Trying to eat healthy in 2026? Get started with 3 new recipes

We are like well-trained puppies. Every January, as we turn the calendar to a new month and a new year, we make all kinds of promises. I will be a better person. I will slow down and pay attention. I will try to help those in need. I will spend less time on my phone and more time with books. I will, I will, I will.

But perhaps the most predictable resolution of all has to do with our diet. After months of eating rich food and baking, baking, baking and overindulging we “promise” to eat a healthier diet and pay attention to our calories, cholesterol, sodium, etc.

The thing about resolutions is that they are so easy to break. We are creatures of habit, and it takes more than turning the page on the calendar to get us to make substantial changes.

Americans’ eating habits are in need of a reset throughout much of the year. Pete Wells, the former restaurant critic for the New York Times, wrote recently about his quest to clean up his own diet and improve his health. Although many think being a restaurant critic sounds like a dream job, it turns out it’s not very good for your health.

“Although the way I used to feed myself was unconventional, the results of my years-long binge are all too typical,” he writes. “More than two out of five people in the United States have obesity. A third are prediabetic. One in 10 has Type 2 diabetes itself. Genes and other factors can play a role in these conditions, but the root problem for millions of us is that we have stopped eating sensibly. We stuff our stomachs with far more food than we need. No wonder about 12% of American adults say they have tried one of the GLP-1 medications for weight loss.”

I woke up one morning just after the New Year and noticed my jeans felt just a little too tight, and I realized I needed to clean up my act after a month of holiday food and drink. With that thought in mind, and a gentle reminder to go slow, incorporate more vegetables and fiber into my diet and not get down on myself when I find myself in front of richer, heavier food (it is winter after all), I present three new recipes that lighten things up a bit.

Keep in mind that eating healthier and paying attention to your diet does not mean you have to skimp on flavor. These three new recipes are a case in point. The fish is enhanced with miso paste, fresh ginger and sauteed spinach. The farro salad has textures, crunch and color. And the soup is full of vegetables and nutrient-rich collard greens.

The soup here is made with a homemade chicken stock (yes, you can use low-sodium canned or boxed stock), lots of shredded collard greens (or Swiss chard or kale), potatoes, carrots and shredded chicken. I made it for my daughter, who was battling a terrible sore throat and fatigue and she claimed it made her feel “SO much better!” Plus, it’s delicious and hearty and totally qualifies as a main course lunch or dinner.

The second dish is a hearty salad that can be a main course for lunch or dinner. It combines whole grain farro with fennel, oranges, almonds and chicken. And finally, a simple fish dish flavored with miso and fresh ginger on a bed of calcium-rich sauteed spinach.

I have found inspiration and many good recipes in a brand new book called “Mind Body Spirit Food: Adaptable Recipes and Grounding Meditations for Preparing Meals with Joy and Intention” by Nicki Sizemore.

Collard greens, chicken and vegetable soup

This soup is nourishing, comforting, and just plain delicious. It’s also quite straightforward. I highly recommend making your own chicken stock and chicken for this soup, but canned or boxed broth and pre-cooked chicken will work. Serve with a hearty winter salad.

You will have enough cooked chicken if you make the homemade stock for the soup and the farro salad.

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

For the chicken and chicken stock (optional):

• One 3½ to 4-pound chicken
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 3 stalks celery, cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, quartered
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• Salt
• 8 peppercorns

For the soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, dark green sections removed and discarded and light green and white sections cut lengthwise and then into thin slices, optional
• 1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large or 2 medium potatoes, like Yukon gold, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch Collard greens, Swiss chard or kale, about 1-pound, very thinly shredded with stems chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock (homemade, see above or low-sodium canned or boxed)
• 2 cups cooked chicken, thinly shredded or cubed

Instructions

1. Make the chicken stock and chicken (optional): add the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, a generous amount of salt and peppercorns and add enough cold water to just cover the chicken breast. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about an hour until the broth is flavorful and the chicken is tender and almost falling apart. Season to taste.
2. When slightly cool, remove the chicken and thinly slice or shred 2 cups of the cooked chicken and set aside. Alternatively, if using pre-cooked chicken, shred or thinly slice and set aside.
3. In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and leeks, if using. Cook, stirring, for 8 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes, salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded greens and cook for another 5 minutes, until the greens are slightly softened. Raise the heat to high, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another 30 minutes. The potatoes and carrots should be tender and the greens soft. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper as needed. If the soup tastes weak, raise the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.

Farro salad with fennel, oranges, almonds and chicken

Farro is a delicious, nutty whole grain that makes this salad hearty enough to be a main course for lunch or dinner. You can add any vegetables you have in your refrigerator and rely on leftover chicken (either from a roast, steamed or broiled chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken). If you’re a vegetarian, you can double the amount of vegetables or add your favorite goat or feta cheese. Don’t make the salad more than an hour or so ahead of serving. If you want to prepare it ahead of time, prep all the ingredients and toss just before serving.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

The salad:

• 1 cup farro
• Salt
• 1 cup fresh fennel bulb, cored and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fennel fronds (the dill-like tops of the fennel bulb), finely chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• About 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• About 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 large orange or 2 medium, peeled and cut into sections and then cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chives or parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cups cooked chicken, thinly sliced or shredded
• The orange-glazed Almonds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup thinly sliced or slivered almonds
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice (from the orange you zested)

Instructions

1. Cook the farro: Bring 6 cups well-salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the farro, stir and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft but still has a slight bite to it (what would be called al dente for pasta). Drain the farro.
2. Meanwhile, glaze the almonds: in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium or medium-low heat. Add the almonds, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Be sure not to let the almonds burn.  Add the orange zest and orange juice, raise the heat slightly and cook, stirring, until the almonds have absorbed the orange juice and look glazed. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Place the drained, still-warm farro in a large bowl. Stir in the fennel, fennel fronds and scallions. Add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of oil and gently toss. Add the orange sections, salt and pepper and half the chives. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice and oil if the salad tastes dry and salt and pepper if needed. Arrange the farro salad in the center of a serving bowl or plate and arrange the chicken on either side of it. Sprinkle with the remaining chives.

Miso cod on sauteed spinach

You can use any type of firm-fleshed fish filet for this simple weekday recipe. I used cod, but halibut, salmon, haddock, etc. will also work. Look for a light (white) miso paste so the fish doesn’t get overwhelmed.

Serves 2 to 3.

Ingredients

The spinach:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pound spinach or baby spinach
• Salt and pepper

The fish:

• 1 pound cod, salmon, haddock, halibut, or any firm-fleshed fish
• 2 teaspoons light miso paste
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• ¼ cup sake, mirin, or dry white wine
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook the spinach: In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir for 10 seconds. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted. It will continue to cook in the oven. Let cool.
3. Place the fish on top of the spinach. Using a spoon or your hands, spread the miso paste gently onto the surface of the fish. Sprinkle with the ginger (it’s fine if some spills out onto the spinach). Pour the sake or wine on top.
4. Place the fish in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes (it depends what type of fish you choose and the thickness of the filet). The fish should be around 140 to 145 degrees when tested with an instant-read thermometer in the thickness section and the flesh should be opaque and flake easily with a fork. Place under the broiler for about 2 to 3 minutes to give the fish a golden-brown finish. Serve with lemon wedges.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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