Welcome to the latest blog roundup, where I’m diving into the world of Optavia Lean and Green recipes! If you’re on a journey towards a healthier lifestyle and looking for delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare meals, you’re in the right place.
Optavia Lean and Green meals are designed to help you stay on track with your weight loss goals while enjoying a wide array of mouthwatering dishes. In this roundup, I’ve scoured the web for the most innovative and flavorful recipes that will tantalize your taste buds, keep you feeling satisfied, and ensure you maintain your progress on the Optavia plan. Whether you’re a seasoned Optavia enthusiast or just starting out, get ready to explore a collection of recipes that will make your Lean and Green mealtime a true culinary adventure!
If you’re new to Optavia, a Lean & Green meal includes 5 to 7 ounces of cooked, lean protein, three servings of non–starchy vegetables, and up to two servings of healthy fats, depending on your lean protein choices.
1. Lean and Green Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Buffalo Chicken is a classic combo, and it makes this lean and green meal creamy and delicious. Chicken is paired with low-fat cream cheese and cauliflower florets. The cauliflower bulks up the meal and takes on the buffalo flavor. Casseroles are easy too, so it’s a great recipe for meal prep.
2. Lean and Green Taco Bake
You don’t have to miss out on Taco Tuesday with this lean and green taco bake. You can enjoy the day along with everyone else (just skip the margarita!). Lean turkey keeps this dish healthy while taco seasoning and a blend of cheeses add a good dose of flavor.
3. Quick Sausage Alfredo with Broccoli and Zucchini Noodles
You won’t mind a bowl of veggies if it’s covered in alfredo sauce! This Alfredo sauce is low in calories and counts as 2 sauces for your Lean and Green meal. It coats the broccoli, sausage, and zucchini noodles perfectly, so you feel like you’re eating a decadent pasta dish.
4. Cheesy Taco Vegetable Skillet
Another way to make a taco-inspired Lean and Green meal is this Cheesy Taco Vegetable Skillet. Fresh veggies like kale and bell peppers are cooked down with lean ground beef, and covered in reduced-fat cheddar cheese. This dish might even save you some room for chips and salsa! Wouldn’t that be a dream?!
5. Jalapeno Popper Chicken Salad
Once you taste this chicken salad, you won’t believe that it fits as a Lean and Green meal! It’s creamy which is what you want from a chicken salad. The pickled jalapenos and onions add a bite of flavor you need when using reduced-fat cheeses. It makes a great lettuce wrap.
6. Lean and Green Zucchini Pizza Casserole
If you’ve got a load of zucchini from a neighbor’s garden, this is the recipe you need to make to use it all up. This Zucchini Pizza casserole is full of veggies but coated with melty cheese. It’ll become a Lean and Green staple in your house. You can even serve it to your kids!
7. Ranch Cheddar Burgers
Thankfully, we now have a delicious sugar-free barbeque sauce thanks to G-Hughes. It’s perfect if you want to keep things healthy and low-carb. It takes these ranch cheddar burgers from an ordinary burger to a tasty BBQ one. Pair these burgers with a cauliflower flatbread bun, and you’ve got a fun Lean and Green meal!
8. Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
This slow cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken has a secret ingredient and it is KEY for a delicious pulled chicken. Diet Root Beer adds a depth of flavor that you won’t get from just crockpot chicken. And it doesn’t add any calories! Prep this chicken and you can use it throughout the week for a variety of different meals.
9. Grilled Caesar Bacon Salad
You may be eating a lot of salads on Optavia to get in your greens, but there’s no reason to not make them taste amazing. This grilled Caesar bacon salad looks and tastes like a restaurant salad. It’ll help you feel like you’re not actually on a diet. It’s a great summertime meal.
10. Shrimp Piccata Spaghetti
Shrimp is a fantastic lean meat to have while on Optavia, and seasoning it with some scampi seasoning and lemon oil makes it taste even better. Paired with zucchini noodles and capers, you’ve got a mock pasta dish. It’s filling, lean and green! Because it’s so simple to make, it can easily become a meal prep staple.
11. Lean and Green Blackened Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Blackened Shrimp Lettuce Wraps are fantastic even if you’re not on a diet. Shrimp cooks very quickly, so you can have this whole meal done in about 10 minutes. You can whip these up for lunch or for a light dinner. The flavors really shine through since it’s so simple.
12. Garlic and Citrus Turkey with Mixed Greens
Another lettuce wrap option for the Lean and Green lifestyle is Garlic and Citrus Turkey. Lean ground turkey is cooked with roasted garlic oil for a healthy fat, and some scampi seasoning to create a healthy filling for your lettuce wraps. It’s a delicious way to eat turkey.
13. Optavia Lean and Green Cheeseburger Pie
This lightened-up version of cheeseburger pie combines lean ground beef with a variety of veggies and reduced-fat cheese. Even though it’s low in calories, it’s hearty and filling. Just what you want on a diet! A meal that’s going to leave you satisfied and curb cravings. Add this to your weekly rotation.
14. Herbed Lemon Chicken
You need just four ingredients for this herbed lemon chicken. And while the oven does the work for you, you can decide on what greens you’d like to have with it. The Lean and Green chicken will go with a variety of veggies – it’s up to your personal preference.
15. Keto Salmon Sushi Cups
You may not be able to have sushi while on Optavia, but you can have these lean salmon sushi cups. Salmon will give you lean protein and healthy fats. We love omega’s for brain health! Seaweed wraps create a flavorful, crunchy base for the cooked salmon. They only take 15 minutes to cook.
16. Rich and Creamy Mushroom Soup
When it gets cold, you’re going to want a comforting cup of soup to help warm you up from the inside. This rich and creamy mushroom soup feels decadent, and not diet friendly. But it’s perfect if you’re following a Lean and Green lifestyle. Just a tiny addition of Greek yogurt allows this soup to stay low in calories but brings in the creaminess you want from a mushroom soup.
17. Lean and Green Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Casserole
A base of cauliflower rice allows this casserole to stay low in calories, but high in food volume. You get to eat a large portion of it while still staying on your Lean and Green plan. Lean chicken will give you a good dose of protein, while broccoli and cauliflower rice feel your green needs. Light Alfredo sauce rounds out the dish and makes it tasty.
18. Sheet Pan Chili Lime Cod
Cod is an extremely lean protein source, but it can definitely be bland. This chili lime seasoning brings it up to a delicious level. You can make a big batch on a sheet tray, and use the cod throughout the week for meal prep. Serve it with your favorite roasted veggies for a full meal.
19. Garlic Chicken with Zoodles
Another zucchini noodle recipe – because they’re perfect while on a Lean and Green plan. You can serve these zoodles with this saucy garlic chicken. A bit of parmesan cheese tops off the meal and makes it feel appetizing. A whole serving is under 500 calories making it a wonderfully light dinner.
20. Lean and Green Crustless Spinach Quiche
Quiche is perfect any time of day – breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And this crustless quiche allows you to have it and stay on plan. If you’re tired of eating meat at most of your meals, this quiche is the way to go. It uses eggs to up the protein with plenty of veggies to get in the greens.
21. Baked Parmesan Zucchini
Baked Parmesan Zucchini is a fun way to get in veggies without having to eat them plain. You can serve these alongside a lean protein for a full meal. The whole family will enjoy zucchini this way, so make sure to make a large batch. They won’t last long!
22. Mediterranean Zucchini Boats
Zucchini boats are fun and absolutely delicious. These are made with ground turkey sausage, basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and more so you get amazing Mediterranean flavors. To keep it lean and green, omit the bread crumbs and use a lean ground turkey or lean ground beef. You can serve these at a dinner party because they make a beautiful presentation. No one has to know they’re healthy!
23. Philly Cheesesteak Skillet
If you’re craving a traditional Philly cheesesteak, you no longer have to cheat on your diet. This Philly cheesesteak skillet will give you all the flavors you love without the carbs and extra calories. It’s easy to double the batch, so you can use this recipe as meal prep for the week.
24. Lean and Green Italian Shrimp
This Lean and Greek Italian Shrimp will give you a kick of flavor without a ton of calories. It’s easy to make too so you don’t have to spend hours trying to make a healthy meal. Combine shrimp with a light Italian dressing and some chopped broccoli, and you’ve got a Lean and Green meal on the way.
25. Grilled Sundried Tomato Salmon
Sundried tomatoes were meant for grilled salmon! The combine is divine and elevates this meal from “diet food” to a fancy, date night dinner. You can get your significant other on board with a Lean and Green lifestyle with this dish. It’s packed with flavor and nutrients, so you’ll feel fantastic about eating it.
26. Lean and Green Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits
Cauliflower offers a lightened-up version of the classic shrimp and grits – but don’t worry – it’s still got the creamy texture we love. You can keep this dish healthy by using almond milk, fat-free sour cream, and some Greek yogurt to create the creamy “grits”. You only need a few more ingredients, including shrimp, to round out the meal.
Diet food doesn’t have to be bland and boring, and these Optavia Lean and Green recipes show you that. You will have a much better chance of sticking with your diet when you’re using recipes you love. So get to it!
And I’ll leave you with my salmon piccata recipe, which can serve as the basis of an amazing lean and green meal!
26 Outstanding Optavia Lean and Green Recipes
Ingredients
- 14 oz salmon fillets, cut into equal sizes
- ¾ cup fish broth
- 1 tsp canola oil (or oil of choice)
- 2 limes' juice
- 2 tbsp capers in vinegar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by marinating the salmon fillets. Place the salmon in a shallow dish and pour the lime juice over them. Allow the salmon to marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. This will infuse the fish with a refreshing citrus flavor.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the fish broth, the juice of the other lemon, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the canola oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the marinated salmon fillets in the skillet, skin-side down if applicable. Sear the salmon for 3-4 minutes per side, or until it is nicely browned and cooked to your desired level of doneness. Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the fish broth mixture and stir well. Cook the broth over medium heat until it begins to thicken slightly, usually 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the capers, including the vinegar they are preserved in. Continue cooking the sauce for an additional minute, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Return the seared salmon fillets to the skillet, coating them with the sauce. Cook for another minute or two, ensuring the salmon is heated through.
Notes
- Makes 4 servings
- 1 ww point per serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
