With so many food blogs out there, it’s hard to know which ones are worth following, and which ones to take a pass on. While it’s possible to get a high quality recipe from several of the blogs out there, it’s nice to have a short list of reliable recipe providers so that you’re never short on ideas for a healthy meal to make. Our criteria for selecting these blogs were that they: a) must provide delicious recipes that use healthy ingredients, b) must be updated regularly with high quality content, and c) must have added value in the form of commentary and other information provided with each recipe.
These were some of our favorites, listed in no particular order. Be sure to add any that we missed in the comments at the bottom.
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This is one of our favorite healthy food blogs because it makes the point that you can eat to live and live to eat at the same time. This involves making foods that taste great and get you looking forward to your next meal, without setting you back on your healthy lifestyle.
As you can see they’re clever and very tasty sounding, subbing out unhealthy ingredients for healthy ones.
She covers all different types of meals and cooking styles, so you’re getting a little of everything with this blog, and there’s no specific diet that she’s following or adhering to, although she does borrow some principles from a few different diets, she’s simply cooking to live a healthy life.
Best part of the blog: She’s made a commitment to using fresh and unprocessed ingredients whenever she can, which means the meals she’s making are going to be that much better for you.
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Give yourself a serious upgrade by following the blogventures of Ari, a self-described foodie that successfully lost 75 pounds and has kept it off.
The blog itself is follows the path she’s taken, and you can see the progress she’s made if you go back to archived posts, you can see the difference. It can be a source of inspiration, and a testament to how much progress can be made in just one year’s time.
What’s great about her cooking is that she’ll take recipes that you might have thought were off limits if you’re trying to lose weight, and she’ll make the necessary adjustments so they’re actually good for you, but still taste like they should.
Best part of the blog: This blog is like getting the recipes right from the horse’s mouth, as Ari started documenting the recipes she was using during her successful weight loss process.
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The Spice Foodie is a way to cook up gourmet-caliber cuisine on your own that brings some spice back into your life.
Even though the dishes come out looking great, you’ll be pleased to note that she keeps the ingredients list to a minimum, and keeps the steps simple. She also provides helpful tips and insights in addition to the recipes.
She keeps the blog current with timely updates such as a wrap up of the year’s best recipes at the end of the year, and a list of healthy recipes to start off the new year right. And if you’ve ever thought of starting your own food blog she has a guide that will show you how to take better food pictures.
Best part of the blog: It’s a food blog for lovers of spicy things. These include not just peppery spices that make your mouth burn, but more exotic spices that don’t’ typically make a standard menu.
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This is a well-structured blog that even comes with its own “code” for self-improvement. Whether or not you subscribe to this code, the recipes she provides are really tasty, and the running commentary is worth the read.
Simple ingredients, simple instructions, and a focus on clean eating is what makes this food blog really special, and she keeps it well updated so you can expect to find a new recipe each day to try out and learn from.
Take the Cottage Cheese Breakfast Crepes recipe as an example and you’ll see that it provides a high protein, tasty start to the day without using any unhealthy ingredients.
Best part of the blog: There’s plenty of useful information that comes with the recipes, and she ties it all together nicely, generally adding a non sequitur to the recipe, but seguing nicely.
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Food blogging is about connecting with your audience, and Lauren does a good job of that thanks to the story that got her blogging in the first place. Her path of struggle and self-discovery is something we can all relate to, and is very relevant to food and health and feeling as good as you can.
We love it when food bloggers take the approach of making healthy meals taste good, because so many “diet recipes” miss the mark on taste in an effort to make them good for you.
Her recipes may lean to being a little more complicated than other blogs, with longer ingredient lists, but it’s worth the extra effort and she still sticks to using healthy items.
Best part of the blog: The wide range of recipe ideas makes this a blog you can come back to again and again for something new whenever you need it.
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The philosophy behind 24 Carrot Life is what first intrigued us: she wants to make decadent meals that are also easy to make using healthy, whole foods.
Even though the focus is on living a decadent lifestyle, it’s not all about desserts, there are recipes for all different types of dishes, including entrees, snacks, breakfasts, and more. You can get a wide assortment of recipe ideas all following the same basic philosophy.
We love that they’ve described the site as “A (mostly) healthy food blog.” because it shows that they’re keeping it pretty healthy, but also allowing for some wiggle room so that you can occasionally have a dish that tastes super good and doesn’t completely ruin your healthy eating ways.
Best part of the blog: These are some of the most approachable recipes we’ve seen, and she does a good job of providing extra suggestions and alternatives so you can tailor the recipe as you see fit.
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Two moms are behind this blog, so you know you’re going to get meals that are family approved and easy enough for a busy mom to make. They feature healthy meals as well as meals that can be assembled quickly and put in a Crock Pot for easy creation.
These are real meals, the kind you’ll love serving to your family, and you won’t have to worry if they’re getting enough nutrition from them. There are also plenty of recipes for appetizers, which is great if you like to entertain, and each recipe comes with a dose of wit and insight that you don’t commonly see in food blogs.
They seem to be updating every other day, so you won’t be bombarded by recipes, but you’ll still have a steady supply of them.
Best part of the blog: You can sign up with the site and have your own recipe box to collect your favorites and have them all stored in one place for easy reference.
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This is a great blog to follow whether or not you’re training for a triathlon. It was started by a triathlete and a former ski racer, so these meals are geared towards keeping you full of energy as well as getting you fit if you’re not there yet.
The recipes featured here are going to supply you with the fuel you need to live an active lifestyle, whether that means training for a marathon or getting through the workday.
Even though it’s called The Iron You they don’t expect everyone that follows the blog to complete an Ironman triathlon. The philosophy is that you should always strive to be the best version of yourself possible.
Best part of the blog: It has an equal focus on everything that goes into a healthy lifestyle, including nutrition, exercise, and the right mindset. It’s truly a one-stop blog for plenty of helpful information.
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It’s nice to get recipes from a dietitian, because you know they’ll be created with optimal health and nutrition right at the core. The recipes run the gamut of all types of meals so no matter if you’re looking for a main dish, breakfast, or dessert, you’ll find it here.
Many of the food blogs you’ll find are run by those that simply love food, and don’t have any formal training in what constitutes a healthy meal. While many times this is fine, it’s still refreshing to find recipes that are foundationally sound
Her recipes are timely and full of good information, and they don’t look like the types of food you’d expect to see a dietitian make. They actually look like meals you’d want to eat, which means you’ll end up making them more often and incorporating good practices into your cooking.
Best part of the blog: A registered dietitian shows you how to cook.
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Katy runs one of our favorite food blogs, and we like that she spends extra time on each post making it as helpful as it can be. There are really great pictures that help the creative process, even animated gifs that show the steps.
One aspect of her recipes that comes in handy is that she tries to make them as economically as possible, so you can enjoy the fun that comes from cooking and baking without worrying about how much it’s costing.
Even though it’s a relatively new blog, there are a bunch of recipes to pore over. She provides main course ideas, and has plenty of recipes that allow you to indulge your sweet tooth without subjecting your body to unhealthy ingredients.
Best part of the blog: You can easily adapt her recipes to fit whichever diet program you may be following, or just make them as shown for a healthy meal.
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If you like variety you’ll love following the Health Food Lover. It’s easy to love healthy foods when they’re prepared in such delicious ways. She provides different options with each recipe so you can tailor it to your needs.
This blog is special because it features recipes that are inspired by the Whole30 way off eating. This means that your meals will be free of gluten, sugar, grains, dairy, and other foods that can put a damper on your health. Not all of the recipes are Whole30, and she includes plenty of recipes that are gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and Paleo.
She provides plenty of helpful resources and even provides a place to start so you can get the most use out of the site.
Best part of the blog: whether or not you are following the Whole30 diet plan, Paleo, or simply want to go gluten-free, you can use these meals for healthy eating and plenty of energy throughout the day.
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Let’s finish off our list with two blogs that focus on the sweet stuff. The first up is Minimalist Baker, a blog dedicated to teaching you how to bake without making it super complicated, and with an attention to making baked goods healthy.
Taking a minimalist stance to cooking means that you’re only adding in the essential ingredients, and leaving out any fillers. This results in more natural foods being used, and opting for wholesome ingredients whenever possible.
It’s not all desserts. It’s full of recipes that are made in the oven as well as on the stove top. That means you’ll get pizza recipes, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, and even smoothies.
Best part of the blog: You can’t help but fall in love with a site that shows you how to make DIY Chili Cheese Fritos that aren’t bad for you.
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Katie does a great job of making sure you’ll never be in want of a dessert recipe again, and the great part is she is concentrating on making dessert healthy. If you always thought “healthy dessert” was an oxymoron, you owe it to yourself to check out what she’s doing.
You’ll find desserts on here with titles that will make you wonder how she made them healthy. Candy Bar Cupcakes, Homemade Twinkies, and Cookie Dough Ice Cream are just a sampling of desserts you can make at home, without adding inches to your waistline.
The ingredients she uses are very creative, and they all adhere to the principles of healthy eating, and the recipes are set up so that each part of the dessert is separated to keep things well-organized.
Best part of the blog: Tasty dessert selection that won’t torpedo your healthy eating.