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Healthy eating can be a rather intimidating goal—especially if you tend to associate it with wheatgrass shots, quinoa, and long-winded recipes that take the better part of an afternoon. This collection will show you that adopting a healthier diet can be as easy as taking it one recipe at a time. Consider starting with tender beef meatballs made with shredded zucchini with breadcrumbs, shown here.
The main course recipes ahead were carefully selected with busy families in mind, because we understand that wanting to eat more whole and nutrient-dense foods doesn't magically clear your schedule to cook all day. This means that any recipe you encounter in the slides ahead will take 30 minutes or less to prepare.
If you're already accustomed to healthy cooking but are in a bit of a rut, look out for the Mediterranean-inspired Swiss Chard and Feta Pasta, or the Orange-Glazed Pork Kebabs. Surprising flavors and pleasing textures abound in this gallery and are sure to shake up the repertoire of even the most avid healthy home cooks.
Instant Pot Chicken Curry
Make multicooker magic happen with this 30-minute chicken curry; just remember to put some rice on the stove before you start, and dinner will be as good as done.
Beef-Zucchini Meatballs
Whether you need to sneak vegetables into your meals in order to please a picky eater, or you're trying to use up a glut of summer produce, this easy meatball recipe will deliver. Pair them with a jar of your favorite marinara sauce and a whole-wheat spaghetti for an extra-easy healthy weeknight dinner.
Easy Chicken and Hominy Soup
This streamlined soup is inspired by pozole, a traditional soup or stew from Mexico. The trick to this version only taking about 10 minutes? Leaning on conveniences like store-bought broth, rotisserie chicken, and a prepared chile salsa.
Seared Halibut Tacos
You know you're eating a super healthy meal when you look down and see practically all of the colors of the rainbow on your plate. Bright and fresh ingredients like grapefruit, cilantro, and avocado dress up these quick halibut tacos, which will take just minutes to cook up in the skillet.
Greek Mezze Salad
Inspired by the small plates known as "mezzes" that traditionally crowd the tables at Greek trattorias, this salad-for-dinner is anchored by savory roasted chickpeas, a lemony yogurt sauce, and simple-prep vegetables like cucumber and radish.
Chicken Cutlets with Summer Squash and Feta
These chicken cutlets cook up to tender perfection in a matter of minutes and are perfect alongside a pile of sunny summer squash.
Stir-Fried Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp
Shrimp is a great protein to keep stashed in your freezer for those nights where you want something quick and nutritious. Getting pre-peeled shrimp and diced pineapple from the store makes this 20-minute meal even easier.
Steak-and-Asparagus Stir-Fry
Ample amounts of minced ginger and fresh chiles will keep your taste buds on their toes in this light and super-quick stir-fry.
Creamy Leftover-Turkey-and-Rice Soup
Intended for Thanksgiving leftovers, this light and creamy soup is a year-round winner with shredded rotisserie chicken, too.
Swiss-Chard and Feta Pasta
This bold pasta has a sauce made in the style of agrodolce (Italian for sweet and sour). Capers, anchovies, currants, orange juice, and feta are combined with wide noodles and Swiss chard for a fast, vegetable-forward dinner.
Chili-Lime Pork with Corn Salad
When cut into thick slices known as medallions, the cooking time for pork tenderloin is cut in half. This recipe will prove especially useful on summer weeknights when the last thing you want to make is a slow-going roast in the oven.
Spring Chicken Niçoise
Because the chicken, potatoes, and snap peas steam together in the same basket, this refreshing springtime meal is extra-easy to clean up.
Salmon-and-Corn Chowder
Thanks to a base of clam broth thickened with a little flour, only a 1/4 cup of cream is needed to make this hearty and wholesome salmon chowder sing.
Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry
Fast and super flavorful: It's the oyster sauce in this stir fry that brings an unparalleled depth and complexity.
Pasta-e-Fagioli Pasta
If you want a vegetarian dinner that will stick to your ribs, look no further than this riff on pasta e fagioli. We turn the classic soup into a cheesy pasta that's balanced out with leafy escarole and hearty chickpeas.
Orange-Glazed Pork Kebabs with Zucchini
Pork loin is a lean and economical protein to reach for that can cook super-fast when needed, like in this zesty kebab recipe.
Picadillo-Style Chili
A quick and fragrant way to use ground beef, picadillo is a very popular dish in Latin American and Caribbean countries, and variations abound. The flavors in this take are inspired by Spain's version, which seasons it with almonds, olives, and currants.
Pork Chop with Sautéed Apples and Wild Rice
This quick and easy meal is bursting with the flavors of fall and will be a cozy dinner that won't weigh you down on chillier nights.
Mussels with Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, and Tarragon
A lean, cheap, and quick-cooking protein, mussels are popular in restaurants but often overlooked at the seafood counter. Give them a try at home with this in this quick summery entrée.
Beef and Broccoli with Black-Bean Garlic Sauce
A rich and super-savory Chinese condiment, Black-bean garlic sauce supercharges this stir-fry into a guaranteed hit.
Miso Soup with Tofu and Kale
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This recipe riffs off of a classic miso soup, turning it into a satisfying vegan main by boosting the amount of tofu and adding in fiber-rich kale.
Linguine with Turkey Sausage and Peppers
With all of the different flavors and textures going on in this pasta—like bright bell peppers, peppery arugula, and al dente linguine—you'll hardly notice that lean turkey sausage is subbed in for traditional pork.
Flat-Iron Steak with Cauliflower and Arugula
In this speedy dinner, the steak is seared and then set aside to rest, while the side dish uses the same skillet to cook. This won't only make cleanup easier, it'll make the cauliflower a lot more flavorful, too.
Flank Steak Kebabs with Peanut Sauce
Flank steak and summery vegetables like zucchini and bell peppers are skewered and grilled to perfection in a flash. Coconut milk and peanuts dress up this simple meal, making it special enough to be requested for future dinners.
Sweet-and-Sour Chicken-Noodle Bowl
There's barely any cooking needed to make this quick noodle bowl, especially if you use leftover roast chicken or pick up a rotisserie at the store.
Broiled Striped Bass with Cauliflower and Capers
The broiler setting on your oven is a powerful tool you can use to get a healthy dinner on the table as fast as possible. And this recipe shows off how versatile it can be: The broiler is used to cook and crisp both the cauliflower and the fish.
Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup
If you've heard a lot about turmeric but are a little stumped on where to start, this soul-warming soup is a great recipe to try.
Pork Medallions with Parsnips and Grapes
This one-pan recipe is fabulous for a solo dinner at home, but it can easily be doubled if you're cooking for two.
Steak and Pear Salad
Flank steak is a lean and quick-cooking cut of beef that is a perfect match for an entrée salad. Combining it with in-season pears and a tangy buttermilk dressing will keep it interesting until the very last bite.
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