Give your protein a little competition with these 5 ridiculously easy, not-boring vegetable side dishes. 

Brussel Sprouts w/ Dates & Pistachio

This sweet & crunchy recipe will make everyone fall in love with brussel sprouts. It’s the perfect side for grilled chicken, salmon, or any lean protein. Plus, it’s loaded with fiber and vitamins to fill you up and detox your body!

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 tsp. Olive Oil
• 1 lb brussel sprouts, quartered
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• ½ tsp maple syrup
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 4 dates, chopped
• ¼ cup pistachios, chopped  

Instructions

1. In a large pan over medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp. Olive oil, brussel sprouts, and salt. Saute for 15 minutes.
2. Let the brussels cook for five additional minutes without moving them so they get golden and crunchy!
3. Whisk 1 tsp. Olive oil, maple syrup, and lemon juice together in a mixing bowl. Toss in dates, pistachios, and then your cooked brussel sprouts. Mix to combine and serve!

Nutrition Facts

• Calories:  202
• Total fat: 8g
• Total carbs: 31g
• Total protein: 6g

Recipe inspired by: Tone It Up

3-Ingredient Sweet Potato Tater Tots

Everybody loves a good tot. These baked versions are still v-crispy, but hold back on the grease and fat that come with being fried. They’re loaded with sweet potato and zucchini, which are full of nutrients that speed up your metabolism.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 ½ cup shredded zucchini
• ½ tsp salt and pepper
• ½ cup almond flour

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and line your baking tray with aluminum foil. Pour almond flour onto a plate. Poke your sweet potatoes with a fork all over and wrap them individually in moist paper towels.  Microwave potatoes for about 5 minutes, then let them cool. Peel them and mash them in a bowl with a fork.
2. Wash and shred your zucchini onto a cheese cloth. Squeeze out the excess juice into the sink and add the zucchini to the sweet potato mash. Add salt and pepper and mix until totally combined.
3. Take small pieces of mixture to roll into tater tots and, one by one, roll them on all sides in the almond flour. Once completely coated, arrange them in lines on the lined baking tray.
4. Bake for 20 minutes at 400F. Then, take them out of the oven and use a spatula to flip the tots over to the other side. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown.
5. Let them cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving: 9 pieces

• Calories: 75
• Total fat: 6g
• Total carbs: 20g
• Total protein: 2g

Recipe credits to: The Big Man’s World

Mexican Cauliflower Rice 

Want to eat fewer carbs? Cauliflower is here to save the day. It looks like rice, tastes like rice, but is only 25 calories per cup (compared to rice, which has 206 calories per cup). Whichever way you spice it, cauliflower rice is a popular fit-foodie favorite.

Total Time: 10 minutes

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups cauliflower crumbles (the sell this in stop and shop now)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, small dice
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the onions, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Saute them for 2-3 minutes (until they’re tender).
2. Add garlic and cauliflower and saute for another two minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and all spices. Stir to coat the vegetables and cook for one more minute.
4. Add chopped cilantro. Serve!

Nutrition Facts

Yields 4 servings; Serving size: 1 cup

• Calories:  58
• Total fat: 1.5g
• Total carbs: 10g
• Protein: 3g

Recipe Credits: Skinnytaste

BBQ Turkey Wrapped Asparagus

Easy to prep? ✔️ Includes vegetables? ✔️. High in protein? ✔️. Unbelievably addictive like potato chips? ✔️✔️✔️

Ingredients

• 1 oz all-natural turkey meat
• 1 large asparagus spear
• 1/2 tsp BBQ sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Wash the asparagus then chop the blunt ends off
3. Wrap asparagus in one slice of turkey per spear.
4. Place them in a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat for 2 minutes to seal the turkey around the asparagus.
5. Place the cooked spears on a baking sheet. Brush them with your favorite bbq sauce.
6. Bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes & serve!

Nutritional Facts

Serving size: 1 spear

• Calories: 28
• Total fat: 1g
• Total carbs: 1g
• Total protein: 6g

Recipe credits to: Fit Men Cook

Orange Glazed Beets

If you're not typically a fan of this extremely earthy-tasting root vegetable, you might become a believer after this. You'll balance out beet's unapologetic healthiness with this sweet, buttery glaze. Beetroots are super high in an antioxidant that cleans out your liver, so maybe add these to your hangover menu, too. 

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grass-fed, unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups steamed cubed beets, 1/2- to 1-inch cubes

Instructions

1. Mix coconut sugar, orange juice, butter, salt and pepper in a large nonstick skillet.
2. Cook over medium heat until the sugar and butter are melted and bubbling.
3. Stir in beets and cover them in the glaze. Cook them for about 8 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the beets are evenly coated.
4. Serve!

Nutritional Facts

Serving size: ½ cup

• Calories: 74
• Total fat: 2g
• Total carbs: 14g
• Total protein: 2g

Recipe adapted from: Fitness Magazine