11 Healthy Meals That Make Flexing Easy (And Delicious!)

If you’re on the Nutrisystem program, you get to enjoy a few flex meals here and there—meals you prepare on your own with guidelines we provide (click here for the 411 on Flex Meals), or that you order while dining out. Flex Meals give you some freedom without completely leaving you on your own.

While starting to make some of your own healthy meals may seem a bit scary, we are here to support you with plenty of nutritious recipes that won’t do damage to all your hard work. Plus, getting used to making some of these Flex Meals will help set you up with healthy habits for life.

Here are 11 of our favorite healthy meals perfect for cooking at home:

1. Pistachio-Crusted Salmon with Asparagus and Rice

Filled with omega-3 fatty acids, salmon may help reduce inflammation throughout the body and, in turn, reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. This particular salmon dish is bursting with bold flavor and reminiscent of what you might eat in an upscale restaurant. While some say that fish used in healthy meals doesn’t leave them feeling full enough, the hearty brown rice in this dish is satisfyingly filling, so that you aren’t left hungry just hours after eating. Log it as one SmartCarb, two PowerFuels, one Extra and one Vegetable. Click here for the full recipe >

2. Meat and Potato Casserole

We took one of your favorite comfort food items—a meat and potatoes dish—and made it lean, so that you can still enjoy it as one of your home-cooked healthy meals this week. Made from lean turkey, egg whites and whole wheat flour, this dish has wholesome and filling ingredients that won’t do any damage to your diet. As just one SmartCarb and one PowerFuel, It’s great for lunch or dinner, or even a hearty breakfast. Click here for the full recipe >

3. Mini Chicken Taco Salad Bowls

Are you getting tired of Taco Tuesdays? This fun twist on tacos is something new and exciting that your whole family will love. These little taco bowls, made of whole wheat tortillas, are filled with chicken, tomatoes and black beans, topped with a deliciously simple, homemade cilantro lime crema. The entire dish is literally bursting with flavor, and only puts you out a PowerFuel, a SmartCarb, a Vegetable and one Extra. Click here for the full recipe >

4. Creamy Pasta Salad

A true staple of any picnic or barbecue, most pasta salads are laden with fat. But, here, we substituted the full-fat mayonnaise that most pasta salad recipes call for with a half cup of nonfat Greek yogurt and just a smidgen of light mayonnaise. You still wind up with the full flavor, but with a lot less fat and calories. Plus, throwing in some broccoli, peppers and tomatoes will ensure you get your veggies in, too. The whole serving counts as a SmartCarb, a PowerFuel and, of course, that Vegetable. Click here for the full recipe >

5. Edamame Quinoa Burgers

With these meatless burgers, you can get your burger fix without getting the artery-clogging saturated fats associated with red meat. These edamame and quinoa burger patties are broiled to perfection and then served between two crisp iceberg lettuce leaves. With all that crunch and taste you won’t even realize your typical bread bun is missing! This healthy meal is an even split between a SmartCarb and a PowerFuel, so play it up however you like. Click here for the full recipe >

6. Mediterranean Tuna Pita

This easy-to-assemble pita makes an excellent lunch to pack for work or to eat during a busy day at home. With tuna as its protein-serving base, this pita sandwich also includes chopped red onions, Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes and delicious feta cheese. Top it all off with lettuce, tomato and cucumbers for a nutritiously satisfying lunch that counts as two PowerFuels, a SmartCarb and two Extras. Click here for the full recipe >

7. Low Carb Cauliflower Crust Pizza

If you love pizza, but don’t know how to fit it into your healthy diet, have no fear—this pizza crust is made from cauliflower, eliminating all the carb-induced guilt. Topped with low-fat mozzarella cheese and a variety of veggies, this pizza also contains calcium and nutrients to boosts its nutritional value. If you’re craving a pizza tonight, this recipe makes a great healthy meal for the whole family to enjoy! You’ll just want to log it as a PowerFuel and three Vegetables. Click here for the full recipe >

8. Southwest Spaghetti Bowl

If you’ve never had spaghetti squash before, you probably don’t realize just how simple and delicious it is to make. With this dish, you’ll eat right out of the squash, using it like a bowl, which also means less mess to clean up. Packed with other veggies like pepper, onion, corn and tomato—as well as some shredded chicken—this dish takes on a southwestern flavor with its fresh cilantro and lime juice toppings. Just one serving gets you three of those Vegetable servings, as well as a SmartCarb, two PowerFuels and one Extra. Click here for the full recipe >

9. Vegetable Lasagna Bake

This healthy meal is for everyone who thought they’d never get to enjoy a delicious slice of lasagna again. Maybe if you’ve been following Nutrisystem, you already know that eating healthy doesn’t have to mean giving up all your favorite foods. Enter healthy substitutes (have you tried all of our Top Pasta Dishes yet?). This vegetable-based lasagna dish makes use of a variety of flavor-filled veggies in place of traditional meat, and still serves up the creamy deliciousness of ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. It’s an easy choice for your healthy meals and it’s an easy recipe to log at one SmartCarb and one PowerFuel. Click here for the full recipe >

10. One Dish Herb Pork Tenderloin

This boneless pork tenderloin recipe, paired with hearty red potatoes, will leave you feeling complete after dinnertime has come and gone. Prepared with olive oil instead of butter, this meat, veggie and potato dish won’t do damage to your diet, either. Probably the best part about this healthy meal, though, is that it’s a one-dish masterpiece, so clean-up is easy. You can spend more of your evening with your family instead of doing dishes! Every serving is just a SmartCarb, a PowerFuel, a Vegetable and two Extras. Click here for the full recipe >

11. Sweet Potato Noodle Bowl with Creamy Almond Butter Sauce

If it’s an Asian food craving you’re looking to satisfy, our Sweet Potato Noodle Bowl will fill you up without an abundance of simple carbs. That’s because it replaces noodles with veggie noodles. This healthy meal is made from sweet potatoes instead of pasta. Toss in some cooked shrimp as well as some spinach, and it becomes tasty, filling and highly nutritious. This recipe counts as a SmartCarb and PowerFuel serving, so fit it in at the time of your choosing. Click here for the full recipe >