You don’t have to eat a plate of carrots to add nutrient-rich eye healthy foods to your diet. Try out one of these tasty recipes packed full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You’re not only taking care of your eyes; you’re also stimulating your brain. Reading recipes, shopping for ingredients, and planning ahead keeps your brain engaged and your body nourished. Who’s hungry?

1. Crispy Oven-Baked Fries With Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Go ahead, eat the fries! These cheesy nacho fries are 100% vegan and 100% delicious. Avocado can aid in soothing dry eyes and butternut squash is a great source of several carotenoids.

For the Fries:

1-2 large potatoes

2 large handfuls of preferred greens

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

black pepper season to taste

1/2 avocado (optional)

Cheese Sauce

1 1/2 cup butternut squash cubed

1/4 white onion

1/2 roasted red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup salsa

1/4 cup brazil nuts or cashews

INSTRUCTIONS

Fries

1. Slice potatoes into fries. Soak for 10-15 minutes in water and remove from liquid. Season with black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and some turmeric.

2. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Add fries to mixed greens, nacho cheese sauce, with avo and topped with sesame seeds.

Cheese Sauce

1. Boil butternut squash and onion in a medium pot until tender. Save about 1/3 cup of water from the veggie boil.

2. Transfer veggies and water into a high speed blender or food processor. Add in the rest of your ingredients and blend until creamy. Taste and add extra seasonings if necessary. Enjoy!

Recipe & photo by @veganwhat

➔ VIA @VEGANWHAT ON INSTAGRAM

2. Baked Chicken Florentine

Use up that bag of spinach in your fridge with this Chicken Florentine recipe from Preppy Kitchen. Spinach is packed with lutein and zeaxanthin— two essential antioxidants that keep your macula (the central area in the back of your eye) healthy.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts large, pounded

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

⅓ cup flour for dredging

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp butter divided

5 cloves garlic minced

¾ cup white wine dry

½ tsp Italian seasoning

1 cup heavy/whipping cream

3 cups fresh baby spinach

¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a bowl, combine flour and spices. Whisk together.

Pound the breasts with a mallet and flatten to about an inch thick.

Season both sides with salt and pepper then dredge or dip chicken breasts in the flour. Tap off any excess.

Add a tablespoon of oil and butter to a pan over medium high heat. Add two chicken breasts, cover and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes, flip and repeat. Cook until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F/75C. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate, then add another tablespoon of butter and cook the remaining two breasts.

Reduce heat to medium, melt two tablespoons of butter in the pan, then add the garlic and stir constantly for 30-45 seconds or until fragrant.

Pour in the wine and cook while stirring occasionally until reduced by about half. Stir in the cream and let it come to a simmer then sprinkle the parmesan cheese in and stir over heat until melted.

Add the spinach and cook until wilted then return the chicken and any juices to the pan and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce has thickened, about 4 minutes. Garnish with more spinach or parsley if desired and serve.

➔ VIA PREPPY KITCHEN

3. Warm Cauliflower and Farro Salad With Lime Dressing

Rice, rice baby! Mary from Kitchen Confession is back at it again with this feel good bowl of Warm Cauliflower and Farro Salad topped with a bright Lime Dressing.

Farro is packed full of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to keep your hair, skin and eyes healthy.

INGREDIENTS

Cauli & Farro Salad:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Chili powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper

4 cups cauliflower rice (about 1 head cauliflower)

1 granny smith apple, sliced thin

1 shallot, sliced thin rings

A handful of fresh parsley and thyme mixed, finely chopped, divided (1/2 for dressing and remainder to sprinkle overtop salad)

1 avocado, cut into chunks

1 cup cooked corn

2 cups cooked farro

4 cups baby arugula

Lime Dressing:

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup water

Juice and zest of 1 lime

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Dressing: Shake up all the ingredients in a jar, or whisk together. Taste and adjust.

Chickpeas & Cauliflower: Add canola oil to a pan, pour in chickpeas, cauliflower rice, and shallots. Sprinkle with chilli powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sauté until soft and fragrant about 10 minutes. Add the cooked corn and farro after 5 minutes to heat through.

Assembly: Toss everything together, drizzle dressing overtop and enjoy!

Recipe & photo from @kitchenconfession

➔ VIA @KITCHENCONFESSION ON INSTAGRAM

4. Sweet Potato Tacos With Lime Crema

Live everyday like its Taco Tuesday! Celebrate with some Sweet Potato Tacos with Lime Crema. These tacos are packed full of beta-carotene to help prevent dry eyes and poor night vision.

See the full recipe at: @budgetbytes

INGREDIENTS

LIME CREMA

8 oz. sour cream

1 fresh lime

1/4 tsp salt

1 clove garlic

TACOS

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1.25 lbs. sweet potato

1 15oz. can black beans

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 green onions

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)

8 small (taco sized) tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the crema first to allow the flavors time to blend. Mince one clove of garlic and use a zester or small holed cheese grater to scrape the thin layer of green zest from the lime. Add the minced garlic, 1 tsp of the zest, about 1 tsp of the lime juice, and 1/4 tsp salt to the sour cream. Stir the ingredients to combine then refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into small cubes (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch square). Heat a large skillet over medium flame, then add the olive oil and two cloves of minced garlic. Sauté the garlic for about a minute or just until it becomes fragrant. Add the diced sweet potato and a couple tablespoons of water. Sauté the sweet potato until they become soft and just begin to fall apart. Add another couple tablespoons of water during cooking if the skillet becomes dry before the sweet potatoes are soft.

3. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the can of black beans. Once the sweet potatoes are soft, add the black beans to the skillet. Season with the cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté just until the beans are heated through.

4. Slice the green onions and pull the cilantro leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the cilantro. Stir the sliced green onions into the skillet. Add the cilantro to the skillet if desired, or use it to top each taco.

Prior to filling each tortilla, heat them in a dry skillet until slightly browned and crisp on each side, or carefully toast them over an open flame. Smear a small amount of the lime crema down the center of the tortilla, then top with a scoop of the sweet potato and black bean hash. Add fresh cilantro if desired.

➔ BOOK CONSULTATION

5. Pear and Rosemary Ginger Fizz

One eye healthy food that’s often overlooked is the humble pear. Pears are rich in folate, vitamin C, copper, and potassium. Add them to oatmeal, salads, and smoothies or try out our easy mocktail recipe. (Just be sure to eat the peels!)

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts large, pounded

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

⅓ cup flour for dredging

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp butter divided

5 cloves garlic minced

¾ cup white wine dry

½ tsp Italian seasoning

1 cup heavy/whipping cream

3 cups fresh baby spinach

¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a bowl, combine flour and spices. Whisk together.

Pound the breasts with a mallet and flatten to about an inch thick.

Season both sides with salt and pepper then dredge or dip chicken breasts in the flour. Tap off any excess.

Reduce heat to medium, melt two tablespoons of butter in the pan, then add the garlic and stir constantly for 30-45 seconds or until fragrant.

Pour in the wine and cook while stirring occasionally until reduced by about half. Stir in the cream and let it come to a simmer then sprinkle the parmesan cheese in and stir over heat until melted.