Dinner recipes, healthy, 30 minutes or less

Make eating clean every day simple with these fast healthy dinner recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less!

Did you know takeout isn’t the only way to get something to eat for dinner in less than 30 minutes? Shocking we know! Today we want to share some of our favorite simple and healthy dinner ideas that are satisfying and fast!

These fast healthy meals are solid for busy weeknights, but tasty enough to make when you have more time as well.

The collection includes healthy dinner recipes with chicken, ground beef, fish and shellfish, as well as vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Most of these 30-minute weeknight dinners are for two, but if you have a bigger family you can easily adapt them! That way everyone gets to eat better, at least for dinner during the week!

And if you’re looking for healthy meal ideas for one, well, then lucky future you – you’re getting to enjoy a nutritious meal tomorrow too!

Healthy Foods To Eat For Dinner

A healthy dinner can have many different ingredients, depending on what you’re making but here are the main food groups you wanna look for:

• Fruits and vegetables – choose what’s in season right now and buy fresh or frozen.
• Whole grains and legumes – foods like lentils, beans, chickpeas, quinoa, rice for some more fiber and protein in your meals
• Nuts, seeds and their butters – nuts and seeds are great in salads and you can use the nut and seed butters to make tasty sauces. Pair with some garlic, lemon, mustard or tamari sauce and you’d be surprised how good these taste!
• Animal protein (if you’re not vegan) – chicken, salmon, shrimp, yogurt, cheese and eggs (if you’re not allergic to dairy, fish, shellfish or eggs of course)
• Herbs and spices. Do not forget to spice up your dishes – it makes a huge difference.

Now here are some of our go-to fast healthy dinner recipes – we make a variation of these every month and love them.

Healthy Dinner Recipes With Chicken

Let’s start with the obvious ones…you’ve probably heard the phrase winner winner chicken dinner. We don’t even know what it means or where it comes from, but these healthy dinner ideas with chicken are definitely going to win you over.

1. Mediterranean Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps make the solid lighter weeknight dinner! Packed with chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives, they’re full of flavor and fresh! Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 30 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 338

2. 15-Minute Quinoa & Chicken Fried Rice

You can make this nutrient-dense variation of chicken fried rice in no time with some cooked quinoa, eggs and veggies! Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 15 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 443

3. Mediterranean Chicken Dinner Skillet

This is one of our favorite dinner recipes and it also happens to be underrated! It’s made with chicken, roasted eggplant, tons of other vegetables, garlic and feta cheese. It’s excellent with some toasted bread and salad on the side. Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 352

4. Fast and Simple Chicken Egg Roll In A Bowl

This is a pretty cheap and fast healthy dinner recipe with chicken, cabbage, carrots, garlic and tamari sauce. And it tastes just wonderful! Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 474

5. Notable Mediterranean Chicken Wraps

These wraps are so good. We know it’s not common to have wraps for dinner, but..once you try this, you’ll get it. It’s on another level. The chicken wraps are filled with chicken, garlicky yogurt sauce, hummus and a simple salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado. Fresh, simple and so tasty! Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 488

6. Healthy Chicken Macaroni

This chicken pasta is much healthier than most pasta dishes and makes a wonderful dinner for the family! You can use any type of pasta you want here, we recommend whole grain, but the original recipe uses fast cooking macaroni. If you do use whole grain pasta, the recipe will probably take 10 minutes longer, which is okay, because you’ll still be done in 20 minutes. Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 444

Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes

Now, if you’re vegetarian or like to enjoy a meatless dinner from time to time, these vegetarian options are for you. From quinoa recipes to soups and healthy bowls, these fast meal ideas are definitely worth saving.

7. Healthy Tomato Basil Quinoa Risotto

This simple dinner recipe is for one and is made with cooked quinoa, fresh tomatoes, cheese, garlic and zucchini and it is absolutely satisfying! Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 458

8. Healthy Spicy Mediterranean Bowls

Use canned chickpeas, avocado, olives and vegetables to make these mouthwatering vegan bowls. The chickpeas are spicy, the hummus is creamy and the salad is refreshing! These bowls are great for meal prep too! Recipe here.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 355

9. Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice

We've been hesitating to try using cauliflower as rice for years, but once we did, we could not stop! This is the healthy low-carb version of our favorite weeknight dinner: vegetable fried rice. It’s made with riced cauliflower, carrots, tamari, garlic and eggs! simple to make from scratch too! Recipe here.

Ready in: 25 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 445

10. 20-Minute Healthy Chickpea Soup

Sometimes we forget how comforting soups can be, especially for dinner! They’re light, but also satiating. This is a healthy vegan soup made with chickpeas, onions, tomato and a few other simple ingredients. Recipe here.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 298

11. Simple Vegetarian Quinoa Fried Rice

Another healthy vegetarian version of fried rice! This time made with cooked quinoa. Told you it’s one of our favorite dinner options, this is how to make it healthy and it tastes so good! Recipe here.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 484

12. Mediterranean Chickpea Wraps

As you can tell we love healthy flavorful wraps for dinner (or any meal, really)! This one is filled with spicy chickpeas, hummus, a garlicky sauce and a fresh salad and it’s just so solid. To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free tortillas. In order to make it lighter, serve the filling on lettuce leaves. Recipe here.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 485

13. A reliable Avocado Chickpea Salad

If you want to finish your day feeling lighter and refreshed, we recommend a salad! This avocado chickpea salad is solid for dinner as well, especially on a hot summer night. Recipe here.

Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 404

14. 30-Minute Butternut Squash Lentil Soup

Speaking of light healthy recipes for dinner, you’ll love this coconut-y creamy and satisfying lentil soup! Recipe here.

Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 281

Healthy Dinner Recipes With Fish and Shellfish

We're a big fan of fish and shellfish! It’s not everyone’s cup of tea (we're talking to our brother in law), but when it comes to fast healthy dinner recipes, you just can’t go wrong with some salmon or shrimp. Here are some of our favorite fast meals using seafood.

15. Healthy and Tasty Salmon Bowl

One of our absolute favorite healthy dinners to make with salmon! Filling, nutritious and incredibly scrumptious, these bowls are fresh and full of flavor. Recipe here.

Dinner is ready in 30 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 580

16. 15-Minute Healthy Spicy Shrimp and Quinoa

Fast, tasty and simple quinoa recipe with spicy shrimp and vegetables. We admit, it’s an unexpected combo, but this is one of a reliable healthy weeknight dinner recipes you can make with cooked quinoa and frozen shrimp! Recipe here.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 468

17. Healthy Mediterranean Salmon Wraps

Yes, there’s a wrap for every category in this collection of healthy dinners! These notable salmon wraps are made with salmon, a tzatziki sauce and a tasty avocado salad. Use tortillas of choice to make them at home in around 30 minutes! Recipe here.

Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 567

18. Salmon and Shrimp Risotto

If you love one-pan rice dishes you are also going to love this risotto, it makes a lot, so it’s a great family-friendly recipe. Recipe here.

Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 4 | Calories: 443

19. Healthy Garlic Shrimp In Tomato Sauce

5 ingredients! Yes, this wonderful dinner is made with just 5 healthy things: shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, dill and olive oil. We honestly cannot imagine someone not loving this simple meal. Recipe here.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 445

20. Healthy Spicy Shrimp Stir-Fry

Use broccoli, frozen shrimp, green beans and vegetables you have at home to make this fast stir-fry! Fast, packed with protein and low in carbs, this is one of a reliable healthy dinner recipes for weight loss too. But, honestly, you don’t need to be losing weight to love it – it’s satisfying either way. Recipe here.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 289

21. Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup

This is a delightful creamy soup with shrimp and zucchini and it’s spicy, satisfying, sweet and savory at the same time. We love the lemongrass in there, as it makes it so light any time of the year. Recipe here.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 358

Healthy Dinner Recipes With Ground Beef

Last but not least, we’re coming to a small collection (it’s just three fast meals) of healthy ground beef dinner recipes! Ground beef is an excellent source of iron, protein and vitamin B12 and it can be a healthy addition to your diet in moderation. So let’s get to these simple recipes!

22. Beef and Broccoli Fried Quinoa

This is such a satisfying ground beef recipe! You can use any vegetables you have, some cooked quinoa and your healthy dinner will be ready in 20 minutes. Recipe here.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 372

23. Healthy Cabbage & Ground Beef Stir-Fry

Use up your cabbage and other vegetables in this tasty meal with ground beef! This simple stir-fry is spicy, flavorful, hearty and so fast! The recipe is here.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Calories: 472

24. Healthy Greek Meatball Bowls

Healthy, flavorful, and fresh these Greek meatball bowls are a great dinner option when you want to switch things up! Recipe here.

Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves: 3 | Calories: 532

How it comes together

As you can see, there are many options when it comes to eating clean when dinner time comes around. But, our two best tips for making a healthy dinner on your own is to keep things simple and to be prepared!

Before you start the week make a meal plan or at least think of 2-3 fast recipes you’d like to make during that week. Here’s an example of the last healthy meal plan We made.

We like to make dinner in 20-30 minutes and usually serve a salad to go along, as we feel a meal isn’t complete without some fresh vegetables. We know, we’re all different, but if your goal is to eat healthier, make sure to get in some vegetables at every meal as well.

As mentioned, we highly recommend you make a meal plan, or at least a dinner plan for the week. You can use just pen and paper, or if you want to step it up use a template like this one (use code NTB20 to get 20% off). This meal planning template allows you to plan your meals, create a weekly grocery list and even write down favorite recipes by using the recipe card.

Once you’ve planned everything, go food shopping and stick to whole foods. Avoid sauces with too many ingredients as well as processed foods (even those that seem to be the healthier option).

Healthy Dinner Weekly Meal Prep

If you’re like us, you probably don’t like eating the same thing every day of the week. It’s just, food is how you make life more exciting, right? That seems like a healthy attitude. Well, if you do want to meal prep for the week, here’s what we'd suggest:

• Chop vegetables ahead. You can do this with peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce and so many more vegetables that aren’t juicy and won’t spoil fast. Put them in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
• Prepare ingredients, not entire meals. You can speed things up a ton in the kitchen by roasting some sweet potatoes or other vegetables you like, cooking some rice or quinoa and cooking protein like chicken or salmon.
• Prepare sauces & dips. We love making some hummus, tzatziki or this roasted vegetable dip. These are great to use in bowls and on the side with some salad.