The best collection of 45 Quick Healthy Dinner Ideas on the web! Healthy meals with simple ingredients, kid approved and easy enough dinner recipes for beginners.
By the way, I hate “What’s for dinner?” question too. 🙂
45 Easy Dinner Ideas
Are you busy? Then 45 healthy dinner ideas to the rescue!
Hello. My name is Olena and I am a busy working mom of 2. I know your struggle – I can help you!
During the 8 years of running this blog, I have put a lot of effort in testing and creating healthy meals you can feed your family.
These 45 healthy recipes are:
- Quick: Ready in 30 minutes or less.
- Easy: Use simple ingredients.
- Kid approved: Tasty – tested on my own children.
Bookmark this link for “[email protected], what’s for dinner?” moments. And be healthy!
Healthy Meal Plans
Need help meal planning? Check out iFOODreal healthy meal plans.
Quick Links to 45 Healthy Dinner Recipes
I think it’s the best collection of easy dinner recipes on the web.
- Chicken Dinner Ideas
- Finger Food and Taco Ideas
- Healthy Skillets
- Stir Fry and Curry Recipes
- Healthy One Pot Meals
- Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes
- Healthy Salmon Recipes
Chicken Dinner Ideas
Chicken is our go-to dinner meat. I usually serve these simple chicken dishes with a side of quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat or mashed potatoes. And a simple salad like cucumber and tomato salad or lettuce salad.
Baked Chicken Breast
Baked Chicken Breast is easy, juicy and ready with 5 minutes of prep. This simple chicken breast recipe will become your go-to!
Healthy White Chicken Chili
Healthy White Chicken Chili is a 30 minute meal with chicken breast, white beans, corn, cumin and yogurt. This healthy comfort food is easy to make on the stove, crockpot or Instant Pot. A true crowd pleaser!
Chicken Breast with Tomatoes
Chicken Breast with Tomatoes with quickly seared chicken tenders, then sautéed with fresh tomatoes, garlic and oregano.
Cajun Chicken
Cajun Chicken Recipe that can be baked, pan fried or grilled. Lean chicken breast coated in easy homemade cajun seasoning for a healthy dinner with a lot of flavour.
Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
30 Minute Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps with chicken cooked in tasty savory sauce and loaded up on crispy lettuce leaves.
5 Easy Chicken Marinades
5 Easy-Easy-Easy Chicken Marinade Recipes all in one place. I bet you can make at least 3 marinades right now.
Healthy Chicken Alfredo
Healthy Chicken Alfredo with less calories and fat but so flavorful. Whole wheat noodles and veggies with delicious creamy sauce for kid approved meal.
Finger Food and Taco Ideas
Kids love anything tacos, quesadillas and burritos. Can’t get away from cheese when making those. I try to use a bit less of quality natural or organic cheese. And load these finger foods with veggies, protein and wrap in whole wheat or corn tortillas. Healthy and easy!
Chicken Tostadas
Chicken Tostadas with simple ingredients in 20 minutes. Tostada is tasty, healthy and quick dinner if you make it at home.
Shrimp Tacos
Make a weeknight meal or last minute entertainment a breeze with these Shrimp Tacos. Spicy, creamy and healthy! I even used store bought packaged slaw.
Fish Tacos
THE BEST Fish Tacos with spicy crispy battered fish, diced avocado, crunchy slaw and the best crema sauce. I promise, this healthy fish taco recipe is better than any food truck!
Chicken Tacos
30 minute Ground Chicken Tacos cooked with vegetables and all the fixings in one skillet for a healthy taco family meal. Perfect for busy weeknights and kids absolutely love these chicken tacos!
Ground Turkey Tacos
Ground Turkey Tacos are saucy, flavorful and oh-so-easy in 20 minutes. Your family will not miss the beef and ask to make them again and again. No dry turkey tacos here!
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Craving wings? Make these Buffalo Chicken Tacos smothered in Frank’s red hot sauce and dipped into homemade healthy blue cheese Greek yogurt sauce. To die for!
Chicken Quesadilla
Chicken Quesadilla with lots of veggies, less cheese, whole wheat tortillas and baked instead of fried. Only 5 ingredients! Healthy, easy and delicious Mexican food.
Vegetarian Quesadilla
Vegetarian Quesadilla with black beans, veggies and a moderate amount of cheese tucked inside a whole wheat tortilla and then baked. You can even turn this into a freezer meal for busy weeknights.
Chicken Burritos
Chicken Burrito Recipe is perfect for busy people! Meal prep 17 chicken burritos in an hour in the Instant Pot or on the stove and freeze for later. Or turn chicken burrito into a low carb burrito bowl.
Healthy Skillets
Skillets are the best! You throw everything together and adjust the taste as you go. This quick and easy healthy dinner is so hard to screw up. Skillets are great for beginner cooks. And I also love that many can be made low carb with lots of veggies, but also served with a grain.
Which skillet is best? I like to use ceramic non-stick PFOA free skillets and prefer a larger size with deep edges. Keep in mind, any non-stick coating loses its non-stick qualities after about 6 months. So, it’s not you. So far, I had the most luck with Green Pan.
Tex Mex Chicken and Zucchini
Mexican Chicken and Zucchini cooked in one skillet with black beans, corn, fresh herbs, taco seasoning and melted cheese on top. One pan and low carb supper.
Chicken, Zucchini and Corn
This Garlic Chicken Zucchini and Corn Recipe is a 20 minute healthy meal idea that was inspired by my Ukrainian roots. Low carb, easy and one pan deliciousness!
Mexican Chicken and Rice
One Pan Mexican Chicken and Rice is an easy chicken skillet recipe made with pantry staples. Rice and chicken breasts are simmered in salsa broth, then finished with gooey cheese and served with avocado.
Taco Skillet
Taco Skillet is everything you love about tacos in one pan. Easy, quick and healthy Mexican food you can make exactly the way your family likes it.
Caprese Chicken and Zucchini
Caprese Chicken and Zucchini cooked in fresh tomato sauce, with melted buffalo mozzarella cheese on top and garnished with basil. Serve on its own for easy low carb dinner or with spaghetti for a family meal.
Pesto Turkey and Zucchini Skillet
This Low Carb Ground Turkey Zucchini Skillet with Pesto is delicious 30 minute one pot family dinner idea. Minimum ingredients and effort with maximum flavour.
Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes is a 20 minute healthy pasta dinner that is a summertime must have! Zucchini and bursting baby tomatoes create a delicious sauce combined with fresh garlic and basil.
Pasta with Tomato and Broccoli
Healthy Pasta with broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and pasta of your choice in 30-ish minutes. Quick, easy and delicious weeknight food idea.
Tex Mex Skillet Sweet Potatoes
Quick and easy 30 Minute Skillet Sweet Potatoes with beans, corn, fresh lime juice and melted cheese on top. To die for healthy vegetarian dinner!
Stir Fry and Curry Recipes
My family loves curry and stir fries. Stir fries are loaded with veggies and are super healthy; especially when you make homemade stir fry sauce. You can eat stir fry on its own for a low carb meal or with a complex carb side. Healthy dinner made easy!
Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
Healthy Chicken Stir Fry is a 30 minute meal everyone will love! Veggies and chicken are thickly coated in homemade sweet and savory sauce in this chicken stir fry recipe.
Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls
Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls for a weeknight easy meal or lazy Saturday. Chock full of vegetables with twice less sodium and sugar, your kids will be going for seconds of this healthy 30 minute meal.
Salmon Stir Fry
20 Minute Salmon Stir Fry Recipe with vegetables the whole family will love! Healthy, easy and delicious.
Thai Chicken Curry
Make authentic Thai Chicken Curry in 30 minutes with simple ingredients from any grocery store.
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Cauliflower Fried Rice is healthy, low carb and and so tasty kids will think it is real rice. Ready in 15 minutes with fresh or frozen cauliflower, this will become your new favorite stir fry.
Peanut Chicken Soba Noodles
Healthy Peanut Chicken Soba Noodles Recipe with bell peppers, kale and delicious sauce. 30 minute dinner idea your family will actually eat.
Healthy Beef Stir Fry
This Beef Stir Fry is loaded with vegetables, tender juicy beef and healthy beef stir fry sauce. Homemade Chinese restaurant style dinner that comes together in 30 minutes.Serve with brown rice, quinoa or over cauliflower fried rice for a low carb meal.
Shrimp Stir Fry
Shrimp Stir Fry with sweet and succulent shrimp, crispy vegetables and homemade stir fry sauce. Serve over brown rice, spaghetti, quinoa or cauliflower rice and best dinner in the world is ready.
Healthy Beef and Broccoli
Craving Asian but not MSG? Try this Healthy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry with homemade sauce that can be on your family dinner table in 30 minutes.
Healthy One Pot and Sheet Pan Meals
These one pot and sheet pan dinners prove that healthy dinners can be flavorful without washing 3 pots. With one pan cooking it’s important to figure out the right combination of foods, so pasta doesn’t get mushy or meat not fully cooked. Below, are all tried and true one pot wonders and I’m working on more.
Steak Fajitas
Steak Fajitas with tender juicy slices of beef, onions and bell peppers cooked together on a sheet pan for a quick dinner. Healthy, easy and always a hit with the entire family!
Healthy Mac and Cheese
Healthy Mac and Cheese in one pot in 15 minutes. Creamy, cheesy and flavorful and as healthy as it gets.
Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
Roasted chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots and onion tossed in simple spices, garlic and oil. Then oven baked until chicken is juicy with crispy skin and onions are roasted. Major yum!
Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Tuscan Chicken Pasta with healthy creamy garlic sauce, sun-dried tomatoes
Quinoa, Chicken and Broccoli
One Pot Quinoa, Chicken and Broccoli is a flavourful healthy quinoa pilaf recipe ready in 30 minutes. Even quinoa cooks in the same pot.
Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
10 minute spaghetti with tomato sauce. I call it a Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe because it is easy, quick and tastes like a fancy Italian restaurant meal.
One Pan Chicken and Potatoes
One Pan Chicken and Potatoes prepared and baked with tomatoes, garlic and oregano on same sheet pan. Easy, healthy and absolutely delicious quick dinner solution for busy weeknights.
One Pot Chili Mac
One Pot Chili Mac Recipe from Thug Kitchen 101 cookbook with beer, beans, pasta, olives, spices and cheese or make it vegan, all in 30 minutes.
Ground Turkey and Broccoli Pasta
Pasta with Ground Turkey and Broccoli is 30 minute one pot meal with turkey, broccoli, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. It is one of those healthy ground turkey recipes your family will ask to make again and again.
Skillet Enchiladas
Skillet Enchiladas is a one pot meal a.k.a wonder. 30 minutes and you have lazy beef enchiladas for supper. And healthy!
Healthy Ground Turkey Dinners
It is true that ground turkey can be dry. But rest assured, I have included only the juiciest turkey recipes.
Turkey Burgers
Juicy and flavorful Turkey Burgers with 5 simple ingredients. Sumptuously moist, smack-your-lips and the best turkey burger recipe on the web!
Mexican Meatballs
Super easy and juicy Mexican Meatballs with ground turkey, baked for 15 minutes, then served with rice or as an appetizer.
Turkey Sliders
These Healthy Turkey Sliders are fast, juicy and flavourful. With a bit of bacon, cheese and traditional fixings, everyone will love wrapped in lettuce mini burgers!
Thai Meatballs
Healthy Thai Meatballs with turkey, coconut milk, red curry paste and zucchini instead of breadcrumbs. Rave reviews from EVERYONE!
Turkey Meatballs
Healthy Turkey Meatballs without breadcrumbs baked in the oven until juicy inside and golden outside. So easy, double the recipe and freeze.
Healthy Salmon Dinners
Salmon is a treat because of its price. I truly believe in eating wild salmon vs. farmed. These healthy salmon recipes are ready in under 30 minutes. And again, serve them with a whole grain and a side of veggies instead of salad for a change: corn, asparagus, butternut squash and cauliflower.
Thai Salmon
Thai Broiled Salmon with easy homemade sweet chili sauce cooked until caramelized on top and juicy inside.
Honey Garlic Salmon
Honey Garlic Salmon is the best stove top salmon recipe for busy weeknights. Juicy salmon and crispy skin make this meal crazy good!
Lime Ginger Salmon
Lime Ginger Salmon marinated in honey, lime juice and ginger, and then quickly broiled to perfection.
Baked Salmon in Foil
Easy Baked Salmon in Foil with simple seasonings in 20 minutes. Healthy, moist and delicious meal even picky eaters will enjoy.
Need More Healthy Recipes?
- Browse all 30 minute meals.
- 45 healthy Instant Pot recipes
- 45 healthy breakfast ideas
- 45 healthy salad recipes
- 40 healthy chicken recipes
- 35 healthy soup recipes
- 30 quinoa recipes
- 30 healthy zucchini recipes
- 10 healthy freezer meals
45 Quick Healthy Dinner Ideas: Chicken Tostadas
One of my most popular quick and healthy dinner recipes. These Chicken Tostadas are so tasty and satisfying. And the best part is that you can make these in only 20 minutes with simple ingredients!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 tostadas 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas or tostada shells
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced
- 4 medium avocados, diced
- 3 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Juice of 1 lime
- 15 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups shredded chicken (like rotisserie or chicken breast)
- 1/2 cup feta or Cotija cheese, crumbled
- Cooking spray (I use Misto)
Instructions
- Tostada shells: Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat and place tortillas in a single layer. Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and a sprinkle of salt. Bake at 400 degrees F for 6 minutes per side.
- Guacamole salsa: Mix tomato, avocado, red onion, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt and lime juice.
- Assemble tostadas: Top each shell with guacamole salsa, beans, chicken and cheese.
Notes
- I like making my own tostada shells, but you can use pre-made.
- You can substitute refried beans for black beans.
- In this recipe, adjust the amount of salt in the guacamole salsa to taste. Add more or less depending on the salt content in the homemade chicken, canned beans or store-bought tostada shells.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Love these ideas! Just started clean eating and couldn’t need more help lol.
★★★★★
I found your site about a month ago. I’m a working mom who is in school at night. Eating healthy has been difficult when I’m crunched for time. But then I found this amazing list of meals! I’ve made 11 of these meals in the past three weeks and my family is in love. My husband and my girls almost always go back for seconds. Having leftovers is awesome because it cuts down on how many meals I have to cook. And the best part is my hubby and I have both lost a few pounds. I have shared this site with many of my mom friends and they all love it too. Thank you so much!
Awe, this is the best compliment I could have ever received. SO SO happy to hear I could help! Good luck with school and all the best!:) Thank you so much for sharing!!!
dear olena,i am a type 2 diabetic on a limited income and i am trying to find something that is cost effective and good please help
I am starting to cook dinners for my family I need to cook healthy which recipes are suitable for children but are easy enough to cook. Can you recommend any for me please.
Hi Ella. Yes, I can try. Depends how not picky your kids are. It’s really hard to say because what I might consider kid friendly, your kids won’t eat YET. Like do they eat quinoa? Salmon? You can start with Chicken and Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Veggie Mac and Cheese Muffins, Ground Chicken Burgers. I suggest you enter ingredient your kids like in a Search box at the top right hand corner of my website, like let’s say “pasta” or “chicken”, and see what your kids might like.:) Also, I shared my journey how I made my kids eat what we eat.:)
I just stumbled upon your blog and oh my! Cannot wait to try these recipes! They look amazing and bonus for being clean!! Thanks!
Enjoy, Shana! Let me know what you make.:)
Love all these recipes, I want to make them all! Is there a way to print them all at one time? Thanks for posting these, even if I have to open 1 at a time, I’m printing them all!
Sorry Sonya, unfortunately not. I wish! Glad you like what you see. Happy healthy cooking!!!
Thanks so much for responding. No worries, I’ll print them individually! Gotta have em!
Thanks for sharing your healthy cooking recipes with us . These recipes helps alot to me , I definetly try these recipes. Thans again.Keep posting like this.
This is a great collection! There are so many I will be trying this coming week. Great variety of vegetarian and meaty. My daughter (vegetarian) and I made the green spring rolls last night and she was speechless as she ate, as in she was in food ecstasy! Next is the saucy green beans…I think I will do it minus chicken and hope it won’t lack flavor, but I have green beans I need to use, and want my daughter to be able to eat it. After that is the kale tacos. Whoa. Those look amazing. Just need to find some decent tortillas. Thanks!! I would give you a huge hug if I could!
Hi Dana. Yay! That peanut sauce is good, I agree. The whole concept of dipping fresh veggies into peanut sauce is amazeballs. I know!
As for the green beans you should be OK w/o chicken as long as you use good quality pasta sauce. No problem.
Big hug to you too for eating GOOD FOOD! It blows my mind what people eat around me. Poison! Sad it is majority. Especially kids! I can’t invite most of my kids’ friends for dinner because they won’t eat normal food we eat. And I refuse to cook specifically for them. So good for you teaching your kid the right thing!
I love the huge selection of dinner recipes. I want to try a bunch of these. Thanks for sharing!
OMG!! I cannot WAIT to try all these meals!! This is the best list of clean meals I’ve found!! I’ll be sharing it with my momma friends for sure!! THANK YOU!!! And, I 100% agree that wine is the best dessert! 🙂
Hi Caitlan. LOL a momma hears a momma. Thank you so much for sharing and enjoy!
Found your site through Pinterest, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to try these. I eat so well all day (literally 6AM-6PM) but as soon as I get to dinner, I end up eating double to triple the amount of calories I’ve eaten over the course of the rest of he day. Can’t wait to try a bunch of these and find some good, healthy, go-to dinners!
Hi Amanda. First of all, I am glad you found me. Second of all, maybe I can help with my advice. Do you eat mostly vegetables and low carbs during the day? I rarely find myself too hungry for dinner and am OK with a moderate dinner and no dessert after. I eat a small serving of complex carbs, protein, fats and lots of veggies for dinner. Throughout the day I eat well and make sure more than light fruits and veggies. I eat complex carbs and a lot of fats. So, I am not hungry by dinner time. There must be a reason why you do that…
I found you through Pinterest, you’re very popular there! I typically have a protein shake with breakfast (Vega brand). Then I have a small snack before lunch, like some fruit, string cheese, or vegetables. For lunch I was having a whole wheat English muffin with 2 eggs, but since I have been using your recipes I have been having leftovers for lunch (I saw on your site that you do the same, hence the large batches of food, usually 6 servings). Then for dinner I was just making poor choices. I wasn’t necessarily eating a lot to reach that many calories, just eating things I shouldn’t have (pizza is my kryptonite!!!). I’ve been doing very well since finding your site and have lost 10 lbs, more than I’ve even been able to achieve before! I was having a hard time making creative, healthy dinners. I would get sick of chicken breast with a side of veggies and end up eating something I shouldn’t have. But I find myself very satisfied after eating one of your meals, as they are flavorful and delicious. You’ve been a huge help in my lifestyle change! Thank you!
Haha, sounds funny to me that I am popular somewhere. Like a Hollywood star which I am not at all.
Good for you! Yes, large batches of food help you make smart lunch and dinner choices. Sounds like it is just a matter of cooking healthy for your successful weight loss. Then you won’t make poor food choices. You are very welcome and keep up the good work. It is really all about food and treats in moderation. Diets don’t work! If you crave pizza that much try to have a slice for lunch, and just a slice, and eat slowly. I eat a slice of kid’s pizza at times. I would also make lunches more like dinner then you would be less hungry for dinner thus eating less before bedtime when you are not using that much energy and extra calories will turn more likely into fat.
These all look so good! I’m definitely going to be trying many of them, starting with the Garlic Chicken, zucchini and corn tomorrow night 🙂
Let me know.:)
Simple and delicious-sounding recipes. My sons and I do Blood Type A eating and most of them fit right in with our food lists. Can’t wait to try them!
Let me know which ones you guys try.:)
I’ve started clean eating as of the first of the year, and I love it!! Thank you so much for all of your recipes because it has mDe my journey much easier. My only
problem is I want to make all of them in one week. I’m a teacher, and I was wondering if you have clean eating lunch ideas?
Hi Amanda. Good for you!!! As for lunch we usually have dinner leftovers. That is why my large serving recipes lol. When fridge is empty, some clean eating lunch ideas are canned tuna or salmon, edamame beans, canned Amy’s organic soup.
I have so many recipe ideas I want to make and so little time so I hear you.:) I think it is like this when it comes to anything lol.
Thank you so much for your 30 minute meals or less. I have been looking for healthy, quick meals for my family during the holiday season and here they are. I am going to make so many of these for my in laws who are coming in for the holidays. Thank you so much for your blog. I love it and can’t wait to make all of your recipes. Happy Holidays!!!!
Hi Kayla. You are welcome. Glad you can use them. This is such a busy time of the year, I can barely keep up with dinners not to mention cookies. Happy Holidays! I have my mom for 2 weeks and I think will be making many of these recipes myself.