63 Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes Perfect for Quick Weeknight Meals

Nutritious dishes that the whole family will love!

roasted mediterranean shrimp bowl with red onion, rice, tomatoes, olives and lemon
Mike Garten

If you hear healthy dinner recipes and immediately feel disappointed, it's time to rethink your definition of healthy. Our good-for-you options include hearty stews, piles of pasta, tacos, soups, fresh salads, healthy chicken dinners and so much more. The secret? Focus on the ingredients you include in each dish and pack in the produce, especially non-starchy vegetables and fruit. Opt for whole grains and complex carbohydrates over white refined carbohydrates, as well as low-fat and fat-free dairy, plus lean protein sources (think: fish fillets, chicken breasts, turkey or eggs). Say "yes" to beans, legumes, unsalted nuts, fresh herbs and dry spices. Now is the time to discover your new favorite veggies and experiment with different cooking methods (air fryer, anyone?)! We're sharing our best healthy dinners (with several low-calorie meals) to hopefully help you feel inspired to try something new. Plus, a lot of these recipes can also work if you are looking for a healthier lunch option.

The majority of these recipes are ready in less than 30 minutes, so it's easier-than-ever to whip something nutritious up when you're short on time. Plus, many meals are made with budget-friendly ingredients like healthy canned foods and frozen vegetables. And, we included easy dinner ideas for every season, so you can save even more money by cooking with locally grown, in-season produce. Just base your menu on what you find at the farmers' market or on sale at the store that day. We also made sure to feature dishes that fit into a variety of diets, which include vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, and gluten-free dinners — so you're covered, no matter your preferred eating style (or dietary restrictions!). Plus, we even have the perfect healthy dishes for two if looking for date night inspo ideas. All of these recipes have one thing in common, though: They make it easier (and tastier!) to eat healthier.

So, here is proof that you can have food that is both nutritious and delicious. Now, who's hungry?

air fryer salmon flatbreads with green salad on the side
Mike Garten
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Air Fryer Salmon Flatbreads

Raise your hand if you don't have an air fryer, yet. If your hand is up, go ahead and use it to order one of the best air fryers online stat. This popular countertop appliance is the secret to cooking up crispy foods sans the oil — plus, it makes flaky, tender fish in no time at all.

Get the Air Fryer Salmon Flatbreads recipe.

RELATED: 46 Easy Air Fryer Recipes That Are Fast and Super Delicious

mediterranean shrimp bowl on a blue and green background
Mike Garten
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Roasted Mediterranean Shrimp Bowls

Meal prepping is a great way to set yourself up for success when it comes to healthy eating. By cooking up a batch of grains, roasted vegetables, pickled red onions and seasoned proteins in advance, you're ready to mix and match your way to a delicious, nutritious dinner in 20 minutes or less.

Get the Roasted Mediterranean Shrimp Bowls recipe.

crispy chicken salad on a plate
Mike Garten
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Crispy Chicken and Buttermilk Salad

For a lightened-up take on fried chicken salad, coat breasts with crushed cornflakes and bake 'em before tossing with lettuce, fennel and cucumbers. We also skipped the bottled dressing and whipped up our own ranch-inspired version.

Get the Crispy Chicken and Buttermilk Salad recipe.

green goddess sandwiches with egg, avocado, and lettuce
Mike Garten
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Green Goddess Sandwiches

This meatless meal is packed with 16 grams protein and 8 grams fiber per serving, so you know it'll keep you full. Plus, it's super portable and easy to eat on the go. Picnic, anyone?

Get the Green Goddess Sandwiches recipe.

beef and lentil meatballs with chipotle sauce served with white rice
Danielle Occhiogrosso Daly
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Beef and Lentil Meatballs with Chipotle Sauce

Let's take a moment to appreciate lentils — they are high in iron and fiber, affordable and versatile. Plus, they're a great way to cut back on how much ground beef you use to make meatballs or meatloaf.

Get the Beef and Lentil Meatballs with Chipotle Sauce recipe.

RELATED: 25 Tasty Lentil Recipes for Healthy and Easy Weeknight Meals

sesame crusted salmon with miso roasted radishes
Mike Garten
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Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Miso-Roasted Radishes

This umami-rich dish features just five ingredients. Radishes are roasted until slightly caramelized and golden brown, then tossed with its leaves until wilted. White miso, sesame seeds and a smidge of butter add so much flavor with little to zero effort required on your end. Stunning.

Get the Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Miso-Roasted Radishes recipe.

butternut squash soup with pepita seeds on top
MIKE GARTEN
7 of 65
Air Fryer Squash Soup

Cozy up with a big bowl of comfort that is good for you, too! This soup is packed with potassium-rich butternut squash and is easy to prep in advance and reheat. Just freeze soup (minus cream and seed topping) in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm and top as desired.

Get the Air Fryer Squash Soup recipe.

RELATED: 37 Best Butternut Squash Recipes

paprika chicken with crispy chickpeas and tomatoes on a sheet pan
Mike Garten
8 of 65
Paprika Chicken with Crispy Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Juicy tomatoes and a ton of garlic create a built-in sauce for chicken as everything roasts together on a single sheet pan.

Get the Paprika Chicken with Crispy Chickpeas and Tomatoes recipe.

RELATED: 18 Easy Sheet Pan Dinners That Make Cleanup a Breeze

fusilli pasta with roasted vegetables
Mike Garten
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Two-Cheese Roasted-Veggie Fusilli

By making a few smart choices, you can serve up healthy pasta for dinner and call it health food. Choose whole-wheat or bean-based pastas, use cheese somewhat sparingly and add *all* the fresh produce into the mix. You can blend vegetables like cauliflower or butternut squash into a creamy dairy-free sauce. Or, throw tomatoes, onions and squash onto a baking sheet before tossing with cooked noodles, as we do here.

Get the Two-Cheese Roasted Veggie Fusilli recipe.

RELATED: 11 Best Low-Carb Noodles, According to Registered Dietitians

striped bass with radish salsa on a plate
Mike Garten
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Striped Bass with Radish Salsa Verde

If you buy radishes with the tops still attached, you can use any leftovers in salsas, sauces, and sautés. This weeknight-friendly fish dish features a herby salsa made with both the tops and chopped radishes. Serve it with a side of brown rice.

Get the Striped Bass with Radish Salsa Verde recipe.

RELATED: 30+ Healthy Fish and Seafood Recipes to Make Tonight

garam roasted marsala chicken with cauliflower on a sheet pan
Mike Garten
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Garam Masala Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower

Clean up is easy, thanks to this combination of cauliflower, chicken and jalapeños that are coated in a warm spice blend and roasted on a single sheet pan.

Get the Garam Masala Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower recipe.

grilled steak tortilla salad on a white plate
DANIELLE OCCHIOGROSSO DALY
12 of 65
Grilled Steak Tortilla Salad

Satisfy your taco recipe cravings with this salad, then add tortilla slices to your plate when you're done mixing it all together!

Get the Grilled Steak Tortilla Salad recipe.

fish tacos with pico de gallo on a white serving platter
Danielle Daly
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Fish Tacos with Pico de Gallo

Here is proof that you don't have to sacrifice taste — or fun! — when eating healthy. To make this good-for-you 25-minute dinner, mahi-mahi fish fillets are coated in a garlicky cilantro marinade, then grilled, not fried, along with fresh limes. Top it all off with a fresh homemade pico de gallo. Yum!

Get the Fish Tacos with Pico de Gallo recipe.

chicken marsala with sautéed greens on the side
Danielle Occhiogrosso
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Chicken Marsala

There are a few pros to cooking your favorite restaurant or takeout dishes at home, but mainly, it ensures that you know *exactly* what ingredients are being used and you can control how much of what (especially oils) is going into the dish.

Get the Chicken Marsala recipe.

air fryer fish and chips in a wire basket
Mike Garten
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Fish and Chips

Rather than serve fried fish with a side of potatoes or fries, try coating cod fillets in crushed potato chips instead. Cook fillets in the air fryer for extra-crispy results sans the oil.

Get the Fish and Chips recipe.

seared chicken with snap pea slaw on the side
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Seared Coconut-Lime Chicken with Snap Pea Slaw

Step up an ordinary chicken recipe by pairing it with sliced raw snap peas.

Get the Seared Coconut-Lime Chicken with Snap Pea Slaw recipe.

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shrimp and polenta on a plate
Mike Garten
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Roasted Feta Shrimp and Polenta

It may look fancy, but this shrimp and polenta recipe with oregano, garlic, red peppers, capers and white wine is easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Get the Roasted Feta Shrimp and Polenta recipe.

RELATED: 28 Healthy and Delicious Ways to Eat All the Shrimp

creamy spaghetti and zoodles on a plate
Danielle Occhiogrosso
19 of 65
Creamy Spaghetti and Zoodles

While there was a time when zoodles seemed to always be front and center, we actually prefer to mix the zucchini noodles with fiber-filled whole-grain spaghetti before tossing 'em into a creamy, dreamy sauce.

Get the Creamy Spaghetti and Zoodles recipe.

RELATED: 35 Low-Calorie Zucchini Noodles That Will Make You a Forever Fan of Zoodles

grilled pork with charred harissa broccoli on a white plate
Danielle Occhiogrosso Daly
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Grilled Pork with Charred Harissa Broccoli

Thirty minutes. Five ingredients. One fun (easy!) dinner.

Get the Grilled Pork with Charred Harissa Broccoli recipe.

balsamic glazed pork with roasted butternut squash salad on the side
Danielle Daly
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Balsamic-Glazed Pork with Butternut Squash

Pair seared pork tenderloin with fall's perennial star produce and bask in all the butternut squash health benefits (read: potassium, antioxidants, fiber and more) .

Get the Balsamic-Glazed Pork with Butternut Squash recipe.

seared salmon with green beans and lemon slices
Mike Garten
22 of 65
Seared Salmon with Charred Green Beans

Seared salmon is a lot less labor-intensive than you'd think — 15 minutes and five ingredients is all you need to make this beautiful seafood dinner.

Get the Seared Salmon with Charred Green Beans recipe.

vegan black bean soup in three bowls
Mike Garten
23 of 65
Vegan Black Bean Soup

Vegetables are the true star of this hearty, fall soup recipe, making it a perfect (healthy!) plant-based option for your vegan friends.

Get the Vegan Black Bean Soup recipe.

RELATED: 70 Vegan Recipes so Good, You'll Forget About Meat and Cheese

sautéed chicken and tomatoes with roasted artichokes in a bowl
Mike Garten
24 of 65
Sautéed Chicken and Tomatoes with Roasted Artichokes

If you're struggling to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet, we suggest stocking up on frozen, boxed and canned versions — which can be equally as nutritious as fresh (note: just check the sodium levels). This 30-minute dinner capitalizes on canned artichoke hearts, so you can get all the health benefits of artichokes without having to deal with cleaning and removing the tough leaves.

Get the Sautéed Chicken and Tomatoes With Roasted Artichokes recipe.

grilled moroccan steak with carrots on a blue plate
Danielle Daly
25 of 65
Grilled Moroccan Steak and Carrots

Skip the bottled marinade, and coat your meats with a few aromatic spices. You'll have equally delicious results, but with a fraction of the calories.

Get the Grilled Moroccan Steak and Carrots recipe.

salmon with grilled eggplant and chickpea croutons
Mike Garten
26 of 65
Salmon with Grilled Eggplant and Chickpea Croutons

Roasted salmon offers up plenty of good-for-you fats and pairs perfectly with grilled eggplant and homemade chickpea croutons (made with chickpea flour, so this dish is 100% gluten-free).

Get the Salmon with Grilled Eggplant and Chickpea Croutons recipe.

mediterranean chicken bowls with tomatoes and couscous
Mike Garten
27 of 65
Mediterranean Chicken Bowls

Proteins aren't the only thing that can be cooked to perfection in an air fryer; these tomatoes take on a new juicy profile just after a few minutes.

Get the Mediterranean Chicken Bowls recipe.

chicken curry with white rice on a plate
Mike Garten
28 of 65
Traditional Chicken Curry

A chicken-and-rice dinner at under 250 calories?! You're looking at it. And it's ready in just 30 minutes. Swap out the white rice for brown or cauliflower rice if you're looking for something even healthier.

Get the Traditional Chicken Curry recipe.

healthy glazed chicken and roasted vegetables on a platter
Mike Garten
29 of 65
Rustic Smoky Glazed Chicken and Veggie Bake

Spice-rubbed chicken with veggies and potatoes baked 'til golden brown — it sounds like a feast ready to be devoured.

Get the Rustic Smoky Glazed Chicken and Veggie Bake recipe.

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Deputy Food Editor Trish (she/her) is the deputy food editor at Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things food, from cooking trends and delicious recipes to top-tested kitchen products and grocery finds.
Health Editor Zee Krstic is a health editor for Good Housekeeping, where he covers health and nutrition news, decodes diet and fitness trends and reviews the best products in the wellness aisle.