Most of us never are not looking for easy and healthy dinner ideas. After all, some delicious and without headaches food is just what you need at the end of a long day.
What counts as “easy dinners” is pretty subjective, but for this list of recipes, we’ve kept it to meal that prepare in 30 minutes or less (at least, according to the recipe notes) and don’t have ridiculously long ingredient lists. What is considered “healthy” also varies from person to person, but in the most basic sense, a healthy dinner is one that tastes good and keeps you full. (Learn more about how we like to think about Healthy eating to SELF below!)
“For a meal that is both mentally and physically satisfying, I recommend people prioritize three to four food groups when possible, namely fats, proteinstarch and fruits/vegetables”, SELF columnist Jessica Jones, MS, RD, certified diabetes educator and co-founder of Food Heaven, tells SELF. “By doing this, you’ll not only get a variety of textures and flavors, but also nutrients that work together to provide you with a consistent, stable flow of energy.”
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 60 easy and healthy dinner ideas. Most of these tasty recipes make a balanced meal on their own, while you’ll probably want to serve a few (like vegetarian curry or baked chicken) with bread or rice. Add them to your list of essential healthy recipes and you’ll never struggle to find a quick, satisfying weeknight meal again.
A note on the word in good health here: We know that health is a complicated concept. Not only can it mean different things to different people, but it’s a pretty loaded (and sometimes heavy) word, thanks to the food industrythe influence of the way we think about food. At SELF, when we talk about healthy foods, of course, we’re talking about foods that are nutritious, filling, and satisfying. But we also talk about foods that help you connect to your culture, promote joy, and simply delicious. Some of these foods might fit conventional ideas of what “healthy” is. And some might not. We’ve selected these recipes with all of this in mind while trying to accommodate a wide variety of nutritional needs and taste buds.
