20 Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes For Weight Loss

Side dishes may not always be the star of a meal, but they can add so much flavor to your dishes, and make the whole meal better.

Not all side dishes are created equal - some are healthier than others. They’re a great way to add more essential fiber and nutrients to your diet, as many side dishes are packed with nutrients.

Side dishes are also a creative way to make vegetables taste better. Plus, many of them can be made super quickly (in 15 minutes even!).

That’s why I’m sharing a roundup of vegetable side dish recipes that are not only healthy side dishes, but also recipes that can help you lose weight at the same time. Bonus: Many of these are also gluten free!

20 Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes For Weight Loss

Corn, Avocado & Cucumber Side Salad

141 calories

If you haven’t tried this combination yet, it is actually one of my top healthy side dishes in terms of freshness and when you’re looking for an easy side dish that adds flavor.

Ingredients

¼ cup Corn, canned - 31.25 calories
¼ Avocado, small - 58.25 calories
1 Cucumber, medium - 42 calories
¼ Bell pepper, red - 9.25 calories
1 slice Lime, slice - 0 calories
⅛ cup Basil, fresh - 0 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Dice avocado, tomatoes, bell pepper, and basil
Mix all ingredients together (squeeze lime juice over salad as dressing)

Watermelon Feta Side Salad

114 calories

This side dish can pair perfectly with grilled chicken and roasted potatoes or grilled salmon, potato salad or quinoa.

Ingredients

1 cup Leafy greens, arugula, raw - 5 calories
1 Cucumber, small - 32 calories
¼ cup Watermelon chunks - 11.5 calories
1 Tbsp Feta cheese (Tbsp) - 25 calories
1 tsp Olive oil (tsp) - 40 calories
¼ cup Basil, fresh - 0 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Chop watermelon, cucumber, and basil into small pieces
Mix all ingredients together
No dairy? Use avocado
Note: This is a side dish, not a main dish. Make multiple servings at once.

All-Veg Side Salad

54 calories

Ingredients

½ cup Green beans - 19.5 calories
⅛ Onion, red - 6.875 calories
¼ Bell pepper, orange - 6 calories
¼ Bell pepper, yellow - 12.5 calories
¼ cup Tomatoes, grape - 8 calories
1 tsp Red wine vinegar (tsp) - 1 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Dice veggies
Mix all ingredients together
Note: this is meant as a side dish, not a main dish

Mashed Potatoes Side

272 calories

Ingredients

1 Potato, white, medium, 5 inches - 160 calories
1 Tbsp Butter (Tbsp) - 103 calories
1 Tbsp Milk, 2% (Tbsp) - 9 calories
1 Garlic salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

NOTES: You can make multiple servings at once. This “meal” is an “easy add”. It is not a meal by itself.
Chop up the potatoes into small pieces.
Add potatoes to a pot of water, and bring it to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until you can bite into a potato piece & it’s cooked through.
Drain away the water, then add in your butter, milk, and garlic salt and pepper to taste to the pot with the potatoes. Turn heat to low-medium, and cook on low heat ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally until pot’s contents are well-combined.
No dairy? Use oil instead of butter and dairy-free milk of choice.

Baked Potato Side

160 calories

Ingredients

1 Potato, white, medium, 5 inches - 160 calories

Instructions

Poke holes with a fork in the top & bottom of the potato.
Microwave for 3 minutes on top & bottom (6 minutes total).
Remove from microwave and enjoy.
NOTE: This “meal” is an “Easy Add”, it is not a meal by itself.

Parmesan Green Beans Side

64 calories

Needed a pan friend or roasted vegetables idea? Try these parmesan cheese green beans as your next (and easy) side dish.

Ingredients

1 cup Green beans - 39 calories
¼ tsp Garlic, minced (tsp) - 0 calories
1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) - 25 calories

Instructions

Spray a pan with an oil spray.
Add in garlic.
Stir fry green beans ~5 minutes on low-medium heat.
Top with cheese.
No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or use oil instead of the oil spray.

Stir Fried Spinach with Tomatoes Side

50 calories

Ingredients

4 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 28 calories
1 Tomato, medium - 22 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories
1 Garlic salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Slice tomato into small pieces.
Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir-fry tomatoes ~2 minutes on low-medium heat or until soft.
Add spinach another ~1 minute, or until wilted.
Top with seasonings.

Stir-Fried Spinach with Chickpeas Side

162 calories

Ingredients

4 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 28 calories

½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked - 134 calories

1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories

1 Garlic salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Drain and rinse chickpeas.
Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir-fry spinach and chickpeas ~1-2 minutes on low-medium heat or until spinach has wilted.
Top with seasonings.

Garlic Broccoli Side

31 calories

Ingredients

1 cup Broccoli - 31 calories
½ tsp Garlic, minced (tsp) - 0 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Cut broccoli into small pieces, if not already.
Spray a pan with an oil spray. Add in garlic.
Stir fry broccoli ~6 minutes on low-medium heat.
Top with salt.

You can serve greek yogurt as a dip for these.

Stove Top Roasted Carrots Cinnamon Carrots Side

144 calories

Ingredients

1 Carrots, whole, medium - 25 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 119 calories
1 tsp Cinnamon - 0 calories

Instructions

Peel carrots. Slice carrots into thin strips.
Add oil to a pan.
Stir fry on low heat, covered with a lid ~15 minutes.
Top with cinnamon.

Bacon Cauli Fried Rice Side

107 calories

Ingredients

1 cup Cauliflower rice, raw (already riced) - 38 calories
1 Uncured bacon, slice - 44 calories
1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) - 25 calories
1 Garlic salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Cut bacon into small pieces. Add to a pan, cook on low heat until cooked through.
Add cauli rice to the pan with bacon ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you see some browning.
Top with seasonings and cheese.
No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon. No dairy? Use a dairy free cheese or cook cauli rice with oil.

Chickpea Sheet Pan with Brussels & Sweet Potato

516 calories

Ingredients

2 cups Brussels sprouts - 112 calories
1 Potato, sweet, medium, 5 inches - 112 calories
½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked - 134 calories
1⅓ Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 158.27 calories
1 Salt, dash - 0 calories
1 Pepper, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut off Brussels’ hard ends & halve each one, or buy pre-shaved or cut Brussels.
Chop raw sweet potato into small chunks.
Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper & add oil.
Line veggies and chickpeas in a single layer on the baking sheet. Mix around so all contents are covered with oil.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Top roasted veggies and chickpeas with seasonings.
Note: 1 ⅓ Tbsp = 4 tsp oil.
This can be a regular meal, not a side dish, so when serving it as a side dish, make a smaller portion or divide this to multiple people.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

125 calories

Ingredients

2 cups Cauliflower florets - 50 calories
2 Tbsp Barbeque sauce - 50 calories
1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) - 25 calories
1 Garlic salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray baking sheet with an oil spray.
Cut cauliflower into small pieces.
Bake cauliflower for 30 minutes.
Take cauliflower out, mix with other ingredients, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
These can also easily be made in an air fryer.