How to Make a Quick Healthy Weeknight Dinner

Looking for some quick and healthy dinner ideas for when you don’t feel like cooking? I’ve got you covered.

You know the drill – it’s late. You’re tired. You don’t feel like cooking.

Maybe this means you end up having cereal for dinner, or hitting the drive through on the way home, or just having some toast and calling it a night.

But I promise if you have just a few things on hand, you can throw together a really simple, quick, nutritious, and yummy meal with little to no effort. Here’s how to make a quick healthy weeknight dinner!

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Easy & Nutritious Weeknight Dinner Ideas

My favorite way to build a quick healthy dinner bowl is via a combination of greens, grains, legumes, veggies, healthy fats, and a sauce to tie it all together!

It’s easy and fast, I promise. If you have pre-cooked grains (or if you use a 90 second microwave version, like I do), throwing together dinner will be even quicker.

Without further ado, here’s your easy formula for how to build a quick, healthy dinner:

1. First, your base. Add a bed of greens to your plate.

This will give your meal some nice volume, which helps with satiety!

For warm meals, you can use 1 huge handful fresh baby spinach. Pop it in the microwave for 45 seconds on high to wilt it.

For cold meals, use 1 huge handful of fresh salad greens – any kind.

2. Add a serving (about 1/2 cup) of cooked grains to your plate.

For this step, you can either make a big batch of grains one night so you have it on hand the rest of the week, or, my favorite option is simply to use 90 second microwave brown rice. It’s so fast, so easy, and doesn’t require any planning ahead.

(Related: check out my Healthy Pantry Staples List for some items I always keep on hand, like microwave rice, canned beans, etc.)

Grain ideas:

• Brown rice
• Barley
• Quinoa
• Whole wheat pasta
• Any other whole grain

3. Add a serving (about 1/2 cup) of cooked legumes to your plate.

This will add fiber and protein to keep you full! 

I recommend canned beans – they are so easy and don’t require any cooking or planning ahead. Just open the can, drain and rinse them! 

Alternatively, if you have leftover cooked meat in the fridge (or canned meat/tuna), you could use that instead. Or use both – the more the merrier!

Some to try: 

• Cannellini beans (great with pasta)
• Black beans (great with rice, quinoa, barley)
• Kidney beans
• Chickpeas or lentils (good with anything)
• Etc.!

4. Time to add some veggie power – whatever you have on hand!

This will add nutrients and a lot of volume to your meal, keeping you full longer.

Some to try: 

• Cooked or fresh broccoli
• Chopped peppers or cucumber 
• Steamed zucchini and/or squash (great with pasta)
• Chopped or cooked carrots or celery
• Cooked string beans (I use the microwave version of these, too, for ease)
• Etc.!

5. Top with a serving of fat, to give the meal some staying power!

Here are some ideas – choose one or multiple!

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of cheese (grated cheddar, feta, goat, etc.)
• ¼ to 1/2 of an avocado (depending how hungry you are, and if the avocado is small or big!)
• A sprinkling of nuts or seeds (slivered or sliced almonds, chopped pecans or walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.)

6. And finally, add a sauce! Choose one depending on your theme:

• Salsa (for Mexican inspired meals)
• Pesto or marinara (pasta) sauce
• Vinaigrette (my favorite is my Lemon Balsamic Dressing)

To get you started, here are a few of my favorite easy healthy dinner combos:

Mexican Mess:

• Base of microwave steamed spinach or fresh greens
• ½ cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
• ½ cup black beans
• Chopped peppers and tomato
• ¼ to 1/2 an avocado
• 2 Tbsp. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup salsa, any kind

Quinoa Chickpea Salad:

• Base of fresh greens
• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup chickpeas
• Chopped veggies – peppers, carrots, cucumber, etc.
• ¼ to 1/2 an avocado
• 1 Tbsp. feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. lemon balsamic vinaigrette

Simple Veggie Pasta:

• Base of steamed spinach
• 1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta
• 1/2 cup cannellini beans or chickpeas
• Zucchini, squash, and/or broccoli steamed in microwave
• 1 Tbsp. Grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup marinara or pesto 

Orange Arugula Quinoa Salad:

• Base of arugula
• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup cannellini beans
• ¼ an avocado, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. orange vinaigrette (see recipe – click the recipe name above – for details)

Watermelon Fall Harvest Salad:

• Base of baby kale
• ½ cup cooked farro
• ½ cup chickpeas
• Butternut squash or sweet potato, cooked in microwave
• ¼ cup pecans, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinaigrette (see recipe – click the recipe name above – for details)

Spinach Quinoa Salad:

• Base of spinach
• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup kidney beans
• 1 Tbsp. feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice + olive oil dressing (see recipe – click the recipe name above – for details)

The key is to include a lot of volume from veggies to help keep you full, some fat for staying power, and to make sure to add some form of protein – either beans or a meat/seafood if you have that on hand. 

And now, here’s a graphic for you to pin/save with your easy dinner “formula” all together in one place! 

I hope you find this post helpful the next time you arrive home with no idea what to make for dinner!

For more quick healthy dinner ideas:

(These require a little more cooking, but are still easy to make!)

• Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
• Saucy, Quick Chicken with Artichokes and Tomatoes
• Tomato Garlic Pasta with Ground Turkey
• Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

A few more previous posts you might also find helpful:

• Healthy Snack Ideas for Busy People
• What Time Should You Stop Eating?
• Intuitive Eating While Working From Home
• What Causes Sugar Cravings? (And How to Stop Them)

What’s your favorite quick and easy weeknight dinner staple?