Best Healthy Side Dishes to Add Nutrition to Every Meal

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A healthy diet consists of balanced meals with adequate nutrition, but you may struggle to find the right foods to fit this description. Your meals are relatively healthy; they just lack a few vital nutrients or vitamins here and there. 

That’s where these healthy side dishes come in handy – all four of them will boost your meals with more nutritional benefits to ensure you’re eating healthily. 

Kimchi

Kimchi is a fermented dish that’s largely made of cabbage and radishes. It’s the perfect accompaniment to almost any meal, and you can snack on it from the fridge whenever you’re feeling peckish. 

The nutritional and health benefits of kimchi are very well known. Its fermented nature means it’s excellent for digestive health and is one of the key components of a diet for a thriving microbiome. The fact it’s packed full of veg also means it contains loads of vitamins C, B, and A. It’s not calorific either, which is exactly what you want out of a healthy side dish. 

Crispy Kale

Kale is extremely rich in vitamins C and E, as well as being a great source of calcium and iron for plant-based dieters. It’s crammed full of antioxidants to reduce inflammation and prevent harmful diseases – and there are many ways to bring kale into your diet. Some people opt for it as an ingredient in immune-boosting juices, though crispy kale is the ideal side for your meals. 

All you have to do is drizzle a bit of high-quality olive oil over your kale and sprinkle with a touch of salt. Then, either bake in the oven or air fry to crisp the kale up and turn it into the texture of crispy seaweed from Chinese restaurants. It’s so easy to eat and can add a nice crunch to any meal. 

Greek or Caprese Salads

You can’t go wrong with a side salad, and they’re part of why the Mediterranean diet is so beneficial and leads to a long life expectancy. Both Greek and Caprese salads combine everything you need in a nutritional side dish: 

• Leafy greens are packed full of vitamins & minerals
• Healthy fats from olive oil
• Protein from feta or mozzarella cheese

Both are gloriously healthy sides to add to any pasta dish, but you can eat them with whatever you want. If your meal looks like it’s lacking some veg, then throw a side salad with it to get two or three of your five-a-day. 

Carrot Sticks & Dip

If you want a simple side dish, then slice some carrots into sticks and eat them with a dip of your choice. Carrots are brilliant because they contain beta-carotene, which supports vision and boosts immunity. They’re also packed full of additional antioxidants, as well as being pretty high in fiber. 

The fiber content means you can eat a few carrots and feel quite full, so it’s the perfect side when you want to control your appetite and eat less. Carrot sticks let you reduce the portion sizes of your main meals without feeling hungry after. 

Conclusion

Make any of these side dishes when you want to boost your meals and make them healthier. You could also make them when you want a snack between meals to avoid going for chips or other non-beneficial options.