What Is A Healthy Dinner To Have

, keeping us full and motivated all day long. But then dinner comes along, and it’s a whole other story. We know it’s way easier to control your health when you do your own cooking, but lots of nights, it’s just too easy to turn to frozen meals or takeout. Take inspiration from these 80 healthy dinner recipes to keep your momentum going every night of the week—we believe in you!

We know health looks different to different people, so we’ve included options for every diet, like low carb, vegan, pescatarian, or gluten-free. We’ve also included meals for home cooks of all skill levels, so we’ve got you whether you’re a master chef or a novice, whether your kitchen is full of gadgets or you’re working with one bowl and one knife (we’ve ALL been there).

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When it comes to eating “healthier, ” we’re ALL about the swaps. Want to make your dinner low carb? Lean on superheroes cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, and lettuce wraps to keep you satisfied, without the bread or noodles. Check out our loaded cauliflower bake, our cabbage wrap brats, our zucchini lattice lasagna, or our low-carb Big Macs for ideas to see how easy (and yummy!) it is to ditch the carbs.

What Does A Healthy Dinner Look Like?

Looking for plant-based or vegetarian options? Swap out sausage for tempeh, like in our tempeh and broccoli rabe orecchiette; veggies for chicken, like in our vegan pizza or our cabbage Parmesan; beans for ground beef, like in our vegetarian chili; or tofu for shrimp, like in our tofu stir-fry. Once you get on board with the alt protein options out there, we bet you won’t even miss the meat.Speaking of, are you trying to avoid the red stuff? You can easily swap leaner ground meat in for beef, like in our turkey burgers or our spicy turkey sausage and kale chili.

Want some healthy inspiration for after the meal? Check out our top healthy cookies, our favorite fruit desserts, and our top vegan desserts too.

It's true—we can't get enough of stuffed peppers, especially since it's our favorite way to add a veggie boost to classic weeknight dinners. For this recipe, we decided to fit everything you love about our caprese chicken—chicken breasts, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, balsamic—all into these gorgeous stuffed peppers for a satisfying (and eye-catching) meal.

Minutes Or Less Healthy Dinner Meal Plan Week Of 3/2/2020

We love our classic baked salmon recipe, but sometimes we want to jazz things up. To do so, we created a Greek-salad inspired topping of marinated feta, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, red onion, and dill. Put it all together, and the result is an under-an-hour dinner that’s special-occasion worthy.

This totally delicious mashup of coconut rice and Thai basil chicken gets dinner done in one skillet and brings all the flavors of Thai cuisine you crave into your home with ingredients you can find in most grocery stores.

Looking to spice up taco night? Call in the roasted cauliflower. Loaded with crisp cabbage slaw and drizzled with a tangy lime crema, these richly spiced meatless tacos promise to shake up your weeknight dinner routine for good this year.

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This recipe will convert any (alleged) tofu haters in your household. In this vegetarian version of a Chinese-American favorite, oven-baked tofu gets tossed in a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce along with crisp-tender broccoli, then topped with toasty sesame seeds and scallions. With just a few minutes of hands-on time and a side of steamed white rice, you’ll be on your way to a saucy, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.

Cabbage rolls just became a viable weeknight dinner with this quicker to make skillet dinner, which skips the cabbage rolling and gets dinner directly on the table. It’s less work yet the payoff of a comforting home-cooked meal all the same.

While we love classic turkey chili, when we're looking to spice things up, we turn to this recipe. Spicy ground turkey, red bell peppers, cannellini beans, tomatoes, and kale all combine for a cozy soup that will warm you up all winter long.

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Quick And Healthy Dinner Ideas

Piled high with a variety of creamy and sharp cheeses, slices of cured meats, and tangy and briny marinated veggies, antipasto platters are a beautiful sight to behold. Selfishly, we want to enjoy the flavors of antipasto in as many ways as possible, so we made a showstopping salad inspired by an antipasto platter that is fit for a special occasion (or just dinner).

With only 5 ingredients these black bean tostadas are the easiest and fastest healthy meal to throw together. You can always add on additional toppings like corn salsa, avocado ranch, or endless crunchy veggies like radishes or pickled red onions, but here we keep things simple.

Attention, Sweetgreen lovers! Your regular weekday dinner is about to get an instant upgrade. Loaded with roast chicken, sweet potato, and that signature balsamic vinaigrette, our copycat version of Sweetgreen’s beloved harvest bowl will make your favorite takeout option an everyday reality.

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We think cabbage is one of the great unsung heroes of the vegetable world. It’s ultra-nutritious, affordable, and with a little effort, can be incredibly delicious. Here we sear big wedges of cabbage, then simmer them along with chickpeas, in a savory and slightly spicy coconut broth. You’ll be amazed how this humble vegetable is transformed into something to brag about.

While we’re all about switching things up, when we want a tried-and-true perfect meal, we always go back to the Chipotle chicken burrito bowl. It’s classic, reliable, and, best of all, completely customizable depending on our mood.

Healthy

This hands-off eggplant Parm hits all the notes of our favorite fried (or baked!) versions, minus all the deep frying. Avoid sugar-y pasta sauces and choose one with the fewest ingredients, or make your own marinara sauce (it's easier than you'd think).

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Fried rice is a classic and comforting recipe that everyone loves…except maybe those who are trying to eat less rice. So, we created this spin on the fave that subs cauliflower for rice, while still crushing the flavor game. Whether you’re skipping carbs, trying to eat more vegetables, or are just looking for a lighter side dish so you can eat more orange chicken (relatable!), this cauliflower fried rice is for you.

Coating flaky cod in taco seasoning, then air frying creates a crispy, crazy flavorful skin that tastes nearly as good as fried fish (without tons of oil or breading). Pair it with some jalapeños, red cabbage, cheese, and a simple avocado salsa for the quickest taco night ever.

If you're craving a comforting dinner that's also vegan, look no further. This curry is bursting with flavors inspired by chana masala, bolstered by hearty sweet potatoes—it's so delicious, no one will miss the meat.

Secretly Healthy Dinner Meal Plan Week Of 1/4/2021

When it comes to healthy salads, none are more hearty than a taco salad. Load it up with veggies, cheese, and ground beef for the perfect satisfying meal. We love this classic version, but if you want to get fancy, feel free to swap in and out your fave toppings.

Cheap,

Craving chicken Parm but trying to eat less meat? This cabbage recipe is about to blow your mind. It's even Italian mother-approved!

A good sauce changes everything, and this green goddess dressing is one of our favorites yet. The veggies here are interchangeable, but in the spirit of goddess dressing, we think green is the way to go. Roasted asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are all good choices.

Healthy Dinner Ideas: Easy Recipes Ready Quickly

Butternut squash is toothsome and savory, kale is earthy and green, and coconut milk wraps everything here in a delicious, creamy sauce. The curry spice adds a little warm punch to each spoonful, while a squeeze of lime juice and fresh parsley brighten each bite, cutting out some of the richness.