28 Healthy Winter Recipes to Start Your New Year's Off Right (2024)

You know what I love about the new year? We all get so ambitious. We set goals that we actually feel confident that we are going to achieve that year.

And the great thing is, we can actually do it! A new year is a clean slate and a great time to turn things around that we know need to be changed in our lives.

So it isn’t uncommon that we want to get healthier with each passing year. A lot of times people want to lose weight. Other times, people just want to try to eat healthier foods.

Well, it seems winter time (when the new year starts) is a difficult time to start eating healthy. It is cold and not much grows during this season.

But I’ve found some of the best winter recipes that the internet can offer, and I’m going to put them all right here in one convenient location for you to browse through and get some great ideas to spur on your new year goals.

Healthy Winter Recipes for a Great Start to the New Year

Here is what I found:

1. Winter Berry and Citrus Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette

We all know that salads are usually healthy for us. They are loaded with lots of healthy lettuce which is vitamin rich.

Well, this salad also includes lots of delicious winter fruits that are in season and should be less expensive during this time of year as well. Also included, is a delicious recipe for a vinaigrette to set the salad apart.

Try this healthy winter recipe

2. Winter Vitamin Boosting Juice

I’ve had a cold all week. It has been a miserable week, especially when you have to function in spite of it. Which is why this juice is so important during the winter.

See, it includes parsley, carrots, celery, and apples. They are all loaded with Vitamin C, A, K, B, potassium, and calcium. These are nutrients that will certainly jumpstart a healthy lifestyle and hopefully keep you on track. Plus, it is all in an easy-to-drink juice.

Try this healthy winter recipe

3. Roasted Winter Veggie Power Bowl

This power bowl is filled with extremely healthy foods in a really delicious way. It has parsnips, beets, walnuts, cranberries, and avocados.

Then they are all tossed together with seasonings over a bed of crisp kale and finished off with a homemade dressing.

Try this healthy winter recipe

4. Healthy Sweet Potato Pancakes

We all get a craving for yummy pancakes every now and then. Why feel guilty when you decide to indulge in them?

Well, thanks to this recipe for sweet potato pancakes, you don’t have to. This recipe has sweet potato puree, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil in it. All of which are healthy ingredients to have in a recipe.

Try this healthy winter recipe

5. Brussel Sprouts Baked with Chicken and Walnuts

I love Brussel sprouts. I know when we were kids, most of us probably turned our noses up at them. But as I got older, I’ve learned to appreciate them, especially in a recipe like this one.

So you have Brussel sprouts tossed in cheese, Dijon mustard, and baked with chicken and walnuts. It is protein packed and looks wonderful.

Try this healthy winter recipe

6. Winter Citrus Butter Salmon

Salmon is filled with Omega-3’s, which are great for your overall heart health. Any winter recipe that highlights that has got to be a winner.

So when I saw this recipe, it included a homemade herbed butter that is drizzled over the salmon. Then I saw a citrus salad that went on top and that the star of the show was a blood orange, I knew I had to share this recipe.

Try this healthy winter recipe

7. Warm Quinoa, Sweet Potato, and Kale Salad

This salad looks absolutely delicious and satisfying on a cold winter day. Its base is warm quinoa which is a healthy grain.

Then you have seasonings, a sweet potato, some kale added to the mix, and then a homemade salad dressing which is orange juice based.

Try this healthy winter recipe

8. Winter Pear Salad

My husband is a huge fan of pears. He gets so excited because it is one fruit I’ll buy from the grocery store since we don’t have pear trees.

So when I saw this pear salad, I knew it would be a great way to get some added vitamins into my family’s mouths this winter. This salad is very simple with a bed of mixed greens, some pears, dried cranberries, and pecans.

Try this healthy winter recipe

9. Butternut Squash and Sage Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles

I’m not sure if you’ve heard or not, but ‘zoodles’ are all the rage. It is when you cut zucchini into spirals like noodles.

Well, this recipe includes both regular spaghetti noodles and zoodles too. It also has deliciously seasoned butternut squashed and lots of other seasonings added, for a flavorful and healthy dish.

Try this healthy winter recipe

10. Healthy Kale and Egg Breakfast Cups

Breakfast cups are a great way to start your day in a protein filled way. This recipe fits lots of healthy and delicious vegetables into one little egg cup.

But the most important aspect of the vegetables is probably the kale. Kale is a superfood that gives you lots of healthy vitamins which will give your immune system a swift kick in the pants.

Try this healthy winter recipe

11. Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach, and Goat Cheese

This recipe looks really delicious and really easy to fix too. Instead of regular pasta noodles, you prepare a spaghetti squash as the base of the dish.

Then you add salty bacon, seasoned spinach, and flavorful goat cheese to the top of the dish for a pow-wow in your mouth.

Try this healthy winter recipe

12. Easy Kale Soup

There is no hiding it. I’m a soup girl. I love the ease of it, and I also love how you can pack so many flavors and healthy ingredients into one easy dish.

So when I saw this kale soup recipe that also includes potatoes and a healthy broth too, I knew it could be just what a warm winter night called for.

Try this healthy winter recipe

13. Winter Vegetable Gratin

I love vegetable au gratin. It is delicious to have your favorite vegetables baked and covered in cheese. Which is why I instantly fell in love with this recipe.

So they take a mix of winter vegetables, like Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and leeks. Then cover them with a cheese sauce and breadcrumbs. When baked, they are ready to indulge and look absolutely delicious.

Try this healthy winter recipe

14. Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese

This recipe looks so delicious yet is so simple. You have a butternut squash that has been halved and is prepared to be stuffed.

Then you stuff it with peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and nuts. Then top it with goat cheese and bake for a delicious meal.

Try this healthy winter recipe

15. Pumpkin, Spinach, and Walnut Spaghetti

A lot of people love spaghetti dishes because they are fast and easy. Did you know that they can be healthy too?

Well, if you add wheat pasta, then top it with cooked cubed pumpkin and spinach. Finally, finish the dish off with walnuts, and you have a healthy meal in a flash.

Try this healthy winter recipe

16. Winter Squash Soup

There is a variety of squash that grows during the winter. They are heartier vegetables and can be used in lots of different ways.

So why not use winter squash in a soup to warm your insides on a cold day? Thanks to this delicious recipe that highlights winter squash, you can.

Try this healthy winter recipe

17. Carrot Ginger Soup with Oregano Croutons

This soup is a healthy vegan option for people who want a delicious soup this winter without the meat or animal products.

Plus, it also comes with a tasty recipe for croutons that are flavored with oregano. It is a delicious and healthy option to stay warm this winter.

Try this healthy winter recipe

18. Homemade Beef Stew

There is something very comforting about beef stew. It is thick, rich, and yet still creamy and packed with lots of healthy options.

So if you want a healthy comfort food, then you’ll love this recipe. It contains beef and your basic comforting vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes all in a rich and thick broth.

Try this healthy winter recipe

19. Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Quinoa Salad

This salad is warm, delicious, and pretty easy to throw together. The base for the salad is the cubed butternut squash.

Then it has some cooked quinoa thrown on top of it. Finally, it is finished off with goat cheese and some olive oil with balsamic vinaigrette.

Try this healthy winter recipe

20. Winter Fruit Salad

I absolutely love fruit salad. Which is why this recipe excited me so much because I saw how delicious and colorful it was.

So if you don’t know, it is a good idea to eat a variety of colors in your diet because usually the more colorful the more nutrients you are getting. This recipe is loaded with lots of colorful citrus fruits so you should be getting lots of vitamins you need to stay healthy over winter.

Try this healthy winter recipe

21. Heart Healthy Turkey Chili

Do you love to eat chili during the winter, but you worry about how healthy it is for you? Well, you don’t have to anymore.

Instead, enjoy this recipe that includes turkey, bell peppers, beans, and tomatoes all in a hearty soup. It is sure to warm you up and satisfy your craving for chili without feeling guilty over it later.

Try this healthy winter recipe

22. Crunchy Winter Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

About halfway through winter, I’m over warm dishes. I always love my soup, but I start missing spring and the freshness it brings.

Well, when you get those wintertime blues, this salad is sure to pull you through. It is filled with that crunch that springtime normally brings since the salad is made of a bed of lettuce, radishes, apples, walnuts, and gouda cheese. Plus, it has a homemade dressing to go over it too.

Try this healthy winter recipe

23. Easy Winter Kale and Quinoa Salad

If you haven’t noticed, some of the go-to staples for healthy and fresh winter ingredients are kale and quinoa. Which is what makes this salad so great.

So you’ll toss a bed of kale on the plate, add some quinoa, and then finish it off with dried cranberries and nuts. Also, it includes an apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard dressing as well.

Try this healthy winter recipe

24. Creamy Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry

Do you love Thai food? Are you worried you may have to for-go it in order to live a healthier lifestyle?

Well, fear no more. This curry recipe is centered around delicious (and in season) butternut squash. So the next time you crave curry, reach for this recipe.

Try this healthy winter recipe

25. Detox Immune-Boosting Soup

Do you like to detox your body of the harmful toxins it comes in contact with on a daily basis? Would you like to do this while giving your immune systems a kick in the pants?

Well, then you need to try this simple recipe. It has kale, carrots, chicken, and mushrooms all in a healthy broth.

Try this healthy winter recipe

26. Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

When I decide to eat healthier, I have a hard time giving up comfort dishes like lasagna. Which is why I was so glad to find this recipe.

So it allows me to still have the comfort of lasagna, only it is filled with healthier items like butternut squash and spinach.

Try this healthy winter recipe

27. Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Potato Soup

This recipe is super simple and filled with lots of fresh and healthy ingredients. So don’t think that you’ll have to ditch your potato soup in an effort to get healthy.

In fact, you can add it to your healthy eating list and also add it to your easy eating list. You just toss the few ingredients in this recipe into a slow cooker, and you are off and running in no time.

Try this healthy winter recipe

28. Winter Minestrone Soup

Minestrone soup is one of those comfort foods that you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in on a cold day.

So when you feel the need to warm up with a comforting dish, pull out this recipe for minestrone soup, and you’ll be full and warm in no time.

Try this healthy winter recipe

Well, you now have 28 different recipes to choose from this winter to start off your healthier new year on the right foot.

But I want to hear from you now. What are some of your favorite healthy dishes to indulge in over the cold winter months?

We love hearing from you so leave us your comments in the space provided below.