The fitchen simple wholesome recipes for healthy living

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The fitchen simple wholesome recipes for healthy living

You’re not sure what to make for dinner, but you know one thing: You want your dinner to be healthy. What exactly does healthy mean? It’s tricky, because it’s such a broad term with no single cut-and-dry definition. We’re strong believers that the term “healthy” means different things to different people.

For you maybe it means adding an extra helping or two of vegetables to your plate, or cooking something that’s colorful and fresh that your whole family will agree on. Perhaps you’re trying to limit or exclude meat from your diet entirely. Or maybe your idea of healthy means eating low-calorie or watching your carbs.

Basically, what I’m saying is that healthy dinners can vary widely in what they look like. And no matter what it looks like for you, we’ve got plenty of options. Here are 80 of our best wholesome, feel-good dinner ideas that are easy to cook up any night of the week.

Healthy Vegetarian Dinners

Whether you’re a practicing vegetarian or you’re simply looking to fill your plate with extra veggies, these meatless meals are a great place to start.

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Easy French Ratatouille

This thick and silky French stew of eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers, and ripe summer tomatoes is perfect over rice or couscous, or on its own.

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Weeknight General Tso's Tofu

Inspired by the take-out favorite, this at home version packs in a whole lot more veggies for a feel-good meal.

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Vegetarian Kale Taco Salad

There's so much going on in this taco salad, your fork will have trouble deciding where to go next.

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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Chili is a thick, hearty one-pot meal best cooked low and slow, so put away the Dutch oven and plug in the slow cooker for this vegetarian number.

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Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This vegan mac and "cheese" uses butternut squash as a substitute for cheese. Nutritional yeast also helps it feel more cheesy and it gets a spicy kick from chipotles in adobo.

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Roasted Mushroom and Poblano Tacos

This quick and easy recipe for vegetarian tacos is filled with roasted portobello mushrooms and poblano peppers and topped with creamy goat cheese.

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Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Black beans and brown rice keep these weeknight-friendly stuffed peppers packed with protein, so they're guaranteed to fill you up.

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Kid-Friendly Healthy Dinners

Healthy dinners that your whole family can agree on are not always easy to come across. Luckily, these are both kid- and adult-approved.

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Loaded Black Bean Nachos

Smashed black beans, tangy Greek yogurt, and guac to make this tray of nachos satisfying enough for dinner time.

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5-Ingredient Baked Potato Soup

Spoiler: No baked potatoes are required for this soup. Just one freezer shortcut will get you from done to devoured in less than 30 minutes!

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Lemony Broccoli Pasta

This family favorite mixes plenty of broccoli, peas, and olive oil into the spaghetti.

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Chickpea Nuggets

These meatless nuggets are guaranteed to surprise both you and your kids.

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Classic Tomato Soup

It's just as easy to make great tomato soup at home as it is to pop open a can.

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Easy One-Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Loaded with juicy chicken, hearty black beans, and sweet corn, this quick soup was made with weeknight dinners in mind.

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Broccoli and Cheese Risotto

This one-pot dinner that feels a bit special for the adults, but it’s extra satisfying for the kids

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Rainbow Pizza

Let your kids have fun making the rainbow for this veggie-packed pizza.

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Potsticker Stir-Fry

Here is how you turn frozen dumplings into a veggie-packed, one-pan meal.

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Low-Carb Dinners

If meals that are low in carbohydrates are what you’re after, these vibrant recipes definitely fit the bill.

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Pesto Chicken

Coated in herby pesto and baked with cherry tomatoes, these chicken breasts are oh-so quick and easy to bring to the table.

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Zucchini Lasagna

This low-carb lasagna swaps thin-sliced zucchini for lasagna noodles, which shifts the emphasis to the best parts of lasagna: the tomato sauce, the cheese, the veg.

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Parmesan Chicken and Kale Sauté

A splash of white wine, squeeze of lemon, and plenty of Parm are the secret to making chicken breast and kale a totally lovable dinner.

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5-Ingredient Sausage Stuffed Onions

Get a head start by roasting the onion shells, making the filling, and stuffing the onions, so all that's left to do is pop the baking dish in the oven before dinner.

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Easy Crispy Chicken Carnitas

Start the week with a batch of juicy carnitas then turn them into tacos, quesadillas, and dinner-worthy salads.

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Light, Low-Calorie Dinners

If you happen to be watching your calories, for whatever reason, these light recipes fit your goals without compromising flavor or satisfaction.

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Easy Cabbage & White Bean Soup

If you think cabbage is boring, get to know this cozy, flavor-packed soup, and it will surely change your mind.

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Weeknight Vegetable Stir-Fry

This easy weeknight veggie stir-fry is more template than recipe. Make it once a week to clear out the crisper and ensure you're eating your veggies!

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Chicken and Veggie Pesto Salad

Filled with a robust assortment of tender veggies, strips of juicy chicken, and tossed with an herby pesto, this no-lettuce salad is a summer essential.

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Veggie-Filled Frittata

As long as you have a few vegetables and some eggs on hand, you can have a wholesome frittata on the table in about 20 minutes.

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The Best Chicken Zoodle Soup

This one-pot wonder brings chicken soup together with fresh zucchini and carrot noodles for a soothing yet fresh take on the classic.

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Salmon Salad

Baked salmon makes this simple, fresh Greek salad filling enough for dinner.

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Split Pea Soup

This easy recipe for classic split pea soup flavored with thyme and a smoked ham hock, with the option to make it vegetarian.

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Feta and Tomato Braised Chickpeas

Tender chickpeas swimming in an oregano- and garlic-spiked tomato sauce and topped with plenty of melty feta cheese. Make enough for lunch too!

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Healthy Dinners for Two

What’s perfect about these dinners is that they’re easy to halve for two and if not, the leftovers make awesome, healthy lunches.

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Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea Bowls

These saucy, spiced chickpea bowls with kale, avocado, and a runny-yolked egg are all the proof you need that comfort food can also be healthy.

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Peanut Chicken Power Bowls

These nourishing peanut chicken bowls are packed with quinoa, a rainbow of veggies, and finished with a creamy peanut sauce.

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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

You only need six ingredients for this super-easy turkey chili, and the slow cooker practically does the work for you.

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Salmon Patties

These easy, gluten-free salmon patties are made with canned salmon and flavored simply with dill, lemon, and Dijon.

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Cheesy Chickpea Melts

A stewy mixture of tomato-y chickpeas and greens are piled onto garlicky toast, then topped with cheese and broiled until browned and bubbly.

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Quick & Easy Healthy Dinners

While just about all of the recipes here are pretty simple, these are the quickest and easiest. They’re just the thing when you’re looking for a healthy dinner but you’re strapped for time.

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Quick and Easy Roasted Vegetable Salad

A warm, entree-friendly salad that's filled with roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and shallots and tossed in a tangy balsamic mustard vinaigrette.

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Easy Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowls

With cilantro-lime cauliflower rice at the helm, plus smoky black beans and corn, salsa and creamy avocado, this is wholesome indulgence at its finest.

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Easy Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

From a cilantro-lime yogurt topping, to smoky roasted veggies, this naturally gluten-free meal is a lighter take on hearty enchiladas.

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Easy Juicy Turkey-Veggie Meatloaf

This turkey meatloaf is packed with good-for-you veggies that ensure it doesn't cook up dry. Get ready for a crowd-pleaser the whole family will love.

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Easy Baked Tilapia with Cumin and Lime

Rubbed with cumin and lime and dressed in a bright cilantro and garlic salsa, this basked tilapia is packed with flavor and surprisingly easy to pull off.

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What is the most nutritious meal you can make?

10 Simple Dinner Ideas for Healthy Eating in Real Life.
Stuffed sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are loaded with beneficial nutrients like beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber ( 1 ). ... .
Grain bowls. ... .
Veggie loaded frittatas. ... .
Dinner salad. ... .
Loaded brown rice pasta. ... .
One-pot soups. ... .
Curry. ... .
Burgers..

What is a good healthy dinner for weight loss?

Healthy dinner ideas for weight loss.
Rotisserie chicken..
Oven-baked..
Stir-fries..
Soups..
One pot and one pan..
Salads and bowls..
Air-fryer..
Instant Pot..

How do I make a healthy meal?

Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat and cheese; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats. Eat a variety of whole grains (like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice). Limit refined grains (like white rice and white bread).

What to Eat When You don't want to cook?

12 Meals For When You Don't Want To Cook.
Tortilla Eggs. ... .
20 minute Basil Chickpea Curry. ... .
Sheet Pan Street Corn Nachos. ... .
Avocado Tomato Bagelwiches. ... .
15 Minute Sesame Ramen Noodles. ... .
Crispy Baked Quesadillas. ... .
Bacon Brussels Sprouts Fried Rice. ... .
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables..