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5 Healthy Meals to Boost Energy and Feel Great

By Shannon Crocker MSC RD PHEc

 

Happy New Year!

Are you kick-starting 2021 with a re-booting of healthy habits? If being active and eating healthy are on your resolution radar, you’re off to a great start! Moving your body daily and eating well are two healthy habits that can help you feel great, fight stress and boost energy.

To help you with your goal of eating well, here are five delicious, healthy meals that will help you fuel your body and energize your day.

 

  1. Hot Honey Turkey Stir-Fry with Toasted Almonds

There’s so much to love about this stir-fry: it’s ready in a jiffy, jam-packed with nourishing turkey and vitamin-rich veggies, and offers a hint of sweet heat and orange-y brightness. It’s delicious on its own, but I’ll serve this with a scoop of brown rice for folks with bigger appetites.

Nutrition Neat to Know: One of the keys to making meals that deliver longer lasting energy and sustained satisfaction is protein. Since turkey is lean yet packed with high quality protein, it’s ideal for boosting staying power of veggie-filled meals like this stir-fry.

 

  1. Mediterranean Turkey Nourish Bowl with Lemony Vinaigrette

Nourish bowls are my go-to for quick and simple meals and I’m crushing on this one: it’s an energizing powerhouse loaded with veggies, chickpeas, barley and turkey. The sprinkle of feta cheese and olives along the lemony vinaigrette will have you craving healthy.

Nutrition Neat to Know: Chickpeas and barley are nutritional super stars in this bowl, filled with gut-friendly fibre and phytonutrients (plant-based compounds). A healthy gut helps you to feel healthy and well.

 

  1. One Pot Turkey Lasagna Soup

Lasagna is a favourite comfort food of mine, but because it takes more meal prep time, it’s relegated to weekends. That’s why I love this soup-y version – it’s ready in about 40 minutes and is packed with tasty turkey and tomatoes.

Nutrition Neat to Know: Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C – an antioxidant vitamin that helps your body to absorb the iron found in the ground turkey. That’s a big win because iron delivers oxygen to your muscles and your brain to help you feel energized.

 

  1. Roasted Butternut Squash with Ground Turkey and Couscous

The roasted butternut squash, with a hint of maple sweetness, is balanced with the complementary flavour of the lemon pepper-spiced ground turkey. It’s also a delicious way to add leafy greens to your diet too. No swiss chard? Try frozen kale or spinach.

 

Nutrition Neat to Know: Ground turkey is an excellent source of zinc, a mineral that helps build cells in your immune system. You can get zinc from plant foods (E.g., whole grains), but your body absorbs the zinc found in animal foods, like turkey, more easily.

 

  1. Grilled Turkey Shawarma

Add lots of cucumber, diced tomatoes and red onion to boost the veggies in this super tasty turkey shawarma. No time to make flatbread? No worries! Just buy your favourite pita bread or skip it and turn it into a grilled turkey salad.

Nutrition Neat to Know: Turkey is an excellent source of vitamin B12, which is only found in animal products and helps support your immune system and nervous system (your body’s electrical wiring).