Quick and easy family food ideas

10 Simple Dinner Ideas for Healthy Eating in Real Life

You might believe that making healthy, delicious dinners at home is a difficult task, but I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be.

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Even though I love food and enjoy cooking, I prefer to keep mealtimes simple.
This includes selecting recipes that are simple to prepare and do not require complicated cooking techniques or seemingly endless steps.

Here are ten of my favourite quick dinner recipes to help you get a healthy meal on the table quickly.

Curry

Curry is a smart choice for a quick, filling dinner because it’s versatile, easy to make, and family-friendly. Plus, eating curry regularly may help improve your health by reducing heart disease risk factors, including high triglyceride and blood sugar levels.

I like whipping up a warming chickpea and sweet potato curry during the winter months and serving it over rice or quinoa.

Many curry recipes take 30 minutes or less to prepare.

Burgers

Burgers are a great choice for families because they’re simple to make and sure to please even the pickiest of taste buds.

Even though beef burgers are a popular choice, you can make burgers out of just about any protein source, including ground chicken, salmon, tuna, and lentils.

My husband makes a delicious chicken burger, and I like to serve it with a large salad and roasted sweet potato fries.

You can serve your burgers on a hearty whole grain bun, in a lettuce wrap, or on top of a bed of greens to suit your dietary needs.

One-pot soups

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.

I like making soups that require only one pot because this means less time cleaning up.

Whole roasted chicken

Even though roasting a whole chicken may take some time, it couldn’t be any simpler. Check out this guide on how to roast a perfect chicken.

When I roast whole chickens, I stuff the bottom of the roasting pan with potato wedges, onions, and carrot chunks so the veggies cook along with the chicken.

When your chicken is done roasting, let it rest for 15 minutes before carving it.

Loaded brown rice pasta

Most everyone loves a good pasta dish, but most pasta dishes don’t contain the necessary ingredients, such as protein and fiber, to keep you feeling satisfied.

Fortunately, using a few simple tips can help you create a filling and nutritious pasta dinner in no time.

First, choose your pasta. I am a big fan of Tinkyada brown rice pasta, but you can use any pasta you like. You can also use zucchini noodles in place of pasta if you’re following a lower carb dietary pattern.

Next, pick a source of protein. I like to use chicken breast or ground chicken or, if I want plant-based protein, I will add chickpeas.

Next, choose your veggies. I love a classic combo of spinach and broccoli, but almost any vegetable will work. Lastly, pick a sauce, such as pesto, marinara, or olive oil.

Grain bowls

Grain bowls are a hit in my kitchen. My husband and I love how simple and adaptable grain bowls are and frequently prepare this dinner when we’re craving a flavorful yet easy-to-prepare meal.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, use gluten-free grains like quinoa and brown rice. However, you can use any grain you want for grain bowls, including farro, millet, and barley.

Grains provide an important source of fiber and other nutrients like magnesium. Studies have found that diets rich in grains are linked to a lower risk of several health conditions, including colon cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (2Trusted Source).

To prepare a grain bowl, top a serving of cooked grains with cooked or raw veggies and a protein source like chicken, fried or hard-boiled eggs, grilled shrimp, or salmon.

Then top it with a store-bought or homemade dressing, or keep it simple with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.

For example, this Green Goddess Buddha Bowl uses an irresistible combination of brown rice, roasted broccoli, sugar snap peas, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a creamy yogurt-based sauce.

Here are a few more grain bowl recipes that make a perfect dinner option for nights when you’re short on time:

Stuffed sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are loaded with beneficial nutrients like beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber

Plus, they’re delicious and pair well with just about anything. This makes them the perfect base on which to build a filling meal.

At my house, we prepare stuffed sweet potatoes at least once a week. I roast a whole sweet potato, then stuff it with ingredients like sautéed veggies, beans, chicken, and cheese.

This meal is super versatile, and you can choose from a variety of flavor combinations. You can try out one of the simple recipes below or wing it and simply pile your favorite ingredients onto a roasted sweet potato.

Veggie loaded frittatas

When you have chickens like I do, eggs make their way into more than just breakfast meals. We regularly use eggs as the protein source for quick and tasty dinners, including frittatas.

Eggs have you covered when it comes to healthy fat and protein, so all you need to do is add a variety of your favorite veggies to cover your fiber needs.

Some of my favorite vegetables to use in frittatas include asparagus, spinach, sweet potatoes, zucchini, onions, broccoli florets, mushrooms, and tomatoes. You can also add in ingredients like cheese, herbs, spices, or pesto to give your frittata extra flavor.

You can even use leftovers like salmon, shredded chicken, and potatoes in your frittata.

I like to serve frittata with some sliced avocado or fresh fruit. It’s a filling meal that you can enjoy at any time of the day or night. Frittatas are super simple to make, and you can whip them up in under an hour.

Dinner salad

A large, filling salad is one of my go-to dinners, especially when I’m not feeling up to putting time into a meal.

The problem with most salads is that they’re not well composed, and you end up feeling hungry again just a short while after finishing your meal. The key to making a hearty dinner salad is making sure that you include plenty of protein, healthy fats, and fiber.

Start with a base of your favorite greens, such as spinach, mixed greens, arugula, kale, or romaine. Add a few more veggies, such as peppers, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, or red onions, to your greens to bump up the fiber content.

Then choose a protein source like grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or hard-boiled eggs. Adding a fiber-rich carb source, such as beans or roasted sweet potatoes, will bump the fullness factor even higher.

Top your creation with roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a crunchy texture, then drizzle it with a healthy dressing like olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or follow this recipe for Homemade Green Goddess Dressing.

Sheet pan meals

If you’re not a fan of cleaning dishes, this idea is for you.

Most recipes require you to use 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.