Weight Down Foods

Every December, I look forward to doing the tally on your favorite recipes of the year, our own culinary Oscars: the Healthy Hedonist awards.

Unlike movie season, the front runners usually emerge early in the year, when you’re spending more time searching for healthy recipes. And since I left my excel skills behind at my corporate cubical in 2009, I’m not savvy enough to weight the results according to how many months a recipe has been live.

(Calling all healthy hedonist mathematicians for a solution!)

Still, there are always interesting themes that emerge. This year (like last) you favored many a one-pan or pot meal–some vegan, many paleo, all perfect for a weeknight meal. In fact, I think every single one of your top recipes this year could be made start to finish using only one pat, pan or bowl.

The most surprising trend of this year was low FODMAP. Of course, I talked about it a lot, and since I was eating this way for most of the first half of the year, a lot of my recipes fell into this bucket. And yet, I didn’t know if you guys would like them.

Though I had written a few posts (like this recipe round-up, and these cooking tips) on low FODMAP cooking, I certainly hadn’t been cooking that way on the site before 2018 or labeling recipes accordingly. So I was seriously surprised that so many of the below favorites ended up being the low FODMAP recipes.

It either means you were more interested in this special diet than I thought, or the recipes were so delicious, you didn’t even notice. Either way, I count it as a huge WIN.

For those of you who want more of my low FODMAP recipes in a user-friendly (i.e. PRETTY) e-book, I’d highly recommend downloading my FREE cookbook: A Guide to Healthy, Low FODMAP Weeknight Meals. It includes 15 quick and easy dinner recipes, one of which I included in MY favorites of the year…which I’m also including as a special bonus below, since as much as I love you, I don’t always agree with you �

click here to download the free e-book

As for me, I’ll be in Paris and Amsterdam for the next week, reflecting on the last 12 months, eating my weight in gluten-free eclairs, and getting fully re-energized to hit the ground running with the 4 Weeks to Wellness program on January 14th. If you’re considering joining, make sure to do so before Jan 3rd if you want the early bird discount!

Happy New Year my healthy hedonists! You inspire me so much every day, and I can’t wait to keep feeding each other in 2018.

And make sure to tune into the blog on the 1st of the year for some updated health news and a very BIG special announcement…

With love, health and hedonism,

Phoebe

MY 5 FAVORITE RECIPES OF 2018

1. The Best Basic Bitch Kale Salad: After all the notes I’ve gotten from you about this salad, I couldn’t believe that the analytics did not turn out in its favor. So to set justice straight, and because I make this more than 90 percent of the recipes on this site, it reigns supreme on my list. 
2. Blackened Salmon Tacos with Cucumber Salsa: This quick weeknight favorite has everything going for it in one bite, and it’s low FODMAP to boot. It was one of the rare recipe experiments that I ate all 4 portions in one sitting as soon as the glamour shots were taken. And I wanted more. 
3. Baked Pumpkin French Toast: Not too sweet or sinful, and yet incredibly decadent, this is a French toast for the ages. I had to giveaway the pan to my neighbor so that what happened with the salmon tacos wouldn’t occur again. 
4. Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with No Cook Romesco Sauce: These grain-free meatballs are another favorite from my low FODMAP weeknight meal e-book. They were a complete savior when I was on the diet and so good, I still make them often. 
5. Provencal Chicken and Rice Casserole: I’m going to chalk it up to being published later in the year for why this one pan wonder didn’t top your list. It has everything going for it in the healthy comfort food department and couldn’t be easier.

YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES OF 2018

1. Green Ayurvedic Cleansing Kitchari 

2. One Pan Spicy Korean Chicken Thighs

3. Paleo Lemon Bars with Almond Flour Crust

4. Detox Red Beet Soup

5. Quick Thai Green Curry Chicken (Low FODMAP)

6. The Flu Busting Immune Boosting Green Smoothie

7. Easy Vegan Cream of Tomato Soup

8. Healthy Fish Taco Bowls with Mango and Avocado Slaw

9. Peri Peri Chicken Sheet Pan

10. Smashed Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps