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When it comes time to think about which protein you want to cook up for dinner, it’s often chicken and steak that become the usual suspects, with the occasional fish dish sneaking into the

rotation. But a meat option that might get overlooked is pork. Pork actually happens to pack a long list of nutrients, including more than a third of a day’s dose of selenium, a trace

mineral that has been shown to be effective in cancer prevention. Plus, it’s quick to make, and with our pork recipes, you’ll never run out of ways to cook it either. Here, we rounded up 12

flavorful and healthy pork recipes. And yes, they do go beyond just the basic pork chop! SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS Per 1 serving: 260 calories, 15 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 720 mg sodium If you

see the word “smothered” on a restaurant menu, your first thought is usually to stay away, as whatever heavy sauce the dish is covered in most likely is anything but healthy for you. Here,

though, our smothering is done with a mixture of healthy ingredients, such as chicken stock, low-fat buttermilk, and sharp mustard, which combine perfectly with pork’s natural flavors. Serve

this piece of meat with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and honey-roasted carrots for a perfect comfort feast.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e GET OUR RECIPE FOR SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS. PORK

CHILE VERDE Per 1 serving: 460 calories, 24 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 620 mg sodium Pork chile verde might not be the most popular of dishes across the U.S., but it should be! Tender pieces

of pork stewed in a slightly spicy broth studded with vegetables—you can’t beat that. Add a few warm tortillas and some lime, and you’ll feel like you’re on your way to Mexico. GET OUR

RECIPE FOR PORK CHILE VERDE. SLOW-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER Per 1 serving: 410 calories, 22 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 900 mg sodium Preparing pork this way might look and taste like it’s

something out of a restaurant, but you’ll save yourself plenty of money making this in your own kitchen. You can serve the pork in different ways, too—add salsa, guac, and corn tortillas for

tacos, or wrap the meat in lettuce leaves and Asian condiments for Korean-style wraps. GET OUR RECIPE FOR SLOW-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER. TERIYAKI PORK CHOPS WITH SAUTÉED APPLES Per 1 serving:

315 calories, 9 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 890 mg sodium Move over, Homer Simpson. While yes, this is a remake of the beloved cartoon character’s special of pork chops and applesauce, we

kick it up a notch. This pork is soaked in a sweet, garlicky teriyaki marinade, and the apples are sautéed with ginger and Chinese spices, guaranteeing this version is much healthier than

the one Homer was eating! GET OUR RECIPE FOR TERIYAKI PORK CHOPS WITH SAUTÉED APPLES. LOW-CALORIE PULLED PORK SANDWICH Per 1 serving: 430 calories, 18 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 540 mg

sodium If you’ve ever ordered a pulled pork sandwich, there’s a good chance you’ve bitten into it and immediately tasted that the pork has been drenched in an overly sweet sauce that’s just

filled with sugar. So in our recipe, we go for the more traditional North Carolina-inspired version, dressing this pulled pork with nothing more than a bit of spicy cider vinegar, bringing

an intense flavor to a sandwich that is light on calories. GET OUR RECIPE FOR A LOW-CALORIE PULLED PORK SANDWICH. PORCHETTA-STYLE ROAST PORK LOIN WITH LEMONY WHITE BEANS Per 1 serving: 350

calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 410 mg sodium We took some cues from a classic Italian staple in this dish. See, porchetta is a whole suckling pig stuffed with fennel and herbs and

roasted until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We didn’t go with the whole pig, but applied the same flavor-packed treatment to a lean piece of loin. GET OUR RECIPE FOR A

PORCHETTA-STYLE ROAST PORK LOIN WITH LEMONY WHITE BEANS. LEAN PORK CHOPS WITH BALSAMIC HONEY GLAZE Per 1 serving: 300 calories, 19 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 340 mg sodium If you’re going to

splurge on something, let it be on heirloom pork, especially when it’s bought directly from a local source like a farm or market. It’s packed with amino acids, and these nutrients are good

for your overall health. And once you take a bit of these honey-glazed chops, we have a feeling you’ll be turning to this meal again and again. GET OUR RECIPE FOR LEAN PORK CHOPS WITH

BALSAMIC HONEY GLAZE. These are the easy, at-home recipes that help you lose weight. GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA Per 1 serving: 210 calories, 4 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat),

390 mg sodium Fun fact: cooked pork tenderloin has only 3 grams of fat! So when in doubt, it’s never a bad idea to whip some up for dinner. In this recipe, you get a burst of flavor in the

pork tenderloin, thanks to the mustard and chili powder rub and a pineapple and jalapeño salsa, for only about an additional 25 calories. GET OUR RECIPE FOR GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH

PINEAPPLE SALSA. SAVORY AND SWEET GRILLED PORK CHOPS AND PEACHES Per 1 serving: 430 calories, 24 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 530 mg sodium Taking more inspiration from the pork chops and

applesauce pairing, we incorporate grilled fruit and add on blue cheese to punch up the flavor without skyrocketing the calorie count in this pork recipe. GET OUR RECIPE FOR SAVORY AND SWEET

GRILLED PORK CHOPS AND PEACHES. FIERY JERK PORK Per 1 serving: 240 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 510 mg sodium There simply is nothing comparison-wise to the flavors of real jerk

cooking as done by the pit masters in Jamaican coastal communities.  We attempt to channel all the deliciousness you would get there by turning to a stash of fiery habanero or even Scotch

bonnet peppers to coat this pork. Just remember to use gloves and proceed with caution—when we say these peppers are hot, we mean it! GET OUR RECIPE FOR FIERY JERK PORK. THAI-INSPIRED RED

CURRY PORK KEBAB Per 1 serving: 240 calories, 8 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 380 mg sodium There’s just something about eating food from a stick, isn’t there? Plenty of chain restaurants

such as Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, and Red Lobster have adopted kebabs on their menus, often replacing heavy carbs and fatty sauces with lean protein and vegetables. These red curry pork

kebabs have plenty of both, which are coated in a Thai coconut milk curry sauce that you’ll find yourself dipping everything in. Adding in some pineapple chunks will elevate the flavors in

the pork, too. GET OUR RECIPE FOR THAI-INSPIRED RED CURRY PORK KEBAB. BBQ PORK SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH SWEET POTATO TOPPING Per 1 serving: 380 calories, 11 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 700 mg

sodium Now, this is a shepherd’s pie unlike any other you’ve had before! This healthy recipe uses a barbecue sauce, along with unsweetened plain almond milk, which cuts down on extra

calories, but still gives the dish a tangy, creamy, texture. We also swap out regular potatoes—which are usually used in a traditional shepherd’s pie—and use sweet potatoes instead. Plus,

the extra kale sneaks in even more nutrients into the meal. GET OUR RECIPE FOR BBQ PORK SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH SWEET POTATO TOPPING. 3/5 (8 Reviews)