crustacean found in Europe, usually larger than U.S. shrimp.
Shrimp scampi is traditionally a butter and garlic flavor of the shrimp, sometimes served over pasta.
This recipe is a low-carb alternative without sacrificing the buttery, garlicky flavor.
You’ll use spaghetti squash as the pasta base, which you can heat in the microwave or the oven if you have extra time.
In the end, you get buttery, garlicky shrimp on a bed of spaghetti squash, with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Is your mouth watering yet?
23. Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Can’t get enough of that Mediterranean flavor? Neither can we.
Mediterranean salad is a salad with traditional Mediterranean flavors, including herbs and flavorful veggies.
Along with the chicken, you’ll build this salad with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese.
You won’t find any salad dressing in this recipe, but don’t worry. With all the combined textures and the juice of a lemon, you have all the flavor you need and more.
Conclusion
These Optavia meals are quick, easy, and many only require staple pantry ingredients.
Meet your goals with Optavia, and enjoy every bite of your journey!
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe