30 Healthy Dinner Ideas

Healthy dinner ideas inspire ambitious plans-especially when it comes to healthy eating habits. Agree, cooking is the last thing you want to do when you get home after a hard day’s work. That’s why I selected 30 healthy recipes for dinner: from simple appetizers to hearty salads and original dishes in the oven, which will help diversify your diet and not lose precious time. You will find a suitable option for everyday meals, as well as for romantic dinners or receptions.

Warm salad with chicken filet and pears

For two servings we need 1 chicken filet, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, a teaspoon of honey, arugula (can be replaced by lettuce, spinach, etc.), pears, olive oil, cheese (feta, feta cheese, gorgonzola).

Mix soy sauce and honey, in the resulting marinade put the chicken filets cut into small pieces. Wash and dry the arugula well, peel and core the pear, then cut into small cubes or slices with a vegetable peeler. Add the cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Divide the resulting mixture into the desired number of portions. Fry the chicken in a pan with olive oil and add on top of the salad. If you have nuts, they also make a great addition to the flavor, but roast them in a pan without oil beforehand.

Tuna and bean salad

Looking for a recipe without meat? There is a very hearty and fast salad for you. Tuna and cannellini beans are used canned, which means you don’t have to waste time on preparations. All you have to do is cut the tomatoes (ideally, if they are cherry tomatoes), add some greens (green onions, parsley, basil) and mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it all well and serve chilled.

Funcho with chicken and vegetables

Funchose is a glass noodle, which is loved in Asian cuisine. You will need 7 ounces of funchos, along with chicken filets, green beans, onions, carrots, sweet peppers, 1 clove of garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and salt and ground pepper.

The noodles themselves cook very quickly, 3 to 5 minutes, so you can return to them at the last stage of the dish.

Cut the chicken filet into oblong slices and fry with the onions. Boil green beans (5-7 minutes) and fry them, along with the peppers, grated carrots and finely chopped garlic clove. Do not forget to add spices.

Pour boiling water over the fungus. In a separate container mix all the ingredients together with the noodles, season with rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. Important: Before serving the dish to the table, it needs to stand for 30 minutes to an hour.

Fish patties with stuffing

For the stuffing you need half a kilo of white fish (cod, hake, pollack, halibut or others), bread, milk, one egg, salt and pepper to taste. As a stuffing take 2 boiled eggs, onions, herbs and spices to taste.

Soak the flesh of the bread in milk to make the stuffing tender. Pass the fish through a meat grinder or grind to desired consistency in any other convenient way and add to the soaked bun, beat an egg, sprinkle with pepper, salt and mix well.

Fry the onion and add it to the finely chopped boiled eggs with the greens – this will become the stuffing. Make round pancakes from the stuffing, put the egg mixture in the center of each one and form cutlets. Roll them in breadcrumbs and fry in a pan on each side for 5 minutes. You can use butter or olive oil.

Corn pancakes

You will need 4 ingredients: 2.8-3.5 ounces of cornmeal, 0.4 pints of kefir, one egg, and half a teaspoon of baking soda.

Heat a little kefir (use low-fat), toss the baking soda and gradually add the flour, stirring. The consistency should resemble a thick sour cream. If you have a non-stick pan, you will not need frying oil.

Serve with sour cream, natural yogurt, jam, honey or any other sauce.

Teriyaki salmon with green beans

Boil 17.6 ounces of string beans in boiling water for 1 minute, cut 1 lemon into wedges and prepare 4 salmon steaks. Turn on the oven to preheat to 356℉. In the meantime, prepare the sauce for the dish: mix 0.2 pints of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of honey, 0.2 pints of myrrh (rice wine) and a clove of garlic. Put foil on a baking tray, arrange salmon steaks, beans and lemon, and cover with half of the sauce. Bake for 15 minutes, then pour the rest of the sauce and leave in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or as a stand-alone dish.

Avocado stuffed with shrimp

This recipe is more commonly used as an appetizer.  For 4 servings you will need 2 avocados, 8.8 ounces of shrimp, 1 lemon, parsley, sour cream, salt and black pepper.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and some of the pulp with a spoon to place the salad in this place. Drizzle the halves with lemon juice.

Defrost the shrimp (do not use the microwave or hot water), then boil in salted water with a bay leaf for literally 1-2 minutes and peel off the shell and innards. Mix the sour cream, herbs, salt and pepper and place in the resulting sauce the shrimp and the part of the avocado that was previously removed with a spoon. Place them in improvised “boats”.

Salad with persimmon and salmon

The original combination of products is not the only advantage of the dish. It is also very tasty and dietary at the same time.

As a base, use any salad leaves, or arugula. Thinly slice persimmons (it is important that they are ripe) and lightly salted salmon. For the dressing, mix 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey. Mix all the ingredients, add grated cheese (ideally Parmesan) and season to taste. Nuts roasted in a pan without oil can make the salad more filling.

Wild rice with cucumber and feta

Boil wild rice according to package directions. Make a dressing of 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add finely chopped cucumber and feta cheese to the rice, pour the resulting sauce. We guarantee that this combination will surprise your receptors.

Chia seeds with kefir

You will need kefir of any fat content, chia seeds and your favorite berries or fruits. Fill the chia seeds with kefir before you go to work and leave them in the refrigerator until dinner. Just before eating, chop up your favorite berries and fruit and mix them together.

If you plan to add kiwi, keep in mind that the enzyme it contains helps accelerate the breakdown of milk protein. This makes milk and dairy products taste bitter. In order not to spoil the dish, put the fruit just before eating or serve separately.

Broccoli under mozzarella

Just 10 minutes for the pre-cooking and you can go about your business while the food is baking in the oven.  

All you need is to boil the broccoli for 7-10 minutes, place it in a baking dish, add your favorite spices and sprinkle the cheese on top (you can use any other cheese instead of mozzarella). For complete cooking, 15-20 minutes at 356℉ is enough.

Spinach pancakes

To prepare this dish, you will need a blender. In it you need to whip 7 ounces of spinach with 1 cup of kefir. Separately, in a bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add the liquid from the blender to it. Gradually add 7 ounces of flour, stirring, along with a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of sugar. Fry the resulting batter in a pan in butter or olive oil, in the same way as pancakes. Light sour cream will be a good companion to the pancakes.

Salad with couscous and avocado

The great advantage of couscous is the speed of preparation. Just pour the groats into a bowl, add salt to taste, pour boiling water 1:1 and cover for 5 minutes. This recipe calls for 5.3 ounces.

While the couscous is steaming, cut the avocado and cherry tomatoes into small slices, you can also chop a few mint leaves. Mix everything and season with olive oil.

Fettuccini with mushrooms in cream sauce

First, slice the mushrooms into slices and fry them in a pan. Melt a tablespoon of butter on medium heat, add 1 clove of minced garlic, a teaspoon of lemon zest and leave for 1 minute. Then put in 2 tablespoons of flour and stir for another minute. After that, pour in a glass of skim milk and throw in a pinch of salt. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken (about 2 to 3 minutes). At this stage, put there a tablespoon of soft cheese (cream cheese) and finely chopped parsley.

On the next burner put a pot of water to boil in which you will cook fettuccini (pasta). It will take 3 minutes for the pasta to cook. When you drain the water, save half a glass of broth. Add the sauce to the fettuccini pan and stir everything well. When serving, sprinkle the dish with grated cheese and basil.

Salad with citrus and feta cheese

If you like unusual combinations, the salad will suit your taste. It will be a good addition to the side dish and an inexpensive way to surprise your family.

All citrus fruits (grapefruit, orange, tangerine) carefully peel the skin and white films, then cut into large pieces. Chop the feta cheese proportionately. Rinse and dry the arugula or spinach. Mix everything together, season with salt and pepper, add black sesame seeds and olive oil. Done!

Ratatouille baked in the oven

Want to make a healthy dish in the oven and diversify your menu? This is one of the most popular recipes. For it you will need only vegetables and spices. If desired, you can add cheese (mozzarella, suluguni or feta will do).

What vegetables are included? Eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes and a few cloves of garlic.

Rinse and peel the vegetables of their tails and seeds, and cut them into circles about the same thickness (0.2 inches). Separately, mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil and finely chopped or minced garlic in a bowl. Grease the casserole dish well and lay out the vegetable rings, alternating between them. Add a few sprigs of thyme and spices to taste, and drizzle with oil again.

Bake in an oven preheated to 356℉ for 20 minutes. Then sprinkle the cheese on top and leave for another 3-5 minutes. Serve warm to the table.

Pepper stuffed with shrimp

Finely chop a quarter of an onion and 1 garlic clove, fry them in olive oil. When they are almost ready, add 6-7 large peeled and chopped shrimp, cook them a few more minutes. Place in a separate bowl, add a teaspoon of soy sauce, a few chopped cherry tomatoes and 2 lightly beaten eggs.

Cut the peppers in half, peel the core and fill them with the stuffing prepared. On top you can grate some cheese.

Preheat the oven to 356℉, place the peppers on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cauliflower steaks

Rinse, wash, dry and cut into “steaks” up to 0.7 inch. thick. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and place in a pan with olive oil to fry for 2 minutes on each side.

Separately, make a sauce of 1 tablespoon olive oil, 0.5 teaspoons chopped ginger, the same amount of turmeric and a pinch of oregano.

Place the cabbage slices on a baking tray (put parchment paper on it in advance) and smear the prepared sauce. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Chicken filet with pumpkin

A recipe that can be done in an hour. Peel 17.6 ounces of pumpkin from skin and seeds and cut into cubes, cut chicken filet into the same pieces. Put them into one bowl, add spices to taste, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a teaspoon of honey and a crushed clove of garlic. Mix thoroughly and leave to soak for 15-20 minutes.

Before sending them into the oven, fry them in a frying pan in vegetable oil for a bit. Preheat the oven to 356℉ and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and herbs or melted butter mixed with garlic and dried herbs.

Potato and bean stew

Cut 17.6 ounces of string beans in half and fill with ice water. Peel 4-5 potatoes and cut into slices or cubes. Chop the onion and garlic.

To prepare, use a frying pan, preheat it and fry the onions in olive oil, then add the garlic and continue cooking for less than a minute, stirring vigorously. Put potatoes in the pan and when they are almost cooked, you can add the beans, having previously drained the cold water from them. Mix all the ingredients well, salt and pepper to taste, add half a glass of hot water and leave on a low heat for half an hour, covered. Beans will take the longest time to cook, so you should judge the readiness of the dish by it.

Hake with sauce

The optimal portion for two is 4 pieces of hake. In addition to the fish, you will need 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped parsley, 1 bay leaf and olive oil.

Dry the hake steaks after washing and lightly salt them.

While the pan is heating up, chop the garlic and parsley finely. Place a medium heat and pour 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, then add the garlic first and the parsley a minute later. Next place the hake steaks in the pan and fry for 10 minutes on each side.

Pour the finished steaks over whatever liquid is left in the pan. Combine with a light side dish or salad.

Avocado and tuna salad

Another salad for a healthy dinner. Boil 2-3 chicken eggs or 6-7 quail eggs, cut them into several slices. Peel the avocado and finely chop the flesh. Tuna is used canned, so just take out the contents of the can and grind into small pieces. Add arugula or spinach, a quarter of a red onion and season with our familiar sauce of 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice, salt, pepper and your favorite spices.

Garnish the top with roasted pumpkin kernels.

Filet of turkey in sauce

You will need 17.6 ounces of turkey filets, which should be cut across the fibers into medallions of equal thickness (about 0.2 inches). Do not forget to season them with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour 0.2 inches of water into a skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter and leave over medium heat. When the liquid comes to a boil, put the turkey pieces in it. Once the water begins to boil again, turn the meat to the other side.

At this time, squeeze the juice of one lemon and pour it into the pan, adding some zest as well. Turn the turkey over one more time. Total cooking time should not exceed 10-12 minutes.

After you transfer the medallions to the plates, stir the remaining liquid in the pan until it thickens to make a sauce. Pour it over the cooked meat.  

Salad with shrimp and grapefruit

Saute the shrimp with the minced garlic in a pan for a few minutes. In the meantime, rinse and dry the spinach, chop the grapefruit and cherry tomatoes, peeled from the skin and foil. Combine everything and dress with olive oil and lime juice.

Mackerel in foil

Clean and rinse the mackerel well, make incisions on the sides. To give the fish a brighter flavor, prepare a marinade: mix 3 tablespoons of natural yogurt without any additives, squeeze the juice of half an orange and cut some zest, and add chopped garlic and seasoning.

Pour this liquid over the mackerel and wrap tightly in foil. Bake for half an hour at 392℉ and serve with a side dish or light salad.

Steamed cod in the multicooker

Rinse and peel the fish filets well. Cut into small pieces, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of ground red or black pepper.

For a more pronounced taste, add finely chopped ginger root and orange zest (it is important that it was without a white layer, otherwise the fish will be bitter).

Pour a few glasses of water into the multicooker, set the special grid, put the fish filets on it, on top add a teaspoon of olive oil, ginger and zest. Set the mode “Steam” and set the time recommended by the instructions. On average, it takes up to 10 minutes.

Chickpea salad

Before cooking chickpeas, they should be soaked in cold water. Preferably do it overnight to reduce cooking time, or in the morning. Before dinner, drain the liquid in which it was infused, and rinse several times.

Like all legumes, chickpeas cook long enough, about 50 minutes over low heat. After cooking, cool and pour into a bowl. Tuna is suitable canned, mash it well with a fork and send it to the chickpeas. Freshen up the salad with sour apples. Cut them into cubes and soak for a while in a glass of water, mixed with the juice of half a lemon. After 10-15 minutes drain the water and add the apples to the salad. Salt, add your favorite seasonings and dress with olive oil.

Potatoes marinated and baked with vegetables in the oven

Peel 6-8 potatoes and cut each into 6 pieces, also coarsely chop peppers, zucchini, onions and chop a clove of garlic. Place everything in a bowl or pot, stir and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, oregano or other favorite herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Cover the contents with a lid and leave for a few hours. Bake in a sleeve, on a baking tray (cover with parchment paper) or in a baking dish for 50 minutes in a preheated 392℉ oven.

Chicken meatballs with vegetables

Add finely shredded white cabbage (14.1 oz), carrots (7 oz), one egg, salt, and pepper to the chicken mince (up to 17.6 oz). Mix everything together, then form small cutlets, place in a mold and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 392℉.

Julienne with mushrooms

To make two portions, chop 2 onions, 7 ounces of mushrooms and fry them in butter with pepper and salt to taste. When they are almost ready, add a teaspoon of wheat flour and mix well.

Place the cooked products in molds, pour the cream (you will need about 0.2 pint) and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 356℉.

Cheese pita cake with greens

In a separate bowl, whisk the kefir (1 pint), 1 egg and a pinch of salt until smooth. Separately grate 2 kinds of cheese: 10.5-14.1 oz. cheese and 7 oz. any hard cheese. Add chopped dill and salt to taste.

Put 1 pita cake on the bottom of the baking dish so that it completely covers it and forms a small rim. Then tear the second pita into small pieces, coat them in a bowl with the egg and kefir and place on top of the first layer. Next, place cheese and greens all around the perimeter and alternate these layers one by one. Cover the whole dish with the last pita on top and brush with the rest of the egg mixture. Place in a preheated 392℉ oven and bake for 20 minutes.

I think that thanks to these recipes for the next few weeks you will get rid of the question “what to make for a healthy dinner” and diversify your menu. Easy cooking and enjoy your meal!