71 Best Healthy Dinner Ideas That Won't Leave You Hangry
Nutritious, sure. But more importantly: *delicious.*
It happens to the best of us: We take a look at our habits and realize that they need to change if we're going to be healthier and happier. When eating healthier is the issue, it's tough, because you can't just quit eating—and besides, food tastes too good!
Luckily there are some small changes that any of us can make that will have big impacts on our eating. One of the most effective is to simply start cooking more at home. A number of studies have found that turns out that when you cook at home you generally start to eat healthier, even when you aren't trying to cut back on unhealthy things like saturated fat or calories. And it's not difficult to get tasty, filling food when you're making it yourself.
Add to that the fact that home cooking is also typically much less expensive, and it's a win-win! If you're ready to start eating healthier, here's a giant list of more than five dozen of our tastiest healthy recipes—ones that don't take all night and won't leave you feeling hangry ten minutes later.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Warm Apple Cider Dressing
Normally we wouldn't recommend just a salad for dinner—it may be healthy, but it's just not filling. This particular salad, with bacon and pecans on a bed of shaved Brussels sprouts, will fill you right up.
Get the recipe for Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Warm Apple Cider Dressing.
Sausage-and-Wild Rice-Stuffed Acorn Squash
One of the ways this hearty dish stays healthy is by flipping the script: Veggies and grains become the main dish, and the meat is more of a garnish. It adds plenty of flavor, though.
Get the recipe for Sausage-and-Wild Rice-Stuffed Acorn Squash.
Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
Here's another meal that can help cut back on meat without cutting it out entirely. Put a little beef in your tortilla and pile it high with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, and a dash of sour cream or cheese. It's a great way to stretch an expensive roast, too!
Ground Chicken Tacos
Want to make taco night even healthier? Swap the beef for ground chicken! Chicken has far fewer of the saturated fat that raise cholesterol and can lead to heart disease. (And when it's spiced like this, it tastes so good you won't miss the red meat.)
Waldorf Salad Flatbread
Don't think pizza night can be healthy? We topped store-bought dough with our favorite classic salad bits: thin slices of apple, crunchy nuts and celery, sliced grapes, and a white dressing-style sauce. And then we topped it with Gruyère cheese. You might not even notice the meal is vegetarian!
Grain Salad with Trout, Almonds, and Herbs
This grain-filled bowl has flecks of fresh trout, crunchy almonds, and a light vinaigrette dressing. It's a filling dish that's packed with nutrition!
Get the recipe for Grain Salad with Trout, Almonds, and Herbs.
Asparagus Quiche
Quiche and a salad are one of those classic healthy meals. This one adds in some flavorful fresh veggies to make it even healthier.
Orzo Pasta
Make extras of this light, sweet pasta: It's even better the next day!
Loaded Potato Bar
Sweet potatoes especially, are full of healthy fiber, as well as vitamins and iron. We like to bake 'em up and top 'em with whatever is in the fridge: leftover broccoli, mushrooms, salsa, guac, and sour cream!
White Turkey and Poblano Chili
Low-fat ground turkey pairs with nutritious beans and mild peppers for a white chili that we could honestly eat for a week straight.
Tex-Mex Chicken Meatballs
One of our favorite things with ground chicken is to make meatballs! They're fun, easy to make, and are great added to salad.
Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Meatballs
We took one of our favorite takeout meals and made it both healthier and more fun!
Sesame Chicken Meatballs
Okay, we took two of our favorite takeout meals, and we made them both more healthy and fun!
Chicken Meatloaf
Some nights you just want comfort food. But that doesn't mean it has to be bad for you. Pair this stick-to-your-ribs meatloaf with a big ol' salad.
Ground Chicken Noodle Casserole
Want a veggie-packed meal that will still get the kids to clean their plates? There's nothing better than a big ol' cheesy casserole.
Ground Chicken Pad Thai
This fast dinner staple is an easy and yummy way to use ground chicken!
Chicken Kiev Meatballs
Here's an easy way to get the same flavors of a classic dinner while shrinking the meat-portion a little, so you can concentrate on the veggies!
Seafood and Chorizo Paella with Bell Peppers
Looking for a lean protein meal with plenty of herbaceous flavor? Try this one-pan paella. To keep it low in fat and calories, reduce the chorizo, or swap it out for a smoked turkey sausage.
Get the recipe for Seafood and Chorizo Paella with Bell Peppers.
Citrus-Roasted Salmon
This elegant main is tasty, good for you, and easy to make. What could be better?
Roasted Mushrooms and Radicchio
Pair this simple, healthy salad with the citrus salmon, above.
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