Healthful twists on classic recipes along with totally unique ideas, this list of healthy family meals will help you lighten up your dinners.
Whether you've set health goals or are just trying to include simple healthy dinners in your meal plan, you're sure to find tasty recipes that your family will enjoy.
Why I Chose These Recipes
If you're like me, sometimes you get stuck in a dinner rut. You serve all the same recipes and you feel like they aren't the best ingredients to fill your family with.
Several times a year, I try to change things up. I look for healthy dinner ideas to add to my rotation.
But I make sure these recipes are also super delicious. Many of them have flavors that I know my family loves or are healthier ways of preparing things I usually make.
Are there healthier recipes out there? Yes. But I know that if I take out all the good stuff, I feel unsatisfied and go right back to my comfort foods.
These healthy family meals are great as-is, or can be modified to be even healthier depending on your goals.
I also only included 15 recipes since I get REALLY overwhelmed with lists that are crazy long. When I'm planning my dinners, I like to look at a few ideas, try some new recipes and move on with life.
I don't want to get stuck reading a post with 176 recipes that I may or may not enjoy.
So read on for simple healthy dinners to try. Or check out
- 20 Easy Sheet Pan Dinners
- Meals to Cook When You Barely Want to Cook
- Dinner Ideas Made From Pantry Staples
And if you need a super simple idea that is still on the healthy side, here's how to jazz up a store-bought chicken and a list of healthy side dishes to serve with it.
15 Healthy Family Meals
You can still cook delicious recipes for your family without added or unnecessary calories. Here are 15 healthy family meals that will make life easier on you and your waistline! Save these healthy dinner ideas to make your meal planning easy!
I found this recipe about a year ago and I fell in love! There is so much flavor and such great ingredients in these Cauliflower Lentil Tacos. The crazy part is that my teen son loved it too! I'm a meat lover, and I don't miss it at all.
Cook up a delicious Greek meal with this sheet pan chicken dinner. This quick and easy recipe is nutritious, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights! With oregano, parsley and feta cheese, your family will love this simple healthy dinner.
Vegan taco rice bowls are easy to make and loaded with fresh ingredients. This gluten-free dish is perfect for entertaining! Add lean ground beef or turkey to bulk it up even more.
Broiled Salmon, Herbed Couscous and a simple Tomato Salad are the perfect components for a quick 15-minute dinner. Everyone will enjoy this delicious meal! It's one of my favorite healthy family meals.
Sometimes you just need comfort food. This healthy alfredo sauce recipe is made without heavy cream or butter. Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient that makes this dish feel indulgent even though it's better for you.
Make a fast and fresh dinner with the help of this lemon pepper chicken, baked in foil packets. The recipe can be easy to make for anyone looking for a tasty dish that can be made easily.
These chicken lettuce wraps are a quick, easy and healthy dinner that tastes delicious! They’re gluten-free and dairy-free too.
An easy, healthy strawberry salad that is tasty and great for a make-ahead lunch. The sweet & tangy flavors of the maple balsamic vinaigrette are incredible with the mixed greens, goat cheese nuts and shredded rotisserie chicken!
One of the best ways to choose what to make for dinner is to take something you love and make it over. This Butter Chicken is a healthier version but still tastes like comfort food. Served over rice, this is a dish you'll want when temperatures drop. This is one the kid's favorite healthy dinner ideas.
This Vietnamese-inspired salad is made with rice noodles, shredded rotisserie chicken, carrots, lettuce leaves mint cilantro and tossed in the most irresistible homemade fish sauce lime dressing.
These roasted cauliflower tacos are a perfect addition to the table and can be made in minutes. This delicious meal is healthy, easy to make, and great for meal prepping. Top it with avocado, cilantro-lime crema, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.
I love fast and easy chicken dinners that satisfy my takeout cravings. A good sheet pan meal can be simple, but still taste delicious with a gourmet feel at the same time. This Roasted Chicken Shawarma is a must-try.
This recipe is a healthy-ish take on Chicken Parm. Swap out the typical spaghetti noodles and use zucchini noodles instead! It's a great way to get a serving of veggies in and still get all that delicious flavor from your favorite Italian chicken entree.
This easy Rice Bowl is full of tasty flavors and can be made even healthier with just a few simple swaps. Sub the white rice for cauliflower rice, brown rice or even quinoa. Flavorful toppings will disguise the fact that these bowls are healthy!
Deconstructed stuffed peppers are an easy twist on your classic, healthy and filling meal that you will enjoy all week long. Best of all, it's less work than the original recipe. And healthier too.
These healthy family meals are a great way to lighten up dinner, in a delicious way.
Tips
Need more help for getting a healthy dinner on the table for your family? These tips will help you make better decisions when planning your meals.
- Be cautious of cans. While convenient, they’re often loaded with sodium and sugar as preservatives. Rinse and drain the veggies when possible. Or use fresh or frozen instead.
- Choose whole grains. Switch to wheat pasta, brown rice, oats for breakfast cereals, and quinoa for a healthy side dish. Whole grains provide more fiber and nutrients than refined ones, meaning you feel full longer after a meal.
- Bulk up the veggies. Instead of focusing on meat portions, increase your family’s intake of vegetables with each meal. Whether it’s an extra salad, a baked potato with toppings, or steamed broccoli - make sure your family is regularly eating their vegetables!
- Make smart dairy choices. Pouring milk over cereal is easy, but it doesn’t offer much nutritional value. Switch to low-fat yogurt for a nutritious breakfast or snack with added protein! Also look for ways to swap in Greek yogurt into the meals you are making for dinner.
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