25 Healthy Dinner Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated September 16, 2020

You'll find lower-fat and lower-calorie versions of casseroles, soups, stews, wrap, salads and more among our favorite healthy dinner options.

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1 of 25

Cheesy Dutch Baby with Pesto-Dressed Vegetables

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We're convinced that colorful food tastes better-and nutritionists will tell you it's better for you, too. Proof: Our innovative recipe. While the egg-and-cheddar batter puffs in a skillet, a crazy-quilt of veggies roasts separately. When the timer beeps, put them together for a savory twist on a fruit-filled Dutch baby pancake.

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2 of 25

Pasta with Chard and Basil

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If you have a big bunch of chard from the farmers market or a CSA box, this healthy, easy 30-minute dinner is a great way to use it up. 

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Green Bean and Tofu Stir Fry

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Extra-firm tofu is the choice for this quick, pretty and nourishing dish. It's least likely to stick in the pan or fall apart when turned.

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4 of 25

Baked Ratatouille Sausage Penne

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What's the secret to keeping this pasta casserole as healthy as it is cozy? Lean turkey sausage, whole wheat pasta and just a sprinkling of cheese.

5 of 25

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Zucchini

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You could make a meal of this dish: caramelized zucchini, crunchy almonds, salty cheese and hearty quinoa, all dressed in honey-basil vinaigrette. The recipe comes from Little Eater, in Columbus, Ohio.

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Blackened Chicken with Avocado Salsa

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A zesty fresh salsa tops flavorful chicken breast. A little bit of creamy avocado goes a long way to making the dish taste more indulgent than it really is.

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Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Lentils

Credit: Brie Passano
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This is a lazy Sunday—or tired Tuesday—recipe from chef Abra Berens' book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables. Don't be alarmed by cooking beans this long. Make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and skipping the Parmesan.

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Winter Bean Salad with Fennel and Clementines

Credit: Blaine Moats
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Turn a humble can of beans into this impressive salad. It's already a main dish, but you can make it heartier by adding seared salmon or sizzled shrimp.

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Jerk Pork Wraps with Lime Mayo

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Prepare pork shoulder in the slow cooker, then whip up dinner in a flash. The Lime Mayo topping uses fat-free mayo, so it doesn't add heaps of fat or calories.

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10 of 25

Mediterranean Chicken-Pomegranate Stir-Fry

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Pomegranate seeds add a punch of sweet-tart flavor to this easy and healthy stir-fry. Thinly sliced pork tenderloin or peeled, deveined shrimp can be substituted for the chicken. For extra nutrition, serve with brown rice or quinoa.

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Smoky Beef, Black Bean and Corn Chili

Credit: Blaine Moats
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This hands-off, slow-cooker recipe has just a pound of ground beef and a can of stock. All the rest of the heft and taste comes from black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, chipotle peppers and corn tortillas.

12 of 25

Winter Tabbouleh with Fennel and Cranberries

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This delicious and healthy twist on a traditional Middle Eastern parsley salad features protein-rich quinoa, cranberries, sunflower seeds and crisp fennel.

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13 of 25

Oven-Fried Parmesan Chicken

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Herbed bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese make the coating on this oven-baked dish extra tasty—and lower-fat and lower-calorie than its fried counterpart.

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Five-Spice Beef Kabobs

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These kabobs use lean flank steak or boneless sirloin, and the sauce is made with healthy yogurt.

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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By cutting the sour cream and adding black beans, we lowered the fat and boosted the protein and fiber in this healthy twist on a Mexican-restaurant standard.

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Sunday Dinner Stew

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You couldn't ask for a simpler dinner than this! Just four ingredients and only 300 calories per serving.

17 of 25

Herbed Salmon

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This recipe is a cinch to make, and you'll get all those healthy omega-3 fatty acids from the salmon.

18 of 25

Cilantro Cauliflower "Rice"

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This nutritious alternative to rice is a tasty side dish for Mexican meals. Try it in a burrito with refried black beans, cheddar cheese and assorted toppers.

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19 of 25

Tuscan Bean Soup

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Flecked with a grab bag of hearty vegetables, this healthy soup hums with garlic and crushed red pepper. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe in Cincinnati.

20 of 25

Bean-Mushroom Sloppy Jos

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Canned beans supply fill-you-up protein at a fraction of the cost, fat and calories of ground beef or turkey. In our sloppy joes, we dress navy beans in mustardy tomato sauce that has all the familiar flavor of the meaty original.

21 of 25

Chili Bean Stuffed Peppers

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Beans, tomato, onion: it's a hearty vegetarian chili stuffed inside a bell pepper. If you're looking for extra kick, try topping with pepper jack instead of mozzarella.

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22 of 25

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad with Walnut Pesto

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This lower-calorie pasta salad features roasted vegetables, whole wheat penne pasta and homemade pesto. To turn it into a main dish, stir in a can of rinsed and drained white beans or add chunks of grilled chicken.

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Chicken Breasts with Red Pepper Sauce

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This unusual and tasty sauce gets its color from steamed, pureed red sweet peppers. Green beans, whole wheat pasta and lean chicken breast make it a hearty, nutrition-packed meal.

24 of 25

Chicken Taco Casserole

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Sweet pepper and spinach bring lots of vitamins A and C to this Tex-Mex layered meal-in-a-dish.

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25 of 25

Pork Chops with Grapes and Onions

Credit: Blaine Moats
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This dinner for two is weeknight-easy. Use bone-in chops for the best flavor and serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com