5 Quick & Easy Healthy Dinner Ideas You’ll Love Tonight!

Preparing nutritious and delicious dinners at home doesn't have to be a complicated process. Even if you enjoy cooking, there are times when you may want to keep it simple at mealtime, choosing recipes that are easy to follow and don’t involve complicated cooking techniques or seemingly never-ending steps. You can make nutritious dinners quickly and easily; options can include salad bowls, frittatas, pasta, and soup. Here are some go-to simple dinner recipes that can help you get a healthy meal on the table quickly.

1. Sheet-Pan Meals

If you’re not a fan of cleaning dishes, this idea is for you. Most recipes require several pots, pans, and bowls. However, sheet-pan meals allow you to pile all of your ingredients onto a single sheet pan to cook, which saves you time in the kitchen.

One example includes carrots, baby red potatoes, asparagus, onions, and chicken breast. However, you can make a sheet pan meal with any vegetables and meat you have on hand.

2. Slow Cooker Stuffing

Stuffing doesn’t have to be just a Thanksgiving dish! This stuffing is made in the slow cooker, which is ideal for weeknights and is packed with produce, including mushrooms, onions, celery, green apples, and sweet potatoes. It also contains fresh sage, pecans, dried cranberries, Italian turkey sausage, and chicken broth.

3. Sweet Potato Foundation

Sweet potatoes are loaded with beneficial nutrients like beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. They’re delicious and pair well with just about anything, making them the perfect foundation for a filling meal.

Read also: 5:2 Diet for Health

4. Salad Bowls

Salad bowls can make for a balanced lunch or dinner option. One recipe contains butter beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, arugula, basil, and quinoa. Studies have found that diets rich in whole grains are linked to a lower risk of several health conditions, including colon cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Salad bowls are customizable; you don’t have to follow this exact recipe. Simply choose a whole grain, vegetables, and a protein source, like eggs, lean meat, or legumes. Eggs have you covered when it comes to healthy fat and protein, so all you need to do is add your favorite veggies to cover your fiber needs. A large, filling salad can make for a convenient dinner. It is important to create a balanced salad so that you do not end up feeling hungry again just a short while after finishing your meal. This means including plenty of protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

This balanced salad contains almost 45 grams (g) of protein per serving, which will ensure that you feel satiated after eating. It includes New York strip steak, minced garlic, cherries, fresh basil, red onions, butter lettuce, and sunflower seeds.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Many of the components - the quinoa, tomatoes, dressing, and the chickpeas - can be made in advance.

3 cups cooked quinoa
1 recipe Roasted Tomatoes
1 cup sliced Persian cucumbers
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
¾ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
½ cup diced red onion
⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
1 recipe Italian Dressing, plus 2 additional garlic cloves, grated
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
1 cup roasted chickpeas
2 cups arugula
1 cup mixed fresh basil and mint

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, roasted tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, olives, onion, and pine nuts. Toss to combine, then drizzle with half the dressing and toss again. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes and toss again.

5. Frittatas

Frittatas are relatively easy to make, and they come together in under half an hour. One particular recipe calls for bell peppers, mushrooms, red onions, garlic, thyme, and shredded cheddar cheese. However, you can add a variety of veggies to your frittatas.

6. Pasta

Pasta is a quick and easy dinner option. One idea is pasta tossed in a creamy lemon ricotta sauce made with lemon zest, chives, ricotta, and red pepper flakes, topped with Brussels sprouts and Parmesan.

Brussels sprouts contain important nutrients, such as vitamin C. Vitamin C is associated with benefits such as improving immune function and decreasing the risk of developing certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. You may consider adding a protein source, like grilled chicken, if desired.

7. Soup

Few meals are more satisfying than a hearty, hot bowl of soup. Fortunately, soup can be simple to prepare and makes a perfect choice for meal prep, as you can make large portions easily. This balanced soup contains yellow onions, spinach, nutritional yeast, garlic, vegetable broth, tomatoes, white beans, and orzo. Each serving contains 22 g of protein and 14 g of fiber per serving, ensuring you will feel satiated.

Tomatoes contain a compound called lycopene, which may reduce inflammation and blood pressure.

Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run

8. Stir-Fries

Stir-fries are quick, balanced dinners. One recipe includes yellow onions, carrots, bell peppers, ginger, shrimp, garlic, fish sauce, curry powder, coconut milk, and lime. However, you can make a stir fry with any vegetables and protein sources you have on hand.

Regularly consuming curry may help improve your health by reducing metabolic syndrome risk factors.

9. Sandwiches

Sandwiches are a great choice for families because they’re simple to make and sure to please even the pickiest of taste buds. One sandwich is filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, provolone cheese, and alfalfa sprouts. However, you can fill sandwiches with any kind of produce, meats, and cheeses.

You can serve your sandwiches on a hearty whole grain bun, in a lettuce wrap, or on top of a bed of greens to suit your dietary needs. A vegetarian option is the HATS sandwich: hummus, avocado, tomato, and shallots. These are ingredients you almost always have on hand.

10. Tacos

These corn tortilla tacos are filled with shredded rotisserie chicken, which greatly reduces cooking time. They are also topped with avocado, fresh cilantro, yellow onions, feta, and lime juice. Avocados may have anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Additional Meal Prep Ideas

Preparing a healthy and satisfying dinner doesn’t have to involve complicated recipes and hours in the kitchen. For busy weeks, consider these meal prep ideas.

Breakfast

On a busy morning, there’s nothing better than having a healthy breakfast prepped and ready to go.

Overnight Oats: Mix these up the night before.
Hard-Boiled Eggs: Left unpeeled, they keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Breakfast Cookies: Store at room temperature for up to 4 days. After that, freeze slices to have on hand for busy mornings.
Vegan Breakfast Burritos: Filled with tofu scramble instead of scrambled eggs, which makes them freezer-friendly. Freeze a batch for quick, cozy breakfasts.

Lunch

Salad and bowl meal prep recipes are great to pack for lunch.

Salads: Kale holds up nicely once it’s dressed, making it perfect for meal prep.
Grain Bowls: Prepare all the components on the weekend.

Most sandwiches are best on the day they’re made, so I like to prepare just the fillings in advance.

Egg Salad: Keeps well for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Spring Rolls: Assemble these entirely in advance, so they’re great for busy workdays. Served with peanut sauce for dipping, they’re fresh and yummy.

Soups and Stews

Soups and stews are some of the best easy meal prep ideas and freeze super well. Get ahead on your weekly meal prep by making a double batch of soup this weekend. Eat half this week, and freeze the rest for a busy week down the road.

Freezer-Friendly Meal Prep

To freeze, assemble the casserole up until the point of baking. Cover and freeze it in the baking dish. To reheat, bake, covered in foil, at 350°F for one hour, or until warmed through.

Falafel Balls: Freeze them after baking. Reheat by baking them in a 400°F-oven until heated through, about 10-20 minutes. Then, pile them onto buns with your favorite fixings!
Stuffed Peppers: After baking, freeze them for up to a month. To reheat, pop them in a 400°F oven for about 25 minutes, or until crisp and warmed through. Enjoy them plain, or serve them with plenty of salsa and guac.

Component Meal Prep

One of the best ways to meal prep is by preparing components - not full recipes - that you can use in a variety of ways throughout the week. A pot of rice, baked tofu, a flavorful sauce…I recommend this method if you don’t want to eat the exact same thing every day of the week.

Grains: Perfect for bulking up grain bowls and salads, serving with curries and stir-fries, or tossing into fried rice.
Proteins: Toss them into bowls, salads, stir-fries, noodle or pasta dishes, and soups! Serve them as a side dish, add them to a salad or bowl, fold them into tacos or burritos, stir them into pasta, bake them into frittatas…the options are endless!
Sauces: Use them on salads, grain bowls, tacos, burritos, sandwiches, and more! If you meal prep a flavorful sauce, it will punch up so many of your meals throughout the week.

Quick & Easy Recipes

Lemon-Pepper Tofu and Snap Peas: A quick and easy meal ready in 30 minutes.
Chicken & Chorizo Jambalaya: A healthy Cajun-inspired rice pot recipe bursting with spicy Spanish sausage, sweet peppers, and tomatoes.
Spinach, Sweet Potato & Lentil Dhal: A comforting vegan one-pot recipe that counts for 3 of your 5-a-day.
Chinese Chicken Curry: Cook this easy, healthy chicken curry in under an hour.
Chicken Jalfrezi: Make your own easy chicken jalfrezi instead of ordering takeout.
Prawn & Harissa Spaghetti: A spaghetti dinner for two with king prawns and harissa dressing that only takes 20 minutes to make.
Healthy Tikka Masala: A family-friendly lighter version that's both healthy and gluten-free.
Chicken Korma: Use fat-free Greek yogurt instead of cream for a healthy chicken korma.
Easy Risotto with Bacon & Peas: A simple recipe with just a few ingredients where the stock is added all in one go.
Superhealthy Salmon Burgers: Simple salmon burgers with ginger, soy sauce, and coriander.
Butter Bean Curry: Butter beans paired with dark-skinned aubergine, which is packed with antioxidants.
Quick and Easy Fish Stew: A simple, speedy, and healthy one-pot packed with white fish fillets, king prawns, and a rich tomato sauce.
Sausage Traybake: An easy sausage traybake packed with summer veg such as artichokes, new potatoes, tomatoes, and fresh pesto.
Healthy Chicken Burritos: Use storecupboard ingredients and leftovers to make this nutritious and easy Mexican-style lunch.
Curried Satay Noodles: Quick and easy curried noodles packed with wholewheat, pulses, vegetables, and spices.
Healthy Gnocchi: A hearty and wholesome gnocchi dish in just 30 minutes, full of veggies.
Healthy Pad Thai: Chicken with rice noodles and stir-fried veg for a deliciously healthy dinner.
Tuna, Caper & Chilli Spaghetti: Tuna, capers, and rocket with garlic, chilli, and spaghetti.
Ginger Chicken Udon Noodles: Fragrant and light noodles with chicken, beansprouts, and cabbage in 30 minutes.
One-Pot Chicken & Rice: Make a wholesome chicken dinner for all the family in under an hour in just one pan.
Curried Cod: An easy-to-prepare midweek one-pot with cod fillet, chickpeas, ginger, and spices.
One-Pan Beef Stew with Vegetable Mash: An easy stew that contains all of your 5-a-day.
Chicken, Squash & Chickpea Stew: Top this filling family-friendly chicken and chickpea stew with a spicy harissa yogurt.
Chicken Fajitas: A weeknight dinner staple with marinated chicken.
One-Skillet Spaghetti and Meatball Dish: A dish to cut down on cooking time on busy nights.
Orzo: Feta cheese really brings this dish together.
Shrimp: Garlic and a splash of lemon add to the fresh taste and heart-healthy benefits.

Simple Recipes with Nutritional Value

Grilled Chicken: A healthy and tasty recipe that keeps your kitchen cool.
Superfood Salad: A simple and delicious way to eat your superfoods.
Sweet and Spicy Salmon: A fresh plum sauce complements the smoky grilled fish.
Jicama Salad: A crunchy Mexican turnip alongside tangerines and shallots.
Chard with Garlic and Red Onion: Chard is a member of the beet family.
Zucchini Salad: Fresh zucchini gets a shave and a drizzle of lemony goodness.
Baked Sweet Potatoes: Top them with breakfast favorites to power up your morning.
Nicoise Salad: A colorful, make-ahead salad.
Crab-Filled Phyllo Cups: If you're out of crab, water-packed tuna works well too.
Chicken Leg Quarters with Sauce: The kids loved it, and so did I!
Sweet Carrot Salad: With pina colada yogurt, macadamia nuts and green grapes, has a tropical theme.
Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese: A delightful change from the classic scrambled egg meal.
Cod Fillet with Tomato Mixture and Bacon: Add cod fillets to the pan and finish it all with a big, tomato-y pop.
Kale, Tomatoes and Garlic: A tasty idea that uses kale, tomatoes and garlic in a dish that quickly disappears.
HATS Sandwich: Hummus, avocado, tomato and shallots.
Warm Potato Salad: A tradition at all of our tables.
Mini Peppers: The perfect size for a two-bite appetizer.
Stuffed Chicken Breast Half: Add Italian bread and a fruit salad for a complete meal!
Lemony Salmon with Basil: A knockout in the good-for-you category.
Beets, Nectarines and Feta Cheese Salad: A scrumptious addition to mixed greens.
Oranges with Vanilla Extract: A good dessert all by themselves!
Roasted Beets: Makes ordinary beets taste tender and delicious.
Cucumber Salad: A winner at every get together.
Pork with Rosemary: My husband and I think it’s restaurant quality.
Eggplant with Cajun Seasoning: The zesty eggplant gets more attention than an ordinary veggie.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Coffee and Cocoa: A mix that’s mocha genius at any time of year.
Tilapia with Dill and Panko Bread Crumb Herb Crust: A winner.
Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Sweetness: Seasoned to perfection and lightly sweetened.
Open-Faced Sandwich with Pears and Cheese: Versatile; sometimes I use apples instead of pears and different cheeses, such as Brie or grated Parmesan.
Melon Salad: Tangy and delicious.
Yogurt with Granola and Berries: Easy to make homemade yogurt.
Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon-Pepper Seasoning and Garlic: Flavorful and an ideal accompaniment to a variety of entrees.
Steak with Salsa Verde: Add jarred salsa verde and top with freshly chopped tomato and avocado.
Homemade Crackers: Decidedly light and crispy.
Strawberry Salsa: Excellent over grilled chicken and pork or as a dip with corn chips.
Cod Fillet with Tomato Mixture: Colorful, healthy, easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.
Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Goat Cheese: It's really a side dish, but I love to eat it for lunch!
Radishes and Green Beans: Green beans and wax beans round out this dish.
Omelet with Goat Cheese: My favorite part is the goat cheese filling, which gets nice and creamy from the heat of the omelet.
Fruit Salad: Quick to prepare and disappeared from their plates even quicker.
Whole Wheat Pancakes with Banana: So sweet that you don't need syrup.
Chicken Marinated in Herby Tomato Blend: Tastes just like summer.
Salsa Served with Tortilla Chips: For another fruity option, try stirring in some diced cantaloupe or peaches when they're in season.
Lemony Fish: The lemon pulls this flavorful and healthy dish together.
Yogurt with Fruit: A tasty combo of fresh fruit and creamy orange-kissed yogurt.
Rosemary Walnuts: The use of cayenne adds an unexpected zing to the savory combo of rosemary and walnuts.
Chicken Souvlaki Wrap: A Greek dish into a breakfast wrap.

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