Happy New Year! Does this ^^ sound familiar? At the beginning of every new year we all make promises to ourselves to eat better, exercise more, etc. The real problem with these resolutions (and the reason why they ultimately fail) is that they are extremely vague. “Eating better” and “exercising more” leave lots of room for creativity and excuses.

As a dietitian, I am always working with my clients to help them define what it means to “eat better.” One of my biggest suggestions is to eat more fruits and vegetables and to determine how much is “more.” The USDA recommends around 5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day (for most adults). A better way to think about it, though, is to fill at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables. This will ensure that a) you are eating enough produce and b) you are replacing the higher calorie, higher fat, higher carb, etc. foods with lower calorie fruits and veggies.

Don’t let the five cup recommendation scare you. There are LOTS of delicious and different ways to prepare vegetables! Enter Tandoori Cauliflower from Sarah B of My New Roots. Wow! Looks amazing plus made with Tandoori which has a slew of good-for-you spices: tumuric (anti-inflammatory and promotes cognition and improved blood flow), chili powder (boosts metabolism, promotes heart health), paprika (anti-inflammatory, promotes heart health) and cumin (boosts immune functioning) among many others.

I made this twice: once with Greek yogurt and once with almond milk yogurt (needed it to be dairy-free). Both were delicious and the latter, which I made for a party, was a hit. The first time I made it (with Greek yogurt), I single-handedly devoured the whole thing in two sittings – and I don’t even like cauliflower!

Don’t let the color (white) of cauliflower fool you – it’s FULL of great nutrition. Only 25 calories for 1/6 of the cauliflower with 2 grams of fiber and 100% your daily needs for vitamin C plus close to 20% your daily need for folate.

Tandoori Cauliflower with Mint and Cilantro Yogurt Sauce (see link above for recipe).

The yogurt marinade forms a delicious golden crust. Looks dramatic but it’s super-easy!

Spicy, herbacious mint and cilantro chutney on top.

Extra mint chutney? Stay tuned for my next post – I found a delicious new recipe in which to use it.