61 Healthy Dinner Ideas to End the Day on a High Note
My favorite healthy dinner ideas are all about getting the most out of heavy-hitting nutritious ingredients. At the end of a long weekday I want a healthy meal I can look forward to—not one that will make me feel crappy or underfed by the next morning. That’s why I lean on weeknight meals like saucy chana masala with protein-packed chickpeas, pineapple-salsa-dressed seared salmon tacos that won’t leave me missing the deep fryer, and cold sesame noodles with bright, fresh noodles blanketed in an umami-packed tahini sauce. Rather than depriving your body of what it needs, all of these healthy dinner recipes will leave you full and satisfied, ready for whatever tomorrow could possibly throw at you.
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio1/61Chana Masala
The key to this excellent healthy dinner idea? Chickpeas so soft that they melt in your mouth.
- Alex Lau2/61
Tofu and Kimchi Stew
Fermented pepper paste adds a lot to this broth, but if you don't keep gochujang in your pantry, you can use a scoop of miso in a pinch. The broth plays well with all sorts of veggies, so feel free to mix it up.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks3/61
Adobo Mushroom Tacos
Roast mushrooms spiced with oregano, garlic powder, and cumin to perfection before stuffing into warm corn tortillas. If that doesn’t sound filling enough, serve with a side of black beans and brown rice to add some heft.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Jennifer Ophir4/61
Mushroom Carbonara
Mushrooms take the place of the traditional Italian cured pork in this super-satisfying vegetarian dinner recipe.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Sophie Strangio5/61
Salmon Tacos With Pineapple-Chile Salsa
Marinate salmon in a versatile ginger-garlic paste, then sear it in a pan to create a flavorful caramelized crust. Tuck into tacos and top with a quick pineapple salsa for an easy and delicious dinner.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.6/61
Summer Goddess Chicken Salad
Cloak tender poached chicken, sweet summer corn, and crisp green beans in a creamy, fresh herb–loaded green goddess for the ultimate chic summer lunch.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Judy Kim.7/61
Big Queer Cold Noodles
Temper summer’s heat with a big bowl of these irresistible colorful, crunchy, cold noodles. Inspired by Taiwanese liang mian, this dish is an ode to the safe spaces recipe developer Jessie YuChen would frequent while growing up in Taipei.
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Chopped Dinner Salad With Crispy Chickpeas
With loads of fresh veggies, this recipe is exactly what you want when dinner needs to be a salad and salad needs to be dinner.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton9/61
Brothy Pasta With Chickpeas
Quick and easy, this is one comfort food recipe you won't be able to get enough of. Make a big batch and you’ll have a healthy dinner that lasts all week.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Small Bowls by Meilen Ceramics10/61
Whole Fish Ssam
In Korean, ssam literally means “wrapped”—set the fish in the center of the table and pull the meat off the bones, using chopsticks to fill lettuce wraps along with radish salad, ssamjang, kimchi, and rice. Roasting a whole fish in a sheet pan—skin, bones, and all—is a surprisingly easy dinner idea, and the flesh stays moist and flavorful even if you overcook it a touch.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Props from Meilen Ceramics11/61
Smoked Tofu Larb With Lemongrass
Lara Lee’s meat-free version of the Laotian and Thai dish combines smoked tofu with pops of crunchy sesame seeds and a kick of lime dressing.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Dayna Seman.12/61
Gochujang-Sesame Noodles
Spicy gochujang and creamy tahini combine with hearty broccoli rabe and cooling basil in this harmonious but punchy, umami-rich noodle dish.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime13/61
Grilled Swordfish With Tomatoes
If you’ve never grilled fish before, this recipe that features forgiving swordfish is the best place to start. The tomato and olive salad goes with practically everything you plan to eat this summer.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susan Ottaviano, prop styling by Sophie Strangio14/61
Kimchi Fried Rice With Broccoli
Broccoli florets get lots of love, but this sizzling, meal prep-ready dish is all about those stalks and leaves. If you have a pile of leftover rice in the fridge, this easy dinner comes together on the stovetop in a blink.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones15/61
Sesame Tofu With Broccoli
Tahini (an untraditional but logical addition) adds richness to this plant-based riff on sesame chicken.
- Photograph by Frank Frances, food styling by Lillian Chou, prop styling by Sophia Pappas16/61
Mushroom Sloppy
This mouthwatering vegan mushroom sloppy is so good you’ll think twice before ever picking up a pack of ground beef again.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown17/61
Glazed Sweet Potatoes With Lentils
Tearing the sweet potatoes creates more surface area to char and glaze. (It’s also fun.) Lentils add body and texture.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich18/61
Fridge Clean-Out Nabe With Mushroom Dashi
Senior food editor Christina Chaey's mushroom dashi can go with whatever vegetables and proteins you have in the fridge. It’s her favorite cold-weather healthy dinner.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Mariana Velasquez19/61
White Beans With Broccoli Rabe and Lemon
If you like bold, assertive flavors—like broccoli rabe and lemon—this rustic white bean side dish is the recipe for you. Try it with roast chicken or pork tenderloin to add some extra protein to your veggies.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott20/61
Carrot Pancakes With Salted Yogurt
With a texture somewhere between a latke and a pancake, these vegetarian fritters are also gluten-free. (Thanks, chickpea flour!)
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou21/61
Brothy Tomato and Fish Soup With Lime
This sour-salty soup was made for using up sweet, late-season tomatoes—no slow cooker or Instant Pot necessary to develop big flavor.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova22/61
Soba Soup With Shrimp and Greens
Dashi, a Japanese stock made from seaweed and dried fish, is the fastest route to a savory, slurp-able broth—and there are no long simmers or bags of chicken bones necessary.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Ceramics by Meilen Ceramics23/61
Khoresh Bademjan
This Persian stew of tomatoes and spiced eggplant is just the warming dish you need on a cool evening.
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Spring Chicken Salad With Smashed Green Beans
Properly poached chicken breast is truly a thing of beauty—juicy, tender, and a blank canvas for big flavors.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Bowl by Meilen Ceramics25/61
Tofu With Soy-Butter Corn
Corn, butter, and soy come together with pan-fried tofu, scallions, mirin, and sesame oil to make an ultra-flavorful, just-rich-enough vegetarian main. Serve it over rice, a chewy grain like farro or wheat berries, or arugula dressed with rice vinegar and more sesame oil. A crispy fried egg would also be welcome.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro26/61
Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad
Here’s the answer to your question: “What can I make on Sunday night that will taste great for my desk lunch on Wednesday?”
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova27/61
Obe Ata Stew With Chicken and Spinach
Obe ata is a Nigerian sauce that incorporates floral habanero chiles and bell peppers. This recipe uses obe ata as the base for a spicy, healthy chicken and sweet potato stew.
- Photo by Justin Bridges, Food Styling by Tyna Hoang28/61
Lemon-Saffron Salmon With Dill Rice
Saffron’s deep crimson threads add an intense sunset-orange hue and rich aroma to whatever they touch, but the downside is that it’s very expensive. By gently grinding the saffron threads, then mixing them with water, you can create a saffron liquid that makes a little bit of the pricy spice go a longer way (and it helps the threads dissolve better).
- Photo and Food Styling by Sarah Jampel29/61
Green Beans Palya
Palya is a classic South Asian recipe usually composed of a single vegetable chopped into bite-size pieces and sautéed in oil that has been seasoned with black mustard seeds, asafetida, chile, and curry leaves. The dish is then finished with lemon juice, grated coconut, and cilantro. Seasonal produce is preferred, but the combination makes even the saddest of vegetables at the back of your fridge sing.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou30/61
Soy and Ginger Steamed Fish
You can use this foolproof steaming method to cook any sturdy fish—salmon, snapper, black cod, or arctic char would all be great.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Nicole Louie31/61
Sach Ko Ang
Sweet, spicy, and aromatic, these vibrantly delicious galangal-and-lemongrass–marinated beef skewers are a Cambodian street food staple. They’re also ideal for a quick dinner. If you don’t have a grill, you can always broil on a sheet pan.
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Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
If you've always thought you needed hours to make a luxuriously silky puréed vegetable soup, well, this recipe is here to say you don't!
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime33/61
Tomato-Braised Rotisserie Chicken
Give a store-bought bird a new identity by simmering it in a quick tomato-bacon braise with lots of kale and a splash of white wine.
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou34/61
Spicy Braised Tofu
You’ll find a version of this quicker-than-quick dish on many Korean tables as a banchan. But with rice and a side of greens, it’s dinner exactly when you need it: right now.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Bowl by Meilen Ceramics35/61
Chicken Meatballs and Green Beans in Tomato Broth
Food director Chris Morocco's grandma used to make a version of this dish using pork and showers of Parmesan. He's updated it with ground chicken and miso for a lighter, late-summer dish with equally deep flavor.
- Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson36/61
Roast Fish with Curry Butter
Slow roasting fish over par-roasted potatoes, fennel, and onions is a pro move that turns out a deeply satisfying dish with minimal cleanup.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones37/61
Cream-ish of Mushroom Soup
Puréeing some of the mushrooms along with cashews for this creamy, earthy, vegan soup adds body that doesn’t compromise on flavor.
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou38/61
Khichdi
This one-pot Indian mung bean and rice stew was practically made for stay-inside days: Made from pantry ingredients, it requires little effort and is extremely comforting.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich39/61
Brothy Chicken With Ginger and Bok Choy
Even steaming can overcook chicken. Keep the heat and steam gentle and remove the meat when it’s just firm and has a bit of spring when pressed.
- Photo by Alex Lau40/61
Hoisin-Turkey Meatballs With Glass Noodles
Quinoa—not breadcrumbs—adds bulk to these meatballs while imparting them with a lightness and a ton of extra vitamins and minerals.
- Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone and Jennifer Ophir41/61
Crispy-Skin Salmon With Miso-Honey Sauce
The key to this quick dinner is starting the salmon fillets skin side down in a cold cast iron skillet, cranking the heat, and letting the skin slowly render and crisp. This ensures that the flesh cooks gently (and mostly on one side), so that all it needs is a quick flip and another minute or so to get you to a perfect medium-rare.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou42/61
Miso Chicken and Green Bean Stir-Fry
Miso-curry paste and handfuls of charred green beans and peas transform skinless, boneless chicken breasts into a highly craveable stir-fry that comes together fast for busy weeknights.
- Photo by Justin Bridges, Food Styling by Tyna Hoang43/61
Vietnamese Turmeric Fish Summer Rolls
This recipe is food stylist Tyna Hoang's homage to Hanoi’s classic Chả Cá Lã Vọng, a dish of fried fish seasoned with turmeric, shrimp paste, and dill that’s served over vermicelli with lots of herbs and nước chấm, a fish sauce dressing. Her simplified version is married with the summer roll for a quick and refreshing nod to an otherwise perfect traditional recipe.
- Alex Lau44/61
Quick Braised Kabocha Squash
This cool-weather recipe leads to a super satisfying, highly riffable one-pan dish. Change up the braise by tossing in whatever you have lingering in your pantry: A chipotle chile, a handful of rosemary, the zest of a lemon or a lime. You get the idea.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Claire Saffitz45/61
Extra-Juicy Turkey Burgers
Turkey burgers always sound like a great idea, but they often taste like a fat sawdust patty. No more, friends! Mashing avocado into the turkey mixture helps prevent the meat from shrinking and drying out during cooking on the barbecue, which is why these stay awesomely juicy, even when they’re cooked all the way through.
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Raw and Roasted Dinner Salad
We love this dinner that's half salad bowl, half sheet pan. The mixture is crunchy, creamy, sweet, salty, and highly satisfying—it's sure to lead to future cravings.
- Photo and Food Styling by Sarah Jampel47/61
Crispy Rice Bowl With Spring Vegetables
This recipe was directly inspired by Korean bibimbap's wonderful flavors and texture. The short cook time makes it quicker than takeout, and the recipe's flexibility makes it versatile—when summer hits, swap in grilled corn or zucchini.
- Bobbi Lin48/61
Salad Pizza
We swapped red sauce for crisp lettuce tossed in a bracing dressing—and it works. The cured meat (in this case, prosciutto) can stay.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova49/61
Vegetarian Chili With Lots of Fritos
Quick, spicy, filling, and made mostly of pantry ingredients, this chili/tortilla soup/Frito pie mash-up is calling your name. (Shhh. Listen closely.)
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova50/61
Sweet Potatoes With Charred Lemons and Crunchies
With custardy insides and charred exteriors, these sweet potatoes are everything you always wish roasted sweet potatoes could be. A crunchy mixture of toasted nuts and seeds provides pops of texture and spice, and a cooling lemony yogurt sauce cuts through the richness.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone51/61
Crispy Tofu With Coconut Quinoa and Broccolini
Crispy, craggy, and thoroughly coated in a rich peanut sauce, this tofu is a main you’ll turn to again and again. Be patient when pan-searing the tofu—it can take time to develop the browning you’re after, but the payoff is huge.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova52/61
Digaag Qumbe (Yogurt-Coconut Chicken)
Warming cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and ginger make this Somali chicken stew recipe from recipe developer Hawa Hassan a rich aromatic experience. Breast meat will work, but chicken thighs will provide a little more flavor.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio53/61
Chicken-Lentil Soup With Jammy Onions
This quick soup coaxes big flavors from a short ingredient list. The lentils provide body you usually only get from a long-simmered stew.
- Photo and Food Styling by Sohla El-Waylly54/61
Paneer With Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
This dish of saucy, seared paneer channels the flavors traditionally found in matar paneer—coriander, cumin, chile, and ginger—into a quick-cooking cherry tomato sauce that's packed with bright spring-y sugar snap peas.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Plates by Meilen Ceramics55/61
Healthyish Chicken Salad
This is the summery chicken salad you could eat plate after plate of without feeling like you’ve downed a jar of mayonnaise—because you didn't!
- Alex Lau56/61
Grilled Halibut and Bok Choy with Coconut-Lime Dressing
The dressing here is really just coconut milk and lime juice with a little salt—and it's amazing. Any flaky white fish can stand in for the halibut.
- Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski57/61
Lemon Chicken Thighs
Pair this easy chicken dinner with whatever steamed vegetables you love and drizzle the chile- and honey-kissed pan sauce over everything.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton58/61
Soba Noodles With Crispy Kale
These soba noodles with crispy kale chips and a nutty tahini-honey-soy dressing are a hearty vegetarian weeknight dinner—or make-ahead lunch.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio59/61
Kale Pesto With Whole Wheat Pasta
Joshua McFadden's kale pesto inspired us to keep spreading the word that there is still no better or more delicious way to eat your greens. Our version has pistachios for even more of that verdant hue.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk60/61
New-and-Improved Greek Salad
The method for marinating the feta is also a good trick for other fresh cheeses—try goat, mozzarella, or paneer.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones61/61
I-Can't-Believe-It's-Vegetarian Ramen
The goal for this healthy dinner idea was to achieve a tonkotsu-like broth without using any meat. Tomato paste, dried shiitake mushrooms, kombu, and a little bit of butter help to get you that rich umami-like effect. Swap in shirataki noodles for ramen for a low-carb alternative.