Our 20 Best Healthy Recipes (2024)

Looking for healthy dinner ideas? We combed the site for the 20 recipes that have it all -- craveworthy flavor, healthy ingredients, and simple preparations. These delicious main dish recipes are loaded with healthy whole foods. They feature lots of veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats like olive oil. Actually, the hard part was settling on just twenty. For even more ideas for healthy dinners, take a peek at our collection of Healthy Recipes.

Our 20 best healthy recipes

1. Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

Strips of skinless chicken breast stir it up with garlic, ginger, and tons of crunchy vegetables, including sliced cabbage, red bell pepper, and sugar snap peas. Toss it with a lightly sweetened soy sauce, and dinner's ready! "This was great because it is so healthy and yet very flavorful," says betsyjane. Gwen adds, "This is delicious, no matter what vegetables I use."

2. Lemon-Pepper Salmon

Salmon sizzles in the pan with fresh garlic and then simmers briefly with chopped fresh tomatoes and cilantro until the fish is wonderfully flaky. "Excellent for a quick, tasty, healthy meal, with a nice presentation," says dandan14.

3. Spiralized Cucumber and Jicama Tostada Salad with Avocado

Spiralized jicama, cucumber, red onion, and jalapeno peppers combine with sweet bell peppers and grape tomatoes atop a creamy avocado spread. "Change up the veggies or the dressing to suit your taste," suggests bd.weld.

4. Claire's Curried Butternut Squash Soup

This creamy vegan soup replaces dairy with rich coconut milk. It features butternut squash, shallots, curry powder, turmeric, chopped apple, and fresh ginger. "Wow this was good," raves foodelicious. "I loved what fresh ginger did to the flavor of the squash and the apples. Such a great combination."

5. Mediterranean Chicken

The Mediterranean Diet is all the rage -- and with good reason! It's a simple, delicious way to eat healthy. Here, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves saute in a simple white wine and fresh tomato sauce with olives, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs. New2pc gives it 5 Stars: "We have been eating very healthy lately, and it's great to know that with a few simple ingredients you can get flavor like this. Mmmm, leftovers."

6. Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

This simple Vietnamese noodle salad shows off the very best of Vietnamese cooking. Featuring fresh herbs, cucumber, lettuce, carrots, basil, cilantro, bean sprouts, rice vermicelli, and grilled shrimp, tossed with a tangy sweet and sour sauce -- it's full of bright, fresh foods and loaded with exciting tastes and textures. "This is fantastic," raves Tsmunyon. "So healthy, so good."

7. Chicken Fiesta Salad

This dish explodes with flavors of the Southwest. You'll top salad greens and tomato wedges with seasoned skinless, boneless chicken breast halves sauteed in a little vegetable oil, and then dress it all up with a tasty mixture of black beans, Mexican-style corn, tomato salsa, and fajita seasoning. "This is an attractive and zesty all-in-one dish," says ANGL8277. "It's full of veggies and chicken, and loaded with flavor."

8. Grilled Salmon Steaks with Savory Blueberry Sauce

A flavorful fresh blueberry and balsamic vinegar reduction sauce provides the perfect counterpoint to grilled salmon. "This sauce is amazing," says Carolyn. And CDC raves, "My family loved this. I made fresh string beans and put the sauce on both the salmon and the beans. Very good and healthy too!"

9. Chicken, Zucchini, and Artichoke Salad

Pieces of skinless, boneless chicken breast are lightly pan-fried and tossed with sauteed zucchini, garbanzo beans, olives, and artichoke hearts. "I made up this salad because our garden is simply overflowing with zucchini," says homecookingtheworldover.

10. Sorghum Buddha Bowl

There's so much healthy stuff happening in this vegetarian bowl. Roasted radicchio, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, jalapenos, and leeks mix it up with black beans, sesame seeds, and a tangy miso-based dressing. It's a filling vegetarian meal-in-a-bowl!

11. Ratatouille

This classic Mediterranean dish is loaded with healthy fresh vegetables, including zucchini, fresh tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions. "Wonderfully simple, healthy, and delicious," says LITHRAI. "Makes the house smell awesome!" IbanezLover raves, "It was the best-tasting healthy food I have ever had."

12. Cauliflower Rice and Beans Fajita Bowls

In this healthy Tex-Mex bowl, seasoned riced cauliflower, red bell peppers, red onions, and garlic are roasted and topped with pinto beans, cotija cheese, pepitas, and fresh cilantro. "Serve bowls topped with pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream," says Julie Hubert.

13. Vegetarian Kale Soup

This hearty vegetarian soup features cannellini beans, green kale, fresh tomatoes, and potatoes. "Healthy. Easy. Inexpensive. Super yummy," raves TRINITY7. "Does it get any better?"

14. Black Bean Breakfast Bowl

Quality proteins and healthy fats will power you through the day! This quick and healthy breakfast bowl pairs scrambled eggs with microwaved black beans plus sliced avocado and salsa. "A delicious, healthy, and filling breaky bowl -- and vegetarian friendly," raves megfranc. "I love this one."

15. Grilled Cod with Spinach and Tomatoes

Seasoned cod fillets are grilled in foil packs along with spinach, tomato, onions, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. This healthy meal is on the table in about 20 minutes. "Great, tasty, and oh-so-simple," says lisasayegh. "I doubled the fresh spinach and used fresh minced garlic."

16. White Chili II

Cubes of skinless, boneless chicken breast are quickly pan fried and combined with sauteed onion, red and yellow bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and seasonings. Then you'll simply simmer the chicken and veggies with great Northern beans in chicken broth. "A fantastic chili with enough bite to be flavorful and pleasing, and low enough in fat and sodium to be allowed on my diet," says END54.

17. Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad

Grilled marinated strips of skinless, boneless chicken breast top romaine lettuce, red bell peppers, and onion. "Garnish this low-carb, no-sweat, sizzling-hot grilled fajita salad with lime wedges and chopped cilantro," says Baking Nana.

18. Veracruz-Style Red Snapper

This classic Gulf Coast fish dish bursts with vibrant flavors. It features capers, cherry tomatoes, green olives, and jalapenos. "Excellent recipe," raves Sidekick. "Quick, healthy, and so tasty." The recipe calls for red snapper, but any flaky white fish will work here.

19. Grilled Chicken Salad with Seasonal Fruit

This healthy main dish salad features grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, toasted pecans, Bibb lettuce, fresh strawberries, and a tangy dressing of red wine vinegar, olive oil, minced onion, and mustard. "Oh, MY! This was absolutely delightful," says cliff. "When you take a bite with bits of everything, the explosion of flavor in your mouth is pure ecstasy."

20. Creamy Italian White Bean Soup

A creamy soup without the cream. White kidney beans, minced garlic, and fresh spinach, and a splash of bright lemon juice steal the show in this simple, satisfying soup. "Loved this," says Skatkat. "A hearty, healthy, and delicious recipe. It was simple and easy to prep and overall a fast and delicious meal, especially for a week night!"

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Want more healthy meal ideas? Check out our collection of Healthy Recipes.