Healthy dinner recipes

Looking for fast, simple and healthy dinner recipes? Our quick nutritious dinner ideas are full of flavour and lower in fat to help keep your weight loss on track.

By Alysha Woods

Published 8 February 2021 | Updated 20 August 2024

How to make healthy dinners at home

Healthy, nourishing and made with simple ingredients, these dinners are easy to prepare and good for you too!

The key to making healthy and nutritious dinners is balance. The following dinner recipes have been nutritionally checked to be classified as 'healthy', are made with fresh wholesome ingredients and contain serves of vegetables, wholegrains, starchy vegetables, legumes and protein ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs.

With a selection of schnitzels, pastas, stir-fries and vegetarian dishes there are plenty of healthy dinners to suit your taste buds.

We are certain that our chicken schnitzel with creamy potato and parsnip mash will become a favourite! Prefer lamb? Well then you will like our tikka kebabs with spicy coleslaw. Mango chutney is the secret ingredient in the marinade for these kebabs, served with a chilli-spiced coleslaw. Looking for vegetarian options? Our sweetcorn and carrot fritters are perfectly crispy and served with a soft fried egg and chickpea salad for extra protein.

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Healthy chicken & meat recipes

Create nourishing and delicious meals with chicken and meat, which are rich in high-quality protein, essential for supporting muscle and bone health. Lean cuts offer a variety of healthy cooking options that keep your meals exciting. Many choices also count as ZeroPoint foods, making them easier to incorporate into your plan.

Jerk chicken tray bake

Turmeric, honey and sesame marinated beef with warm brown rice salad

Chicken with zucchini cream

Cheat’s roast chicken

Superfood stroganoff

Chicken schnitzel

Chipotle chicken and rice

Southern-style chicken with red rice and black bean salad

Zucchini and turkey 'lasagne'

Mushroom and veal ragu with creamy polenta

Potato, spinach and chicken salad

Slow-cooker chicken with chilli and ginger

Red rice bowl with grilled corn, lime and garlic turkey and feta

Lamb with ratatouille and pearl couscous

Balsamic chicken with polenta

Chicken with cumin roasted cauliflower and cherry tomatoes

Beef keema

Lamb tikka kebabs with spicy coleslaw

Healthy vegetarian recipes

Vegetarian dishes are an excellent choice for a nutrient-rich diet. Packed with plant-based proteins, they contribute to muscle and bone health while keeping you full. Ingredients like beans, lentils, and non-starchy veggies are also ZeroPoint foods.

Egg, lentil and sweet potato tagine

Mushroom and spinach pasta with chilli crumbs

Mushroom, spinach and chickpea curry

Artichoke and eggplant fusilli

Sweetcorn and carrot fritters

Veggie hash with poached eggs

Slow-cooker lentil and vegetable dahl

Spicy vegetarian chickpea and veggie bowl

Curried red lentil chickpea stew

Healthy seafood recipes

Seafood, including fish and shellfish, is a nutrient-dense option that's high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, known to benefit heart health. Additionally, many seafood options are ZeroPoint foods, allowing you to enjoy them without tracking.

Melt-in-the-middle fish cakes

Snapper with warm barley, fennel and broad bean salad

Caribbean-style salmon bowl

Cooking tips for making healthier dinners

Choose lean cuts of meat and trim off all the visible fat. The cuts that are naturally lean (and the most tender) are the fillet and loin cuts of red meat, and the breast meat of chicken and turkey. Leg meat from pork, lamb and beef also tends to be quite lean once the exterior fat is trimmed away.

Remove the skin from poultry.

Use non-stick pans for cooking (a quick spray of oil spray or 1–2 teaspoons liquid oil is usually enough to stop food from sticking). If cooking pieces of meat, such as steaks or cutlets, brush the meat with oil rather than the pan.

Use olive, canola or sunflower oil for most cooking needs – they contain more antioxidants than other oils.

Include flaxseed oil in dressings for extra omega-3 fatty acids.

If stir-fried vegetables are sticking to the wok, add a little water or reduced-salt stock instead of more oil. This will create steam to cook the veggies faster without burning them.

Use a steamer or microwave to cook vegetables as it retains more nutrients.

Choose reduced-salt and no-added-sugar products whenever you can.

FAQs

Quick and easy healthy dinners include stir-fries with lean protein and veggies, tray bakes with chicken and roasted vegetables, and one-pot soups or stews that are packed with ZeroPoint veggies.

Start with a protein base like chicken breast, add non-starchy veggies like spinach or broccoli, and incorporate a healthy fat, such as avocado, to create a satisfying and balanced meal.

Yes, many of our healthy recipes include plant-based options like chickpea currry, lentil stew, and veggie-packed grain bowls. These meals are full of flavour and nutrients while being easy to prepare.

You can adjust portion sizes, substitute ingredients with lower Points alternatives, or use more ZeroPoint foods to ensure your meal fits within your daily Points budget.

Incorporate ZeroPoint foods by using them as the base of your meals. Load up on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and legumes to create balanced dishes. Enhance flavour with herbs and spices, and mix ZeroPoint foods with small portions of other ingredients to stay within your Points budget. Planning meals around these foods helps you stay on track while enjoying a variety of nutritious options.

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