Okay, so you’ve made the connection that what you eat has a massive impact on your health. Now what?
“Do I have to give up all of my favorite foods?”
“How can I be healthy without sacrificing my joy for eating?”
I have very much been there.
Being healthy doesn't mean depriving yourself of good food. Click To Tweet
Quite the opposite.
When we choose to prepare healing recipes, they nourish us on a whole other level. Our meals are not just feeding us physically – they are feeding us on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level.
Think of how you used to feel after eating a big plate of traditional mac and cheese or a steak dinner with french fries and beer. Did you feel your best?
When we eat foods that nourish us, we open the door to our best selves.
And beyond all of that, healthy food CAN and SHOULD taste delicious! Click To Tweet
I’ve created a post highlighting some of my top 16 healing recipes. These dishes each mean something very special to me and are mouth-wateringly good.
I hope you’ll find inspiration to jumpstart your list of healing recipe staples so you never get bored with giving your body the best you can.
MY TOP 16 HEALING RECIPES
Coconut, Purple Cabbage, and Sweet Potato Soup
Whether you’re looking for a comforting bowl of soup to warm you during the colder months or a delicious burst of color to spice up your spring and summer meals, this dish will be a hit.
Combining nerve-soothing and mineral-rich sweet potatoes with the antioxidant powerhouse of red cabbage, this soup will feed your immune system, counteract stress, boost your brain power, and give you something beautiful to look at all at once!
Creamy Mushroom Pasta (vegan)
Pasta is one of the classic comfort foods, and almost all of us grew up with staple pasta dishes. It can also be one of the most challenging go-to meals to replace when we remove problem foods like gluten, eggs, and dairy from our diets.
This dish will satisfy your pasta craving without sacrificing your health. It may not pack as much healing punch as other recipes on this list, but it’s a healthy crowd-pleaser when hosting family or friends looking for something tasty and familiar.
Grain-Free Coconut Garlic Naan
Naan is one of my all-time top childhood favorite foods. Traditionally made with grain flour and baked in a tandoor clay oven, this Indian flatbread is a must in my home, so I was determined to find a way to create a healthy version.
Using simple ingredients – all healing foods – this homemade naan will wow your family and friends, whether it’s a familiar staple for them or something new. Use this as a perfect wrap for roasted vegetable curries, baked falafel, or a herb and veggie mixture.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is classic American comfort food, but it doesn’t have to be unhealthy. This mac and cheese incorporates gluten-free pasta options with glucose and mineral-rich butternut squash and chlorophyll-rich peas. The cashew sauce base is linked here.
Busy moms and dads will rejoice at the ease and simplicity of this healing dish, with only five ingredients. And kids will be shocked at how delicious eating their vegetables can be.
Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
Something I wrestled with as a mom of three is my kids’ lunches. Health-conscious parents worldwide work extra hard to send their kids to school with yummy foods that are good for them (and won’t get raised eyebrows from other kids).
Light and flavorful, these sandwiches are perfect for the lunchbox and a beautiful addition to a summer picnic basket.
Eggplant Dip (fat-free)
When healing, it is important to lessen dietary fats, which can hinder the recovery of the liver and brain. This can mean cutting back on favorite foods like guacamole, nut butters, oils, cheese, ice cream, and other animal products.
Growing up, babaganoush – the middle eastern eggplant dish with oil and tahini – was one of my favorite dishes. I couldn’t handle fats during the height of my illness, so I created this fat-free version to be just as delicious as the original recipe.
Homemade Fruit Leather
Giving kids a simple healthy snack to take on the go can be challenging, which is why I love this recipe. Easy to make and delicious to eat, my three girls love sharing this homemade treat with their friends. And I can relax knowing no hidden ingredients are going into their bodies.
My Favorite Cashew Cheese Recipe
Cheese can be one of the hardest foods to give up when eating more healthfully. High in cholesterol and unproductive fats, cheese can hinder healing. That doesn’t mean we have to go without!
Cashew-based cheeses are a wonderfully satisfying alternative with that familiar creamy texture and the ability to take on multiple flavors. I’ve been making this recipe for over 15 years as a base for dips and sauces and as a cheese substitute, and it always disappears faster than I think is possible!
Muneeza’s Date and Walnut Cake
Who doesn’t love cake? Especially without the guilt! I’ve adapted my mother’s traditional recipe using healing ingredients to provide a rich and comforting slice of what I think of as home.
Let it satisfy your sweet tooth, and forget feeling bad about that extra piece!
Quick and Easy Cauliflower Rice
Sometimes we just need something fast, easy, and cheap. This recipe checks every box yet lacks no flavor. And for those healing on a budget, this recipe is perfect.
For a more substantial meal, cook up millet or quinoa to serve mixed in or on the side.
Pakistani Potato Masala
Sometimes we all need a little spice in our lives, and this traditional dish will not disappoint! Simple, clean, and satisfying, you can pair this versatile meal with wraps, with my coconut garlic naan, with a gluten-free grain, with a simple salad, or just enjoy it on its own!
With so much flavor and so little prep time, you’ll want to make this a staple recipe in your household. Feel free to tweak the spice levels to your and your family’s taste!
Rayyaan’s Ramen Recipe
My three daughters are a constant source of learning and inspiration for me. I LOVE when they want to get into the kitchen and create something of their own, so I had to share this beautiful ramen recipe from my second-eldest!
With healthy millet ramen noodles and plenty of mineral-rich veggies, this homemade soup will warm you in winter and give you a lite comfort food option in summer. We love a good noodle dish in our family and never tire of Rayyan’s creation!
Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Caramelized Onions
I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen friends and family enjoy this staple appetizer, from casual to the most refined restaurant menus. There’s a reason this warm and comforting dip catches our attention, and it’s easy to prepare as a healing recipe!
Trade the cheese for a cashew and potato-based sauce and topping, and you’re left with plenty of healing power from miraculous artichokes (a thyroid and liver superstar) and life-giving spinach. Serve with your favorite gluten-free baked chips or my za’atar pita crackers below, and watch it disappear in minutes!
Za’atar Pita Crackers (gluten-free)
Everyone loves a good cracker. That satisfying crunch paired with the perfect blend of herbs and spices and a good dip is pure bliss. Yet it’s getting more difficult to find grocery store options that don’t have hidden toxins like MSG (aka, “natural flavors”) or canola oil. So I devised a recipe my family and I could enjoy without worrying or sacrificing any good stuff.
If you’ve never tried za’atar, you’ll thank me after the smell of this traditional spice blend fills your house as these beautiful crackers bake. Serve with your favorite dips or my fat-free eggplant dip, or silky smooth homemade hummus!
Dill Cream Cheese
I love the creative challenge of replicating the taste and texture of familiar dishes with healing whole-food ingredients, and I’m especially proud of this cashew-based dill cream cheese.
This dip pairs perfectly with my za’atar pita crackers above and spreads beautifully onto a slice of grain-gree nutty bread. You’ll never miss the herb cream cheese you used to buy!
Delicious Homemade Sorbets!
Fresh fruit sorbets are a beautiful way to provide your body with some of Nature’s most powerful nutrition – raw fruits!
Each of these sorbet recipes (Pineapple Coconut, Mango, and Strawberry) has immune-boosting, skin-restoring, and liver-strengthening properties and will not leave anything desired in the flavor department. Who needs heavy ice cream with these around?
THE POWER OF FOOD
What we eat defines us in so many ways.
We identify foods with memories, family, moments during travel, and more.
When we change what we eat, it can feel like we have to change a piece of who we are, and if we are leaving behind foods we know don’t serve our health, it’s like losing a part of ourselves.
What I’ve discovered is that special dishes have a soul.
The ingredients may change, but the soul of the dish remains. This is why I’ve shared recipes close to my heart – recipes I’ve adapted to a healing lifestyle.
Sure, I’ve changed the type of flour or removed the fats, but I still connect to these dishes as I did while growing up.
I hope you will find inspiration here to add to your recipe list, and you might even approach familiar recipes you’ve left behind with ideas about how to adapt them to your healing needs.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU MOVE FORWARD
I’ve created a library of free resources to support your healing. This FREE Meal Planner is a great place to start, with valuable tips on making your healing lifestyle as easy as possible.
So many of us start our healing journeys with food due to digestive problems. If you’ve experienced bloating, IBS, chronic gas, colitis, Chron’s disease, or constipation, and you’d like to dive deeper into how to reset your gut health, I’d love to support you through my Better Gut Masterclass.
I’ve also collected some of my favorite original recipes in my Chutneys and Sauces Recipe eBook, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Underdog Warriors, a nonprofit supporting people suffering from chronic illness. For only $7.77, you receive 12 of my best chutney and sauce recipes to add flavor and variety to your healing meals!
Finally, I would be honored to welcome you into my Intuitive Healing Community (IHC) membership program. For just $67 per month, you can access monthly teaching calls where we examine top health topics like Women’s Health, Mental Health, Addiction, Eating Disorders, and more.
Our membership Forum allows you to ask questions about your individual health challenges or goals, and my team and I post responses. We also have monthly challenges, giveaways, group meditations, prayer calls, and a massive BONUS library for all members.
My life’s mission is to help positively transform the health of as many people as possible.
I’m so glad you’re here, I hope to be able to serve you, and I wish you abundant well-being.
To your health and peace,
Muneeza
