Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes
These easy healthy dinner recipes are delicious, simple, and quick. See our Recipes page at the bottom of this article for more good ideas.
Healthy meals should taste yummy and be quick and easy to make — especially when your time is limited. Here are five easy healthy dinner recipes that are tasty and can be prepared quickly.
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Gazpacho
It’s like a liquid summer salad that’s rich in antioxidants. Plus, it’s quick to make and quite refreshing on a hot summer day. You can serve with whole-wheat French bread or baked corn chips. It makes six bowls of soup.
Ingredients
- 5 large ripe tomatoes
- 1 large peeled cucumber with the seeds removed
- 2 medium-sized peppers (you can use red, orange, or yellow)
- ½ of small Vidalia onion, chopped
- Small bunch of fresh cilantro (about 7-8 sprigs)
- 4 cups of tomato juice
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
Dice tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion, and cilantro. Place them in a blender or food processor.
Add a quarter of the tomato juice and blend until mixture is slightly chunky.
Pour blended ingredients into a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the tomato juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Chill or serve in chilled bowls.
Smoked salmon and potato salad
Salmon is a heart-healthy food that lowers cholesterol. This easy healthy dinner recipe serves four, and you can make it in less than 30 minutes. This recipe is from Slimming World.
Ingredients
- 1-pound bag baby white or Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 10 ounces of sliced smoked salmon, slices cut in half
- 2 heads of Boston lettuce, cut into ribbons
- 2 cups mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup small dill pickles, chopped
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
For the dressing
- ½ cup fat-free plain yogurt
- ¼ level cup fat-free mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
- ½ level tsp Dijon mustard
Directions
Put potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover. Add a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, partially covered, for 10 – 12 minutes, or until tender.
Drain in a colander and cool under cold water. Drain again and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the smoked salmon, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, scallions, pickles, and capers to the potatoes.
Toss gently, until the ingredients are mixed. Add black pepper.
To make the dressing, whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the dressing on the side.
Spaghetti squash with tomato sauce
Did you know that one cup of cooked spaghetti squash is only 42 calories, while one cup of cooked pasta made from wheat contains 220 calories? Spaghetti squash is also low in carbohydrates and is packed with vitamin A, B vitamins, and potassium. It also contains omega-3 and 6, which helps lower cholesterol. It’s a delicious and easy addition to any healthy dinner recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 (3 pound) spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 5 tablespoons of shredded pecorino Romano cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half the long way and scoop out and discard the seeds
Coat a baking sheet with olive oil and place the cut squash halves face down. You can add a few drops of water onto the sheet. Bake for one hour or until tender.
Heat the remainder of the olive oil in a saucepan and add garlic. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup of basil.
Cool the squash to room temperature and scrap the inside removing the squash. You will have spaghetti-like strands.
Divide the squash onto 6 plates and top with the tomato mixture. Top each portion with the remaining basil and serve with the cheese on the side.
Tofu and mushroom noodle stir-fry
Stir-frying food uses very little oil, which makes the food low in fat and calories. Tofu is low in fat, contains no cholesterol, and is rich in protein, iron, and calcium. This recipe, which serves 4 and takes 30 minutes to make, is from Slimming World.
Ingredients
- Pinch of salt to a large pot of water
- ¾ pound of dried udon noodles
- 1 (12 ounce) box of firm tofu
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 inch piece of peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ red chili pepper, seeded and minced
- ¼ pound each of shiitake and enoki mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
- ¼ pound snow peas, trimmed with the strings removed (cut in half lengthwise)
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Once it boils, add the noodles, and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain. Return noodles to pot, covered to keep warm.
Drain the tofu and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Add olive oil to a nonstick wok or deep skillet and place over medium heat. Add the ginger, chili, and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
Add the mushrooms, zucchini, carrot, and snow peas. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until vegetables become tender. Add the scallions and soy sauce. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. If your pan gets dry, add 2 tsp of water.
Add the drained noodles, tofu and one more tsp of water and stir fry for another minute to heat everything up.
Dish out onto plates and top with scallions.
Slow cooker chicken with pineapple
This recipe serves 8.
Prep time is just 15 minutes. The slow cooker does most of the work. If you put your slow cooker on high, it will be done in 4 hours. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts, which are low in fat. The pineapple is loaded with vitamin C.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (16-ounce) jar of tomato salsa (hot, medium, or mild)
- 1 20-ounce can of pineapple chunks in 100 percent juice
- 3 medium sized zucchini, diced
Directions
Place the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker and cover with salsa. Cook on high for 4 hours. Shred the chicken.
Add the pineapple, 2/3 cup of the juice, and zucchini to the slow cooker for an additional 30 minutes or until the zucchini is soft.
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Updated:  
May 19, 2023
Reviewed By:  
Janet O’Dell, RN