Last updated on September 15th, 2021 at 05:47 pm
Did you know takeout isn’t the only way to get food on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes? Shocking I know! Today I want to share some of my favorite easy and healthy dinner recipes that are super delicious and quick!
Perfect for weeknight dinner, but tasty enough to make when you have more time as well. This little roundup features healthy dinner ideas with chicken, fish and shellfish, ground beef dinner recipes, low carb dinners, as well as vegan and vegetarian dinner ideas.
Most of these 30-minute meals are dinner recipes for two, but if you have a bigger family you can easily adapt the recipe, so that everyone gets to eat clean, at least for dinner during the week! And if you’re looking for dinner ideas for one, well, then lucky future you – you’re getting a healthy meal tomorrow too!
How To Make A Healthy Dinner Every Day
My best tip on making a healthy dinner is to keep things simple and be prepared! Before you start the week make a meal plan or at least think of 2-3 quick dinner recipes you’d like to make during that week. Here’s an example of the last healthy meal plan I made.
I like to make dinner in 20-30 minutes and usually serve a salad to go along, as I feel a meal isn’t complete without some fresh vegetables. I know, we’re all different, but if your goal is to make a healthy dinner, make sure to get in some vegetables as well.
To make a meal plan you can use a template like this one (don’t forget to use the code NTB20 to get 20% off). It allows you to plan your meals, create a weekly grocery list and even write down favorite recipes by using the recipe card.
Then, once you’ve planned everything, go food shopping and stick to whole foods. Avoid sauces with too many ingredients you don’t know and processed foods (even those that seem to be the healthier option).
Healthy Foods To Eat For Dinner
A healthy dinner can have many different ingredients, depending on what you’re making but here are the main food groups you wanna look for:
- Fruits and vegetables – choose what’s in season right now and buy fresh or frozen.
- Whole grains and legumes – foods like lentils, beans, chickpeas, quinoa, rice for some more fiber and protein in your meals
- Nuts, seeds and their butters – nuts and seeds are great in salads and you can use the nut and seed butters to make tasty sauces. Pair with some garlic, lemon, mustard or tamari sauce and you’d be surprised how good these taste!
- Animal protein (if you’re not vegan) – chicken, salmon, shrimp, yogurt, cheese and eggs (if you’re not allergic to dairy, fish, shellfish or eggs of course)
- Herbs and spices. Do not forget to spice up your dishes – it makes a huge difference.
Healthy Dinner Weekly Meal Prep
If you’re like me, you probably don’t like eating the same thing every day of the week. It’s just, food is how you make life more exciting, right? That seems like a healthy attitude. Well, if you do want to meal prep for the week, here’s what I’d suggest:
- Chop vegetables ahead. You can do this with peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce and so many more vegetables that aren’t juicy and won’t spoil fast. Put them in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
- Prepare ingredients, not entire meals. You can speed things up a ton in the kitchen by roasting some sweet potatoes or other vegetables you like, cooking some rice or quinoa and cooking protein like chicken or salmon.
- Prepare sauces & dips. I love making some hummus, tzatziki or this roasted vegetable dip. These are great to use in bowls and on the side with some salad.
Now here are some of my go-to quick recipes – I make a variation of these every month and love them.
Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes
Mediterranean Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 338
These are the perfect lighter weeknight dinner! Full of flavor, and so good! Recipe here.
15-Minute Quinoa & Chicken Fried Rice
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 443
You can make this more nutrient-dense variation of chicken fried rice in no time with some cooked quinoa! Recipe here.
Mediterranean Chicken Dinner Skillet
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 352
This is one of my favorite recipes that also happens to be super underrated! It’s made with chicken, roasted eggplant, tons of other vegetables, garlic and feta cheese. It’s excellent with some toasted bread and salad on the side. Recipe here.
Quick and Easy Chicken Egg Roll In A Bowl
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 474
This is a pretty cheap healthy dinner with chicken, cabbage, carrots, garlic and tamari sauce. Recipe here.
Amazing Mediterranean Chicken Wraps
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 488
This recipe is so good! The wrap is filled with chicken, garlicky yogurt sauce, hummus and a simple salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado. Fresh, easy and tasty! Recipe here.
Healthy Chicken Macaroni
Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories:444
You can use any type of pasta you want here, I recommend whole grain, but the original recipe uses quick cooking macaroni. If you do use whole grain pasta, the recipe will probably take 10 minutes longer, which is okay, because you’ll still be done in 20 minutes. Recipe here.
Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
Tomato Basil Quinoa Risotto
Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 458
This simple meatless dinner recipe is for one and is made with cooked quinoa, fresh tomatoes, cheese, garlic and zucchini and is absolutely delicious! Recipe here.
Spicy Mediterranean Bowls
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 355
Use canned chickpeas, avocado, olives and vegetables to make this delicious vegan power bowl. The chickpeas are spicy, the hummus is fluffy and the recipe is super satisfying! It’s a great meal prep dinner too! Recipe here.
Addictive Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ready in: 25 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 445
I’ve been hesitating to try using cauliflower as rice for years, but once I did, I cannot stop! This is the healthier low-carb version of my favorite weeknight dinner: vegetable fried rice. It’s made with riced cauliflower, carrots, tamari, garlic and eggs! Super easy to make from scratch too! Recipe here.
20-Minute Chickpea Soup
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 298
Sometimes I forget how comforting soups can be for dinner! They’re light, but also really satiating. This is a healthy vegan soup made with chickpeas, onions, tomato and a few other simple ingredients. Recipe here.
Easy Vegetarian Quinoa Fried Rice
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 484
Another healthy vegetarian version of fried rice! This time made with cooked quinoa, so good! Recipe here.
Mediterranean Chickpea Wraps
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 485
I love wraps! This one is filled with spicy chickpeas, hummus, a garlicky sauce and a fresh salad and it’s just so perfect. To make it gluten free, use gluten free tortillas, to make it lighter, serve on lettuce leaves. Recipe here.
The Best Avocado Chickpea Salad
Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 404
If you want to finish your day feeling lilghter and refreshed, I recommend a salad! This avocado chickpea salad is perfect for dinner as well. Recipe here.
30-Minute Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 281
Speaking of light, you’ll love this coconut-y creamy and delicious lentil soup! Recipe here.
Healthy Fish and Shellfish Dinner Recipes
Super Tasty Salmon Bowl
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 580
One of my absolute favorite things to make with salmon! Filling, super healthy and incredibly delicious! Recipe here.
15-Minute Spicy Shrimp and Quinoa
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 468
Fast, tasty and really easy quinoa recipe with spicy shrimp and vegetables. This is the perfect weeknight dinner when you have some cooked quinoa and frozen shrimp! Recipe here.
Mediterranean Salmon Wraps
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 567
Use tortillas of choice to make these amazing samon wraps at home! They are made with salmon, a tzatziki sauce and a tasty avocado salad. Recipe here.
Salmon and Shrimp Risotto
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 443
If you love one-pan rice dishes you are also going to love this risotto, it makes a lot, so it’s a great family-friendly recipe. Recipe here.
Healthy Dinner Ideas With Ground Beef
Beef and Broccoli Fried Quinoa
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 372
This is such a satisfying ground beef recipe! You can use any vegetables you have, some cooked quinoa and dinner is ready in 20 minutes. Recipe here.
Healthy Cabbage & Ground Beef Stir-Fry
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 472
Use up your cabbage and other vegetables in this tasty meal with ground beef, spicy, flavorful, hearty and so quick! The recipe is here.
Healthy Greek Meatball Bowls
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 532
Healthy, flavorful and fresh this ground beef recipe is a great option when you want to switch things up! Recipe here.
Quick Low Carb Dinner Recipes
Garlic Shrimp In Tomato Sauce
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 445
5 ingredients! Yes this wonderful meal is made with just 5 things: shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, dill and olive oil. Recipe here.
Healing Turkey Mushroom Soup
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 310
If you’re looking for a lighter recipe to reduce inflammation, try this healthy soup with ground turkey and mushrooms! It tastes so good and is ready in no time. Recipe here.
Low Carb Avocado Chicken Salad
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 578
This chicken salad is filled with avocado, greens, olives and is satisfying, fresh and healthy. Recipe here.
Spicy Shrimp Stir-Fry
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 289
Use broccoli, frozen shrimp, green beans and vegetables you have at home to make this for dinner! Recipe here.
Spicy Ground Turkey Cauliflower Rice
Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 443
Such a tasty lower carb dinner – the cauliflower rice with ground turkey is spicy, flavorful and also quite healthy! Recipe here.
Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup
Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 358
This soup is a delightful soup and it’s spicy, satisfying, creamy, sweet and savory at the same time. Love the lemon grass in there, it’s so light any time of the year. Recipe here.
I hope you get some inspiration and some new healthy and easy dinner ideas!
More Healthy Recipes:
- 30 Healthy Breakfasts You Can Eat On The Go
- 20 Healthy Cold Lunches To Take To Work
- 20 Easy and Healthy Snack Ideas
30-Minute Healthy Dinner Recipes
A collection of easy and healthy dinner recipes that are super delicious and really fast! These 30-minute healthy meals are great weeknight dinner ideas and include dinner recipes with chicken, ground beef, fish and shellfish, as well as low carb and vegetarian dinner ideas! Enjoy!
Ingredients
SALMON
- 12oz / 350g salmon filet
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp basil, dried
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- pinch of salt
SALAD
- 2 cucumbers, chopped
- ⅓ cup olives
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeno slices (optional)
- 4 tbsp parsley, thinly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1 cup arugula
- ½ lemon, juice of
- 1 tsp olive oil
- pinch of salt
TZATZIKI
- 1 cup yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cucumber
- pinch of salt
For the Salmon Wraps
- 4 small tortillas
Instructions
- Gently rub the salmon with some dried basil, garlic and black pepper. Cook the salmon in a pan on both sides until golden brown (about 5-6 minutes on each side). Once the salmon is done, break the filets in smaller, bite-sized pieces with a fork. (You can also cut them or choose to pre-cut them before cooking, but that would make more flipping).
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients by thinly chopping 1/2 cucumber for the tzatziki, roughly chopping 2 more cucumbers for the salad, peel and chop a ripe avocado, thinly chop parsley, arugula, olives, mince garlic and juice a lemon.
- For the tzatziki use a small bowl to combine the Greek yogurt with garlic, salt and cucumber.
- Add the roughly chopped cucumbers, avocado, arugula, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, jalapeno, olives, olive oil and salt to a bowl and mix.
- Fill a tortilla or a flatbread with some of the salmon, salad and tzatziki. Wrap and enjoy!
Notes
For more details, you can find the original recipe here.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 509Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 582mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 7gSugar: 7gProtein: 29g
