Beginner-friendly recipes that are nutritious, good for you, and tasty!
If you're looking for a recipe that doesn't have a million steps and works toward your health goals, then look no further.
A healthy meal doesn't require a ton of time or culinary techniques. Here's the proof. We've compiled our favorite easy healthy dinner recipes — from a cashew chicken stir-fry to a sweet potato mushroom penne — that even an amateur home chef can't go wrong with!
1. Grilled Shrimp Tacos With Creamy Cilantro Sauce
![55 Easy, Healthy Dinner Recipes That'll Help You Meet All Your Goals (2) 55 Easy, Healthy Dinner Recipes That'll Help You Meet All Your Goals (2)](https://i0.wp.com/img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2024-02/6/0/asset/f0694f28ae99/sub-buzz-1867-1707178409-1.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
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No need to fry shrimp, when you can cook them on a hot grill with much less oil. Wrap them in a corn tortilla, top with slaw, and dinner is served!
Recipe:Grilled Shrimp Tacos With Creamy Cilantro Sauce
2. Asparagus-Stuffed Chicken Breast
![55 Easy, Healthy Dinner Recipes That'll Help You Meet All Your Goals (3) 55 Easy, Healthy Dinner Recipes That'll Help You Meet All Your Goals (3)](https://i0.wp.com/img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2024-02/6/0/asset/638f1c79401f/sub-buzz-2702-1707178424-1.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto)
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High in lean protein and low in fat, chicken breast is a great option when you're looking for a healthy yet meaty dish. A simple filling of tender asparagus and creamy Provolone takes this chicken dish to a new level.
Recipe:Asparagus-Stuffed Chicken Breast
3. One-pot Chickpea Curry (Under 400 Calories)
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This easy one-pot vegetarian curry, seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and chili, really packs a punch. Healthy hasnever tasted so good!
Recipe:One-pot Chickpea Curry (Under 400 Calories)
4. Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
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Chopped onion, carrots, celery, and chicken come together for a super-easy soup that nourishes healthy and ill stomachs alike.
Recipe: Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
5. Lemon Chicken And Asparagus Stir-Fry
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It's amazing what a bit of tart flavor can bring out in simple dishes like this chicken and asparagus stir-fry. It's a way to create a more complex flavor without adding yet another salty ingredient.
Recipe: Lemon Chicken And Asparagus Stir-Fry
6. Veggie-Packed Lentil Loaf
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Quick tip: cook these in muffin tins and pop any leftovers in the freezer for an easy, filling meal you can reheat any time.
Recipe: Veggie-Packed Lentil Loaf
7. Healthier Chicken Alfredo Pasta
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A bit of skim milk and whole grain pasta make this chicken alfredo dish just a little lighter, while maintaining its richness of flavor.
Recipe: Healthier Chicken Alfredo Pasta
8. Garlic Broccoli Shrimp Stir Fry
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I love pairing the crunch of sizzling shrimp with the crisp-tender sweetness of sautéed broccoli. It's a dance of texture you wouldn't expect from two such commonplace ingredients.
Recipe: Garlic Broccoli Shrimp Stir Fry
9. Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Avocado Crema
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It's easy to overthink the preparation of fish. But this recipe breaks down exactly how easy it is to cook (baked in the oven!), and even easier to serve (with a generous dollop of avocado crema).
Recipe: Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Avocado Crema
10. Cauliflower Alfredo
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As some commenters note, you might want to season the sauce with salt, pepper, and other herbs as you go to make sure your final result isn't bland.
Recipe: Cauliflower Alfredo
11. Garlic Lemon Shrimp
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This easy shrimp dish pairs perfectly with everything from zucchini noodles and roasted vegetables to rice or a salad.
Recipe: Garlic Lemon Shrimp
12. Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
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You'll want to memorize this soy-sesame dressing to heart and practice it every day as a reminder that a delicious, filing dish starts with a great marinade, and nothing more.
Recipe: Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
13. Avocado Quinoa Power Salad
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Avocado and quinoa are two tasty base ingredients you'll want to add to a salad with filling powers. Quick tip: cook your quinoa in your favorite vegetable or chicken broth for added savoriness.
Recipe: Avocado Quinoa Power Salad
14. Easy Chicken Cacciatore
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The combination of red wine, tomatoes, and broth combine for a naturally sweet and umami-rich sauce you'll want to drown your chicken in.
Recipe: Easy Chicken Cacciatore
15. Honey-Lime Chicken And Avocado Salad
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A great salad needs four elements: a tasty dressing, a fatty ingredient, texture, and some protein. This one has the best versions of all four!
Recipe: Honey-Lime Chicken And Avocado Salad
16. Chipotle's Chicken
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This recipe requires a little bit of planning. You'll want to refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for at least two hours or more to make sure all that chopped chipotle flavor really penetrates the meat.
Recipe: Chipotle's Chicken
17. Parmesan Crusted Salmon
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Panko breadcrumbs are such an easy way to jazz up salmon. Feel free to throw your favorite herbs into the mix to make it truly irresistible.
Recipe: Parmesan Crusted Salmon
18. Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
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Some people who've tried the recipe say that the soy sauce mixture can lean salty. If you prefer low-sodium recipes, try cutting the serving of soy sauce in half.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
19. Zesty Lime Chicken Black Bean And Rice
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Chicken thighs are flavorful enough, IMO, but if you want to layer the taste, throw in some spices, like paprika, cayenne, or garlic powder.
Recipe: Zesty Lime Chicken Black Bean And Rice
20. Sweet Potato Mushroom Penne
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Depending on your microwave, you might want to pop your sweet potatoes in for less or more than 10 minutes. Start monitoring your taters after about three minutes in if you want to avert a hot mess.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Mushroom Penne
21. Easy Chicken Piccata
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Capers are small, but mighty forces of flavor. Here, they make this lemony chicken piccata pop with salty flavor.
Recipe: Easy Chicken Piccata
22. Black Bean Burgers
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No need to break out the grill for these awesome black bean burgers. Serve them with a salad or stack one into your perfect hamburger.
Recipe: Black Bean Burgers
23. Cauliflower Rice Chicken Bake
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This cheesy dish is surprisingly easy to make, given its deliciousness. Just combine all the ingredients, place them in a baking dish, and bake for 40 minutes.
Recipe: Cauliflower Rice Chicken Bake
24. Creamy Broccoli Soup
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Let's be real, this broccoli soup is all about the toppings. Serve yours with cheddar cheese, croutons, bacon or onion bits, or some Parmesan!
Recipe: Creamy Broccoli Soup
25. One-pan Roasted Chicken And Sweet Potatoes
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Sweet potatoes work great in this recipe as their sweetness balances out the savoriness of chicken and they're mind-blowingly scrumptious when roasted in an oven.
Recipe: One-pan Roasted Chicken And Sweet Potatoes
26.
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If you're a fan of cilantro, this aromatic chicken and rice dish might become your new busy weeknight go-to.
Recipe:
27. Simple Veggie Curry
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There are many ways to make a veggie curry — but this one gives you the most bang for your buck. You can even swap the veggies for whatever you have on hand, including frozen peas, potatoes, and carrots.
Recipe: Simple Veggie Curry
28. Maple-Glazed Salmon
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Need a quick dish that'll appease everyone at the table andtaste so good everyone will want the recipe? This maple-glazed salmon is it.
Recipe: Maple-Glazed Salmon
29. Easy One-Tray Chicken Thighs And Veggies
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This beginner-friendly dish will yield three colorful plates brimming with sweet carrot flavor, hearty potatoes, and savory roasted chicken thighs seasoned with nothing but salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Recipe: Easy One-Tray Chicken Thighs And Veggies
30. Orange Cauliflower “Chicken”
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If you're looking for a way to use up cauliflower, this sweet-and-savory orange "chicken" recipe will have you wishing you bought an extra few heads.
Recipe: Orange Cauliflower “Chicken”
31. Turkey Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
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For stuffed bell peppers that hold their own and don't ooze out liquid during the baking process, make sure you underfill them by a hair.
Recipe: Turkey Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
32. Roasted Eggplant Curry
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Watch three eggplants disappear before your eyes in this creamy curry that will satisfy all your flavor needs!
Recipe: Roasted Eggplant Curry
33. 3-Ingredient Chili-glazed Salmon
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All you need is chili, scallions, and salmon to put together this quick weeknight dinner recipe you can finish in under 30 minutes.
Recipe: 3-Ingredient Chili-glazed Salmon
34. Chicken Pesto And Zucchini “Pasta”
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Some days, you want pasta. Other days, you want green zucchini noodles that are slightly sweet, mild, and perfect at absorbing all that good pesto flavor.
Recipe: Chicken Pesto And Zucchini “Pasta”
35. Tuna Burgers
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If your tuna patties aren't staying together, consider adding another egg or two to the mix and reshaping them.
Recipe: Tuna Burgers
36. Fajita Parchment-Baked Chicken
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If you're anything like me, you'll want to use more bell pepper than what's called for to make a hearty side dish.
Recipe: Fajita Parchment-Baked Chicken
37. Baked Butternut Squash “Risotto”
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This risotto doesn't require you to watch a pot for long periods of time, but there is considerable baking time, so plan this heart-warming risotto for a day off and cozy up for a comforting meal.
Recipe: Baked Butternut Squash “Risotto”
38. Easy Homemade Chicken Curry
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Fry up a cup of chopped onion and garlic before cooking the chicken to deepen the savory flavor.
Recipe: Easy Homemade Chicken Curry
39. Baked Parmesan Chicken Strips
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You don't have to be too judicious with the type of breadcrumbs you use here — panko, Italian-seasoned, or regular will all work just fine.
Recipe: Baked Parmesan Chicken Strips
40. Sheet-Pan Jambalaya
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Double this recipe for leftovers that you can munch on for the rest of the week.
Recipe: Sheet-Pan Jambalaya
41. Pumpkin Sage Pasta
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Almond milk + pumpkin puree + onion and garlic = creamy, pumpkin-ful pasta heaven 😍
Recipe: Pumpkin Sage Pasta
42. Healthy Veggies and Couscous
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Remember to taste the doneness of the potatoes (which takes the longest to roast) before taking the tray out of the oven.
Recipe: Healthy Veggies and Couscous
43. Healthy Cauliflower Fried "Rice"
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If you have a food processor, it's incredibly easy to make cauliflower rice. Combine it with your favorite protein and some vegetables for an easy fried "rice."
Recipe: Healthy Cauliflower Fried "Rice"
44. Nigerian Chicken Curry
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This Nigerian-style chicken curry is so flavorful you'll want nothing more than a bowl and a spoon to start the meal.
Recipe: Nigerian Chicken Curry
45. Roasted Cauliflower Salad
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Roasting cauliflower with a ton of spices is a great way to transform it into a flavor bomb. The tahini-lemon dressing balances it all out.
Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Salad
46. Chipotle Chickpea Tacos
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Crispy-cooked chickpeas are not only a great snack and finger food, they're also a superb vegetarian taco filling packed with flavor, fiber, and vitamins.
Recipe: Chipotle Chickpea Tacos
47. Seared Scallops
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For the best seared scallops: pat-dry them as much as possible prior to cooking and don't be scared to use high heat when searing them!
Recipe: Seared Scallops
48. One-Pan Southwestern Chicken Quinoa
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This chicken quinoa dish is bursting with fire-roasted tomato flavor and cooks all in one pot for easy clean-up.
Recipe: One-Pan Southwestern Chicken Quinoa
49.
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Don't worry: we're not pulling a fast one on you and taking out the cheese. But this recipe does incorporate a ton of carrot, butternut squash, and cauliflower and blends it all together into a creamy finish.
Recipe:
50. One-Pot Lentil Bolognese
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It happens every single time I eat lentils: I take one bite and am overcome by how savory and delicious they are and then resolve to make more dishes with lentils. If you've ever found yourself in the same boat, here's your chance to make an easy lentil dish you can put in your permanent dinner rotation.
Recipe: One-Pot Lentil Bolognese
51. Tuscan White Beans
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Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
Recipe: Tuscan White Beans
52. One-Pot Butternut Squash Pilaf
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If you can't find arborio rice at your local grocery store, pearled barley or orzo are great substitutes that taste just as chewy and toothsome.
Recipe: One-Pot Butternut Squash Pilaf
53. Ratatouille Salad
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Who knew? The famous Pixar dish is actually a pretty basic combo of colorful vegetables cooked with herbs and garlic. And it's pretty delicious even in its unanimated version.
Recipe: Ratatouille Salad
54. Veggie-Packed Chickpea Pot Pie
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This one involves a bit of prep work, but if you're okay with chopping up some vegetables, then this recipe will reward you with slice after slice of comforting pot pie.
Recipe: Veggie-Packed Chickpea Pot Pie
55. 5-Ingredient BBQ Chicken-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
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The sweetness of BBQ chicken pairs beautifully with the sweet potatoes here. Add bacon bits for extra crunch!
Recipe: 5-Ingredient BBQ Chicken-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes