Eat Pretty: Recipes to Promote Healthy-Looking Skin

 

You’ve probably heard the phrase “eat pretty” recently. It’s the popular idea that nutrition is a key factor of inner and outer beauty, both feeling and looking good through the foods we eat. As we’ve written about before, there are many ways to promote healthy-looking skin, and food is certainly a factor. Today, I want to share some recipes with you that incorporate foods that may promote healthy skin and general health, including a delicious dessert using cocoa.

That’s right: dark chocolate is on the approved list. So go grab a piece and let’s get to it.

Lemon Herb Salmon

I’m a big fan of baking instead of frying when possible, and this low-grease recipe is a skin superstar with omega-3-rich salmon. Plus, less grease, along with reducing added sugars, could promote that coveted glowing skin.*

Ingredients

2 lb. salmon
½ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
3 large lemons
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Add olive oil to a small mixing bowl.
2. Chop the fresh herbs and add to the olive oil.
3. Zest two of the lemons into the olive oil herb mixture.
4. Add the minced garlic.
5. Squeeze in the juice of two lemons and whisk well.
6. Place the salmon skin side down in a shallow baking dish.
7. Top with the lemon herb mixture.
8. Thinly slice the additional lemon and place on top of each piece of salmon.
9. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator for an hour to marinate.
10. Remove from the refrigerator and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Healthy Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, an antioxidant compound that protects against oxidative damage.*  This tomato sauce recipe will stay good for five days, meaning you can make it over the weekend and enjoy it during the week with pastas, fish, or grilled chicken.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. dry red wine
½ tsp. dried basil, crumbled
½ medium red onion, minced
14 oz. diced tomatoes in juice
½ tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
Coarse salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and garlic.
3. Cook, stirring frequently until softened (about 7 minutes).
4. Stir in tomatoes and juice, wine, oregano, and basil.
5. Simmer 8 minutes or until lightly thickened.
6. Season with salt to taste.

Lemon Avocado Toast with Eggs

My breakfast seven days a week. Kick off your morning with a high-protein, high-fat (the good kind) meal that will you give you plenty of sustained energy and antioxidants. As my friend Rich mentions in his blog post, eggs contain proline, which is used for collagen production and help normal skin cell regeneration.* Bet you didn’t think trying to eat pretty could taste this good.

Ingredients

2–3 eggs
½ avocado
1 slice whole-wheat bread
Olive or avocado oil
Lemon juice
Feta cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook eggs to taste in medium skillet using oil (I prefer fried eggs for this recipe). Add feta halfway through cooking to melt.
2. Toast whole-wheat bread while eggs cook.
3. Spread/mash avocado over toast and apply lemon juice liberally.
4. Top avocado toast with the cooked eggs.
5. Add light seasoning or hot sauce.

Salad for Glowing Skin

This salad combines lots of fresh ingredients like kale, which contains beta-carotene, vitamin C, and other phytonutrients. Carrots aren’t my favorite, but they blend in well with the great variety of other ingredients. Sometimes the best way to eat something you don’t like is to trick your taste buds!

Ingredients

For the salad:
2 cups mixed greens (spinach, kale, rocket, chard, romaine lettuce), roughly chopped
2 peaches, stone removed, cut into thin slices
2 carrots, cut into thin ribbons
1 small onion, finely diced
5–7 small mint leaves
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into small chunks
½ cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, chia)

For the dressing:
½ lime, juice only
½ lemon, juice only
2 tsp. organic mustard
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl to combine.
2. Add the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend to a creamy sauce.
3. Pour dressing over the salad and mix to combine.

Edamame-Ginger Dip 

This dip is unique, delicious, and contains real ginger. Gingerol, a compound found in ginger, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that could lead to clearer, healthy-looking skin.

Ingredients

8 oz. frozen shelled edamame
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. tahini
1 clove garlic
1/8 tsp. salt
Hot pepper sauce to taste

Instructions

1. Cook edamame according to package directions.
2. Puree the cooked edamame, water, soy, ginger, vinegar, tahini, garlic, salt, and hot sauce in a food processor until smooth.
3. Chill for one hour. Serve with rice crackers or carrot sticks.

Sugar-Free Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Dark chocolate fans, rejoice: these brownies are more fudge than cake and will satisfy your sweet tooth without the added sugars. Have your cake and eat pretty, too.

Ingredients

¾ cup white whole-wheat flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ tsp. vanilla stevia (adjusted to taste)
¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
¾ cup nonfat milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla, and vanilla stevia.
3. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
4. Spread the batter onto the prepared pan. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 13–16 minutes.
5. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan, and let the brownies sit for at least six hours at room temperature for the fudgiest texture before serving.

Beauty from the Inside

Essential beauty means different things to different people. To “eat pretty” is to look at beauty from the inside as it expands to the outside. To me, it’s that good feeling after eating a healthy meal, knowing that I’ve contributed to healthy-looking skin down the road.

My go-to recipe is the one I make every day, the lemon avocado toast (paired with generous amounts of coffee, another rich source of antioxidants). What are your favorite foods and recipes that follow the Eat Pretty mantra? Leave a comment below.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.