95 Easy Better-For-You Dinners You’ll Actually Look Forward To Eating (2024)

95 Easy Better-For-You Dinners You’ll Actually Look Forward To Eating (1)

When it comes to eating "healthier", we've got our quick, healthy breakfasts, packed lunches, and snacks for work down, keeping us full and motivated all day long. But then dinner comes along, and it’s a whole other story. We know it’s way easier to control your health when you do your own cooking, but lots of nights, it’s just too easy to turn to frozen meals or takeout. Instead, take inspiration from these 95 healthy dinner recipes to keep your momentum going every night of the week—we believe in you!

We know health looks different to different people, so we’ve included options for every diet, like low carb, vegan, pescatarian, or gluten-free. We’ve also included meals for home cooks of all skill levels, so we’ve got you whether you’re a master chef or a novice, whether your kitchen is full of gadgets or you’re working with one bowl and one knife (we’ve ALL been there).

When it comes to eating “healthier,” we’re ALL about the swaps. Want to make your dinner low-carb? Lean on superheroes cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage, and lettuce wraps to keep you satisfied, without the bread or noodles. Check out our cauliflower tacos, our cheeseburger cabbage wraps, our zucchini lattice lasagna, or our hot dog skewers for ideas to see how easy (and yummy!) it is to ditch most of the carbs.

Looking for plant-based or vegetarian options? Swap out sausage for tempeh, like in our ; veggies for chicken, like in our vegan pizza or our cabbage Parmesan; beans for ground beef, like in our vegetarian chili; or tofu for protein, like in our . Once you get on board with the alt protein options out there, we bet you won’t even miss the meat. Speaking of, are you trying to avoid the red stuff? You can easily swap leaner ground meat in for beef, like in our turkey burgers, our , or our low-carb turkey gyro bowls.

Speaking of bowls, they're some of our absolute favorite ways to keep our meals feeling light. We've included a number of our favorites here, like our halal-cart style cauliflower bowls, our peanut chicken power bowls, and our blackened shrimp bowls, but feel free to take inspiration from them and mix and match proteins, grains, toppings, and more until you find your perfect fit.

Want some healthy inspiration for after the meal? Check out our top healthy cookies, our favorite fruit desserts, and our top vegan desserts too.

1

Chicken Shawarma Bowls

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Meal prepping doesn’t need to be complicated, and these chicken shawarma bowls prove that. The longest step in the recipe is to let the chicken marinate, which allows you time to cut all your veggies. Win!

Get the Chicken Shawarma Bowls recipe.

2

Indian Butter Chickpeas

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Looking for your new favorite way to dress up canned chickpeas? You’re in the right place. Simmered in an aromatic tomato gravy, this vegetarian spin on classic butter chicken will forever change the way you look at a can of beans.

Get the Indian Butter Chickpeas recipe.

3

Cheeseburger Cabbage Wraps

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Say goodbye, lettuce wrapscabbage is our new low-carb go-to. We love how sturdy cabbage is as a bun replacement—it wraps around our burger no problem, and holds our burgers together with no fear of tearing or spillage. We went with classic burger toppings, but feel free to make these your own.

Get the Cheeseburger Cabbage Wraps recipe.

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4

Cauliflower Fried Rice

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Fried rice is a classic and comforting recipe that everyone loves…except maybe those who are trying to eat less rice. So, we created this spin on the fave that subs cauliflower for rice, while still crushing the flavor game. Whether you’re skipping carbs, trying to eat more vegetables, or are just looking for a lighter side dish so you can eat more orange chicken (relatable!), this cauliflower fried rice is for you.

Get the Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe.

5

Low-Carb Turkey Gyro Bowls

With tender spiced meat, crunchy fresh veggies, tzatziki, and chewy pita, it's not hard to see why Greek gyros are so globally beloved. Inspired by these popular grab-and-go sandwiches, we created this healthy but hearty bowl that's perfect for meal-prepping.

Get the Low-Carb Turkey Gyro Bowls recipe.

6

Cajun Shrimp With Bell Peppers & Corn

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If you’re looking to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, this will be your new weeknight go-to. The star of this shrimp recipe relies on Cajun seasoning, which adds a bold, smoky flavor to the entire dish.

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7

Cottage Cheese Alfredo

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Dreaming of a big bowl of your favorite creamy pasta with less fat and more protein but with all of the flavor and texture you’re looking for in a good Alfredo? We've got you! Add meat, à la classic chicken Alfredo, or keep it simple—it's guaranteed to impress no matter what.

Get the Cottage Cheese Alfredo recipe.

8

Sesame Tofu & Broccoli

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In this vegetarian version of a Chinese-American favorite, oven-baked tofu gets tossed in a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce along with crisp-tender broccoli, then topped with toasty sesame seeds and scallions. Mmm.

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9

Sheet-Pan Garlicky Shrimp & Veggies

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This recipe combines well-seasoned shrimp with red bell peppers, broccoli, and onions for a quick and easy dinner ready in a little more than 30 minutes. Not only is it so simple to throw together, it's extremely versatile: swap out the veggies for your favorites, add even more, or switch up the seasonings.

Get the .

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10

Vegetable Curry

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When you want something comforting, savory, and just a little spicy, you can’t go wrong with some form of curry. In this recipe, a variety of vegetables takes center stage alongside a creamy Thai-style curry. We promise you won’t even miss the meat.

Get the Vegetable Curry recipe.

11

Hummus Bowl With Spiced Lamb

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For this recipe, creamy hummus is topped with spiced ground lamb, onions, and fresh herbs. It's served with whole wheat pita to scoop up the hummus and toppings (though feel free to skip if you're avoiding bread), and pickled veggies to cut through the richness and add a bright pop of flavor.

Get the Hummus Bowl With Spiced Lamb recipe.

12

One-Pot Farro With Chicken Sausage & Tomatoes

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This one-pot dish is a flavor bomb that is packed with veggies. Chicken sausage, fennel, onions, and hearty farro are seasoned with pickled, mildly spicy pepperoncini and garlic to create a savory, stew-like rice dish. Topped with cherry tomatoes and lots of Parm, there's no better meal to welcome spring.

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13

Taco Salad

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When it comes to healthy salads, none are more hearty than a taco salad. Load it up with veggies, cheese, and ground beef for the perfect satisfying meal. We love this classic version, but if you want to get fancy, feel free to swap in and out your fave toppings.

Get the Taco Salad recipe.

14

Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Wraps

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Whether you're going low-carb, looking for an easy game day appetizer, or need a meal-prep dream, these Philly cheesesteak wraps are here to save the day. Packed with all your favorite components from the classic sandwich, you won't even miss the hoagie in these low-carb wraps.

Get the Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Wraps recipe.

15

Blackened Shrimp Bowls

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Protein, whole grain, fresh veg—this bowl's got you covered. We like this with a fresh corn salad, but feel free to swap in seasonal produce so you can enjoy this year-round.

Get the Blackened Shrimp Bowls recipe.

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16

Grilled Teriyaki Cauliflower Steaks

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Looking for a vegetarian centerpiece for your summer grill-out? Make these teriyaki cauliflower steaks. Slathered in a brown sugar and soy glaze and showered with scallions and toasted sesame seeds, these saucy cauliflower steaks might just upstage the ribs.

Get the Grilled Teriyaki Cauliflower Steaks recipe.

17

Miso Salmon & Farro Bowl

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Meal prep your way to grain bowl greatness with this recipe featuring some new faves, miso and farro. Miso has toasty, savory, and slightly sweet notes that pair well with hearty fish like salmon, while the dense, chewy grains have a more interesting texture than average rice or quinoa.

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18

Caprese Chicken Stuffed Peppers

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For this recipe, we decided to fit everything you love about our Caprese chickenchicken breasts, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, balsamic—all into these gorgeous stuffed peppers for a satisfying (and eye-catching) meal.

Get the Caprese Chicken Stuffed Peppers recipe.

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19

Air Fryer Orange Chicken

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Typically deep- or pan-fried in oil, orange chicken made in an air fryer translates to fewer calories and less fat, but tons of flavor. Of course, this dish is perfect over rice or whole grains, but if you're looking for a low-carb side, serve it over simple air-fried vegetables.

Get the Air Fryer Orange Chicken recipe.

20

sHalal Cart-Style Cauliflower Bowl

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Turns out, incredible halal chicken-inspired flavors seamlessly translate to a plant-based version using cauliflower as the star ingredient. Spiced cauliflower joins forces with a bright and fresh tomato salad, crunchy toppings, and a homemade vegan halal cart-style white sauce.

Get the Halal Cart-Style Cauliflower Bowls recipe.

95 Easy Better-For-You Dinners You’ll Actually Look Forward To Eating (2024)
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