Ultimate Minestrone Soup

by Kristen Norton | Oct 26, 2025 | Recipes and Meal Ideas

Ultimate Minestrone Soup

Our Ultimate Minestone soup is filled with healthy grains, veggies and beans. Packed full of nutritients and big flavor. Only 15 minutes to prep so it's a quick fix for those busy days. Sitting down to a bowl of this soup on a cool evening will warm you up while filling you up!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pasta protein-pasta or whole-grain, elbow (gluten-free if necessary)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
• 4 ribs celery chopped
• 1 small zucchini chopped
• 1 cup parsley chopped
• 14 oz tomatoes fire-roasted, canned (1)
• 1 sprig thyme fresh (1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups vegetable broth low sodium
• 1 1/2 cups white beans canned, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbs pesto Optional
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes Optional
• black pepper to taste
• salt to taste

Method

 

Prep

1. Cook pasta and set aside. You will stir pasta in after the soup has cooked.
2. Chop all vegetables according to directions.

Make

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add the carrots and celery. Continue cooking for 5 minutes
3. Add tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and broth. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Add the beans, zucchini, and parsley—season with salt and pepper to taste [and hot pepper if desired].
5. Stir in pasta and serve topped with some pesto.

Notes

Serving size is approx 2 cups, Nutrition Facts per serving with whole grain pasta: Calories 278 Total Fat 9.3g, Saturated Fat 0.9g, Trans Fat 0.0g, Cholesterol 0m,g Sodium 439mg, Total Carbohydrates 40g, Dietary Fiber 7,g Total Sugars 5g, Protein 9g, Vitamin D 0mcg, Calcium 93mg, Iron 4,mg Potassium 531mg

Garlic Shrimp and White Bean Sheet Pan Dinner

by Kristen Norton | Oct 22, 2025 | Recipes and Meal Ideas

Garlic Shrimp and White Bean Sheet Pan Dinner

Our Garlic Shrimp and White Bean Sheet Pan Dinner is a perfect recipe to add to your busy weeknight dinner line up. This meal is table ready fast with minimal prep time before it goes in the oven. It's filled with nutrients and packed with big flavor!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic pressed
• 2 lb shrimp shelled and deveined
• 2 tsp thyme dried
• 1 lemon sliced thinly
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups cannellini beans canned rinsed and drained
• 5 oz fresh spinach
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

 

Prep

1. Add garlic, shrimp, thyme, lemon slices, salt, and pepper to a large bowl and stir to coat. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Make

1. Remove shrimp from the refrigerator and stir in beans.
2. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir in spinach. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until shrimp is opaque and pink throughout.
3. Serve immediately.

Notes

Nutrition Facts: Calories 643 Total Fat 31.5g Saturated Fat 5.0g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 478mg Sodium 2656mg Total Carbohydrates 29g Dietary Fiber 6g Total Sugars 1g Protein 60g Vitamin D 0mcg Calcium 336mg Iron 6mg Potassium 1086mg

Creamy Chickpea Soup

by Kristen Norton | Oct 16, 2025 | Recipes and Meal Ideas

Creamy Chickpea Soup

Soaking up sweater weather and soup season! Our Creamy Chickpea Soup is the perfect dinner side to warm up on those cooler days. Simple ingredients blend into a rich and savory bowl full of comfort. 5ish minutes to prep and budget friendly. Add this soup to your weekly fall menu!

Chef Trick: To brighten this soup, stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to finish.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 onion sweet, chopped
• 1 Tbs rosemary fresh, chopped
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 5 cups chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed (~3, 15 oz. cans)
• 4 cups vegetable broth low sodium (more to thin)
• salt and pepper To Taste

Method

 

Prep

1. Mince garlic cloves. Chop onion and rosemary.

Make

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil and then onion. Sauté the onion in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic, rosemary, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth – bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Be careful when puréeing hot soup as steam can force lid of the blender. Place a kitchen towel over top and hold down the lid while processing to be extra safe.
4. Bring to room temperature before storing it. You may need to add additional vegetable broth when rewarming as the soup will thicken once refrigerated.

Notes

Nutrition Facts: Calories per serving 280 | Total Fat 10.2g | Saturated Fat 1.0g | Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 98mg | Total Carbohydrates 38g | Dietary Fiber 11g |Total Sugars 5g | Protein 11g | Vitamin D 0mcg | Calcium 95mg |  Iron 3mg | Potassium 501mg

 

Pro Tip – Give it a Protein Boost to Make it a Meal

This cozy soup starts you off with about 11g of protein per serving, but if you’re active, building strength, or aiming to stay full and energized, aim for 20g+ of protein per meal.

Try one (or mix and match) of these add-ins to boost your bowl:

• Crumbled feta cheese – ¼ cup adds ~5g protein
• Mini mozzarella balls – 4–5 balls add ~6g protein
• Poached egg – 1 egg adds ~6g protein
• White beans or lentils – ½ cup adds ~8–9g protein
• Grated Parmesan – 2 tablespoons add ~4g protein
• Crispy tofu squares – ½ cup adds ~10g protein
• Shredded chicken – 3 ounces adds ~20g protein
• Toasted pumpkin seeds – 3 tablespoons add ~5g protein

Add what you love and make it your own!

Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancake Rolls with Berries

by Kristen Norton | Oct 13, 2025 | Recipes and Meal Ideas

Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancake Rolls with Berries

It’s a laid back weekend morning, family’s in their pj’s and everyone’s hungry. Our Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancake Rolls with Berries recipe is made for that morning! Made with eggs, oats, cottage cheese and berries, this recipe is filling, fun and of course healthy. Gather the family in the kitchen and make this breakfast together!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

Ingredients

• 1 lemon zested and juiced
• 3 cups cottage cheese whole-milk
• 4 eggs large
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbs baking powder
• 2 cups oats quick-cook
• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 Tbs maple syrup
• oil spray, as needed

Method

 

Prep

1. Zest and juice lemon.
2. Preheat a griddle or non-stick pan to medium.

Make

1. Add cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and oats to a blender.
2. Process until creamy. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes for the oats to soften.
3. Add blueberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the berries break down – about 5 minutes.
4. Lightly spray the griddle or pan with spray oil and, using an ice cream scoop or two spoons to transfer batter, cook pancakes for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
5. Remove to plates and top with warm berry mixture.

Video

Notes

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 
Calories 402 Total Fat 12.5g Saturated Fat 5.1gTrans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 209mg Sodium 1378mg Total Carbohydrates 48g
Dietary Fiber 6g Total Sugars 18g Protein 26g
 Vitamin D 1mcg Calcium 178mg Iron 3mg Potassium 291mg

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

by Kristen Norton | Oct 11, 2025 | Recipes and Meal Ideas

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

When the weather cools down, there’s nothing better than coming home to a warm, hearty meal that’s already done. This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is comfort food done the Well Balanced way — nourishing, flavorful, and full of wholesome ingredients.

The secret to making it taste like it simmered all day on the stove? Don’t skip the sauté! Browning the beef and aromatics first adds that deep, savory flavor that makes every bite satisfying.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Calories: 496

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 lb beef stew meat, cubed
• 3 carrots peeled and chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1 onion sweet, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 1 Tbs rosemary fresh, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley fresh, chopped
• 2 Tbs avocado oil
• 2 potatoes (e.g., russet or Yukon Gold) chopped into even pieces
• 5 cups beef broth low-sodium
• 2 bay leaves

Method

 

Prep

1. Cube beef.
2. Chop carrots, celery, and onion. Mince garlic.
3. Chop rosemary and parsley.
4. Set slow cooker to “Sauté” setting.

Make

1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the slow cooker and sauté beef until brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Add remaining avocado oil to slow cooker and sauté onion, garlic, and rosemary until fragrant. If you don’t have a sauté setting on your slow cooker you can sauté the beef and vegetables stovetop separately and add. Sautéeing adds a deeper flavor to the stew.
3. Add carrots, celery, and pototoes and stir to coat.
4. Return beef and juices to slow cooker. Add broth and bay leaves.
5. Set slow cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. You want to cook the stew until the beef is tender.
6. Remove bay leaves.
7. For a thicker stew, remove some of the vegetables with broth and purée then add them back to the pot.
8. Serve topped with fresh parsley.

Notes

Optional swaps: in place of yukon potatoes, you can use butternnut squash or sweet potatoes.

Nutrition
Facts
Calories
per serving
496
Amount/serving
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17.7g
27%
Saturated Fat 5.2g
25%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 145mg
48%
Sodium 742mg
32%
Amount/serving
% Daily Value*
Total Carbohydrates 30g
10%
Dietary Fiber 5g
21%
Total Sugars 9g

Protein 56g