Lighter Eating – Paula Deen https://www.pauladeen.com Looking for Paula Deen recipes? Paula Deen has a recipe for every appetite and every occasion! Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:08:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 Plant Based Dinner Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/plant-based-dinner-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/plant-based-dinner-recipes/#respond Mon, 02 May 2022 19:00:32 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=185736 These plant based dinner recipes are good for you and taste great, y’all! Plant-based is a trendy buzzword in the health community and for good reason! Having a plant based diet means that all or most of your diet comes from fruit and vegetables, not animal-derived sources, leading to a lower fat, higher fiber diet […]

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These plant based dinner recipes are good for you and taste great, y’all! Plant-based is a trendy buzzword in the health community and for good reason! Having a plant based diet means that all or most of your diet comes from fruit and vegetables, not animal-derived sources, leading to a lower fat, higher fiber diet that also has positive environmental effects.

If you’re considering moving towards a plant based diet or even just reducing your intake of meat and seafoods, these plant based dinner recipes may provide a little inspiration to your meal planning.

While salads are naturally great options as plant based dinner recipes, there are also great plant based soup recipes and plant based side dishes on our list that elevate any meal. From veggie chili to hearty couscous recipes, these plant based recipes are as healthy as they are filling and delicious!

Will you be making any of these plant based dinner recipes? Have you already switched to a plant based diet? We’d love to hear from you!

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Healthy Vegetarian Casserole Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-vegetarian-casserole-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-vegetarian-casserole-recipes/#respond Tue, 26 Apr 2022 13:30:14 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=185651 These healthy vegetarian casserole recipes are a wonderful addition to your recipe repertoire, whether you’re looking to go full vegetarian or just enjoy the occasional meatless meal. More and more people are enjoying a meat-free or limited-meat lifestyle these days. Not only is a vegetarian diet good for your heart health, it can also help […]

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These healthy vegetarian casserole recipes are a wonderful addition to your recipe repertoire, whether you’re looking to go full vegetarian or just enjoy the occasional meatless meal.

More and more people are enjoying a meat-free or limited-meat lifestyle these days. Not only is a vegetarian diet good for your heart health, it can also help prevent type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, and promote bone health.

From vegetarian breakfast casseroles to easy vegetarian casseroles for dinner, Paula has a surprising selection of healthy vegetarian casserole recipes, like a Mediterranean Cauliflower Casserole and a delicious pasta-less Eggplant Lasagna recipe.

Do you have some healthy vegetarian casserole recipes that you love? We’d love the recipes! Feel free to share them in the comments below!

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Healthy Pork Chop Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-pork-chop-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-pork-chop-recipes/#respond Fri, 22 Apr 2022 20:28:19 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=185608 Today is all about healthy pork chop recipes, y’all! There are a million ways to cook pork chops, and while many people jump to fried or breaded pork chops or pork chops smothered in gravy, today we thought we’d share some healthy pork chop recipes that feature plenty of veggies. After all, a pork chop […]

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Today is all about healthy pork chop recipes, y’all! There are a million ways to cook pork chops, and while many people jump to fried or breaded pork chops or pork chops smothered in gravy, today we thought we’d share some healthy pork chop recipes that feature plenty of veggies. After all, a pork chop is naturally a leaner cut of meat, so let’s embrace it!

Ok, let’s address the elephant in the room—we know what you’re thinking. “Pork chops are tough!” “Pork chops are dry!” Well, not anymore, folks! These healthy pork chop recipes are not your grandmama’s pork chops. Years ago, the direction on this classic weeknight dinner was to cook pork all the way through to avoid getting trichinosis. But that “wisdom” has been debunked! Now you should just aim for an internal temperature of 145˚F. We highly recommend using a meat thermometer because pork chops can be very easy to overcook, which is what can cause them to be dry and tough. Once you cook these healthy pork chop recipes to the correct temperature, you may be surprised at just how succulent a pork chop can be!

Does your family love a good pork chop? What’s your favorite way to eat them? Will you be skipping the fried pork chops for one of these healthy pork chop recipes? Let us know all that and more in the comments below.

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Healthy Pork Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-pork-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-pork-recipes/#respond Fri, 22 Apr 2022 18:12:22 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=185597 It’s time to make room in your recipe box for healthy pork recipes, y’all. Eating healthy can be expensive, but one way to cut costs a bit is to pick a more economical protein source, like pork. Bonus? It’s also a lean source of protein! You’ll find these recipes feature various cuts of pork, which […]

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It’s time to make room in your recipe box for healthy pork recipes, y’all. Eating healthy can be expensive, but one way to cut costs a bit is to pick a more economical protein source, like pork. Bonus? It’s also a lean source of protein!

You’ll find these recipes feature various cuts of pork, which all taste totally different! That’s one of our favorite things about pork—the cut changes the taste and texture entirely. It’s hard to believe they come from the same place! Plus, the recipes we’re sharing today include little to no added sugars, which is an important factor in making these healthy pork recipes, well, healthy.

All you need to pair with these recipes with pork are your favorite vegetable side dishes for a healthy, well-rounded meal. You can even add some veggies to a sheet pan with your pork for a great one-pot wonder—just be sure to roast everything in stages (your pork will take longer than potatoes, which take longer than most other veggies).

Will you be trying any of these healthy pork recipes? Let us know in the comments below which you’re most excited to try!

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Healthy Chicken Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-chicken-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-chicken-recipes/#respond Thu, 21 Apr 2022 18:35:27 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=185582 While we love a good down-home Southern recipe, we also try to keep an eye on what we’re eating to ensure our diets are balanced and overall healthy. When it comes to eating lighter, we love healthy chicken recipes because they go over well with everyone in the family and are generally pretty easy to […]

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While we love a good down-home Southern recipe, we also try to keep an eye on what we’re eating to ensure our diets are balanced and overall healthy. When it comes to eating lighter, we love healthy chicken recipes because they go over well with everyone in the family and are generally pretty easy to prepare.

Chicken is, naturally, a healthy option in the kitchen as it is a lean protein source, meaning it’s not an overly fatty protein option. Living in the South, we tend to get a reputation for enjoying our chicken prepared one way—with a Southern Fried Chicken recipe—and that’s far from the truth! Like everywhere else, chicken is a staple in our kitchens because it’s very versatile, so our recipe box has no shortage of healthy Southern chicken recipes, including some heart-healthy chicken recipes, like this Grilled Chicken with Rhubarb Salsa.

Just take a peek at our collection of recipes below for a taste of the wonderful healthy chicken dinner recipes the Deen Family has to offer! Do you have some great easy healthy chicken recipes to share with us, too? We’d love to hear ‘em! Leave them in the comments below. Happy (healthy) eating!

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Southern Healthy Vegetarian Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/southern-healthy-vegetarian-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/southern-healthy-vegetarian-recipes/#respond Thu, 07 Apr 2022 18:23:36 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=185441 We thought we’d share some southern healthy vegetarian recipes that are deliciously flavorful and satisfying for our meatless friends out there. When you hear that someone is vegetarian, your first assumption is that they must be healthy! And while many are, if vegetarians aren’t careful, it can be very easy to replace meat with bread, […]

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We thought we’d share some southern healthy vegetarian recipes that are deliciously flavorful and satisfying for our meatless friends out there.

When you hear that someone is vegetarian, your first assumption is that they must be healthy! And while many are, if vegetarians aren’t careful, it can be very easy to replace meat with bread, pasta, and other starches. So, that’s why we compiled our favorite healthy vegetarian recipes to make it easy!

From light snacks and nutritious breakfasts to easy vegetarian dinner recipes, like veggie burgers, zucchini boats, and healthy vegetarian side dishes, there are plenty of recipes to try out whether you live a meat-free life or just prefer to enjoy an occasional meatless meal. Even if you’re a self-proclaimed carnivore (we’re actually omnivores by nature), you may enjoy having these healthy vegetarian recipes. After all, we could certainly all use more vegetables in our lives and passing on eating meat for some meals won’t hurt us one bit.

Are you a vegetarian or do you just enjoy the occasional healthy vegetarian dinner recipe? Let us know in the comments below, along with your favorite healthy vegetarian recipes.

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Healthy Ground Beef Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-ground-beef-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/healthy-ground-beef-recipes/#respond Tue, 05 Apr 2022 10:21:32 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=185359 We’re always looking for easy healthy recipes, and it doesn’t get much easier than a quick ground beef recipe, so we were bound and determined to pull together some healthy ground beef recipes that will be easy to make and delicious to eat. An easy way to make ground beef recipes healthy, or at least […]

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We’re always looking for easy healthy recipes, and it doesn’t get much easier than a quick ground beef recipe, so we were bound and determined to pull together some healthy ground beef recipes that will be easy to make and delicious to eat.

An easy way to make ground beef recipes healthy, or at least healthier, is to choose a lean or extra-lean ground beef option instead of a fattier ground beef. This will automatically cut down on some fat and calories. We love taking classic recipes and finding ways to lighten them up—a skill we learned from both Paula and Bobby.

When compiling these healthy ground beef recipes, we took a page (and some recipes!) out of Paula’s lightened up cookbook, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, to find recipes with some lighter substitutions. It’s amazing how a few small changes can make a big difference, isn’t it?

Do you have some favorite healthy ground beef recipes? We’d love to hear them. Feel free to share your recipes with us in the comments below. In the meantime, happy (and healthy) eating, friends!

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A Dozen Healthy Side Dishes https://www.pauladeen.com/a-dozen-healthy-side-dishes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/a-dozen-healthy-side-dishes/#respond Fri, 26 Feb 2021 11:03:54 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=176985 Who else could always use more delicious healthy side dish recipes? We know we sure can! A lot of us are in need of low-carb recipes or nutrient-packed dishes, so we’ve found recipes that will fit the bill! While we all know how to dress up a chicken with some herbs, we don’t always know […]

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Who else could always use more delicious healthy side dish recipes? We know we sure can! A lot of us are in need of low-carb recipes or nutrient-packed dishes, so we’ve found recipes that will fit the bill!

While we all know how to dress up a chicken with some herbs, we don’t always know how to dress up our veggies. That’s why we’re sharing side dish recipes that are as healthy as they are delicious. Plus, these recipes use an array of veggies, because we should keep our diets diverse to live long & healthy diets. As they say, we need to be eating the rainbow!

We’ve pulled together a dozen of our favorite healthy side dish recipes, and we think you’ll really like them. Whether you’re nuts about broccoli or crazy for carrots, you’re sure to find a few recipes that will make it into your family’s regular mealtime rotation.

What are your go-to healthy side dish recipes? Let us know in the comments section below!

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9 Paula Deen Air Fryer Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/9-paula-deen-air-fryer-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/9-paula-deen-air-fryer-recipes/#comments Fri, 22 May 2020 10:09:01 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=170604 Air frying has taken the world by storm and for good reason! It’s a great way to enjoy our favorite southern fried foods without all the guilt, oil, and added calories. Of course, you can do more than air fry in Paula’s air fryer, which we love. You can bake and roast, too! So in […]

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Air frying has taken the world by storm and for good reason! It’s a great way to enjoy our favorite southern fried foods without all the guilt, oil, and added calories.

Of course, you can do more than air fry in Paula’s air fryer, which we love. You can bake and roast, too! So in those toasty summer months, we like to use it in lieu of cranking up our oven. Who needs a hotter house, right? Seriously though, we can cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner in an air fryer—dessert too! It’s the most versatile gadget in our kitchens right now.

Since we love it so much, we thought we’d share some delicious air fryer recipes that we adore, including Air Fryer Crispy Red Pepper Jelly Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Stuffed with Prosciutto and Fontina, and Air Fryer Cannolis—yum! What are your favorite air fryer recipes? We’d love to hear them in the comments below!

Don’t have an air fryer yet? Pick up Paula’s biggest version of her Paula Deen Air Fryer here.

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9 Paula Deen Cuts the Fat Healthy Southern Recipes https://www.pauladeen.com/9-paula-deen-cuts-the-fat-healthy-southern-recipes/ https://www.pauladeen.com/9-paula-deen-cuts-the-fat-healthy-southern-recipes/#comments Fri, 03 Jan 2020 11:00:30 +0000 https://www.pauladeen.com/?p=161325 Y’all know I love Southern cooking. It’s hearty and comforting, and in my opinion, there’s no food better than Southern food. Of course, Southern food isn’t always the healthiest option, as us Southern cooks love to cook with cheese, mayonnaise, lard, and, yes, butter. A lot of us are trying to eat healthier these days […]

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Y’all know I love Southern cooking. It’s hearty and comforting, and in my opinion, there’s no food better than Southern food. Of course, Southern food isn’t always the healthiest option, as us Southern cooks love to cook with cheese, mayonnaise, lard, and, yes, butter.

A lot of us are trying to eat healthier these days so that we can live longer, more active lives to be around for our children and grandchildren as long as possible. But we also still want to enjoy our food. I’d be lying if I said I never ate fried chicken or mac & cheese anymore, but I don’t always go for the full version. In 2015, I released a book, Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, with 250 lightened up recipes, including plenty of healthy Southern recipes, like Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes, Pecan-Crusted Chicken Thighs, and Southern Potatoes Gratiné.

If you’re looking for healthy Southern recipes, look no further. I’ve got ‘em for you right here.

Love & best dishes,

Paula

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