Ooph! Anyone else over-eat over the festive season? After endless dinner tables laden with turkey and stuffing, golden roasted potatoes and mince pies, as well as a boatload of treats that would be tricky to justify at any other time of the year, we reckon it’s high time for some lighter, healthier ideas. Compiled by Abigail Donnelly, Lisa Clark and Health24’s DietDoc, Dr Ingrid van Heerden, the below recipes are designed to keep the calorie count down, while maintaining plenty of flavour.

Midweek meals 
Homemade baked beans on rye
Primavera pasta with lemon dressing
Spiced sweet potato soup with red pepper and lime salsa
Baked chicken in verjuice with smashed brinjals
Chilled tomato and basil soup
Butterbean burgers with herb salad and turmeric dressing
Braaied spicy brinjals with poppadoms
Braaied pork fillet with braised tomato and chickpea salad
Poached chicken with tenderstem broccoli, almonds and grapefruit dressing
Spring vegetable stir-fry with tofu and a ginger honey sauce
Grilled rye crostini with roasted peppers, broad beans and ricotta
Quinoa, smoked mackerel and broccoli salad
Cumin and coriander sweet potatoes

Tasty salads 
Asian brown rice and ostrich salad with a zesty lime dressing
Pea dip with asparagus wrapped in trout
Lettuce, mango and mozzarella wraps
Moroccan chicken salad
Strawberry, feta and melon salad cup
Salad in a jar

Light breakfasts 
Cinnamon oatmeal with fresh fruit
Bircher muesli

Healthy sweet treats
Healthier chocolate-chip cookies
Mango skewers dipped in chocolate
Cheat’s crème brûlée with raspberry caps 
Peanut butter and oat slices

Recipes first published in Mediclinic’s digital magazine.