No Time? 9 easy, quick, healthy weeknight meals
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It is one of those days when I don't have time to find, read, or learn a new dinner recipe. I don’t have time to do loads of kitchen prep work, I just have like 20-30 minutes (if that) to throw together a dinner for a hungry family. Do you find yourself feeling like this? Would you like some suggestions on how to throw together healthy weeknight meals in 30 minutes or less?
No Pinterest-Pretty Pics here...
In this post, you won't find Pinterest-worthy pretty pictures of curated and posed meals that have been photographed by a professional and then photoshopped to look amazing. I mean, those are great but I want something I can do for real. Like RIGHT NOW and with minimal clean-up!! I need real, actionable dinner ideas.
Dinner Fairy, Help! Wave your magic wand!
Does that sound like you? If you said no, then this particular post is not for you. Feel free to move on, it sounds like you have more than enough time to peruse the foodie boards on Pinterest! Have fun...buh bye!
For the rest of you that are still here, I’m right there with you. Weeknight dinners can sometimes feel like the ultimate unwanted challenge at the end of an already too-long-day. So, I’m going to get right to it and give you 9 meals that are incredibly easy and quick. They are so easy that you may not even believe that they are also healthy and delicious.
Prepped, cooked and served in less than 30 minutes
None of these meals are slow cooker recipes (that’s another post) because these dinner ideas are meant to be for those “Oh crap, I need to swing by the grocery store and whip up something FAST” nights when you aren’t prepared or haven’t thought ahead.
The pics here are ugly. Totally unlike all the amazing food blogs out there because these are dishes I have made at home, in a hurry and snapped a photo with my iPhone. Tried and true. No time for “pretty” here...just the nuts and bolts of a well balanced, simple, easy meal.
9 Healthy weeknight meals made in less than 30 minutes!
Meal #1: Salmon Baked in Parchment Paper
Salmon baked in parchment paper with asparagus, pesto and tomatoes.
Recipe total time: 30 minutes (5-10 minutes prep + about 20-25 minutes cook time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate
Kitchen Tools: parchment paper, baking pan, oven, cutting board + knife
Tips to reduce prep time:
buy pre-made pesto
Tips from Leah:
I use parchment paper to reduce our family's exposure to toxins. The salmon cooks just as well and the method is the same, you just have to be a little talented with folding the parchment paper well and tucking it under the food so it stays put.
If you want to add healthy calories to this meal, consider adding a second baking sheet (covered in parchment paper as well) to the oven (with the fish) filled with bite-size sweet potato pieces tossed in butter or coconut oil, salt and pepper.
The recipe says to bake 20-28 minutes. I reduce that time down to 18-20 minutes by cutting a large piece of salmon into 2 or 3 smaller pieces.
Bonus Healthy Add-On: Serve with a side salad or baked sweet potatoes.
Spice Level: This meal really isn't spicy at all.
Adjusting for very small children: none needed!
This meal is: (if you use pesto without cheese added) Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, grain-free
Get the full recipe for Pesto Salmon and Italian Veggies here.
Meal #2: Pan Roasted Everything
Pan roasted meal with broccoli, sweet potatoes, and chicken with an easy rub.
Pan roasted meal with chicken, broccoli, sweet potato and homemade ranch dip.
Same ingredients as the previous picture but I cut the sweet potatoes differently.
Recipe total time: 30 minutes (10 minutes prep + about 20 minutes cook time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate, use a dry rub for the chicken
Kitchen Tools: baking sheets + parchment paper, oven, cutting board + knife, mixing bowls
Tips to reduce prep time:
buy pre-made Cajun spice mix
Tips from Leah:
In the recipe, she recommends 30 minutes baking time for the sweet potatoes. I have found that by cutting the pieces bite-size, the sweet potatoes are finished around the same time as the broccoli and chicken. At most they need 5 extra minutes.
For an extra meal that you can simply toss and bake the next time you need an easy dinner, make double or triple of this recipe and freeze in separate Ziploc bags (as pictured above). Remember to throw the frozen bags in the fridge in the morning so they have a chance to thaw out all day.
Bonus Healthy Add-On: Serve with a side salad. Add a healthy homemade ranch dip (I like to dip everything in this!), you can find the Homemade Healthy Ranch Dip Recipe here.
Spice Level: Adjusting the spice level to suit your family is super easy. For less spicy, buy a pre-made Cajun mix that is mild, for spicier tastes add some extra cayenne powder.
Adjusting for very small children: This meal is pretty easy to little ones, just cut the pieces of food to the the desired size.
This meal is: Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free (without the ranch dip), Gluten-free, grain-free
Get the full recipe for Spicy Chicken Sweet Potato Meal Prep Magic here. (Her pictures are sooooo much better too!)
Meal #3: Tuna Salad Two Ways; Melts or Tuna Salad Salad 😉
Ingredients for tuna melt recipe.
Two ways to use tuna salad for a meal.
Recipe total time: 15 minutes (15 minutes prep + 0 minutes cook time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate (cooking only required if you are making tuna melts)
Kitchen Tools: cutting board + knife, mixing bowl, measuring tools, (baking sheet + parchment paper + oven - for tuna melts)
Tips from Leah:
I love this mayo for its taste and healthy fats!
My kids like to have tuna salad as a melt or sandwich but I prefer tuna salad on a bed of greens. Either way is still a healthy weeknight meal!
Bonus Healthy Add-On: serve with a plate of raw veggies.
Spice Level: this meal is not spicy
Adjusting for very small children: for very small children I just serve the tuna salad in a bowl with a spoon with crackers on the side.
This meal is: Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free (without cheese), Gluten-free/grain-free (when served as a salad without the bread)
Get the full Tuna Salad Recipe here.
Meal #4: Zoodles and (premade) meatballs with pasta sauce
Ingredients for enhancing store-bought pasta sauce with zoodles.
Dinner with meatballs, zoodles (zucchini noodles), pasta sauce and parmesan cheese.
I actually haven't even made a recipe for this meal because it is SO easy. I buy pre-made frozen meatballs, marinara pasta sauce, and pre-cut zoodles (which I can find all the time at Whole Foods). The only real cooking I do is enhancing the sauce (which you could totally skip and still have a delicious meal!)
Simply follow the directions to cook the meatballs. (I recommend using parchment paper if baking.)
Warm up the pasta sauce. If you want to enhance the sauce then stir-fry the garlic and onions before adding the sauce. THen add the chopped herbs like parsley, oregano, thyme, etc. Stir fry the zoodles (zucchini noodles) in a separate pan for 1-2 minutes, this doesn't take long at all!
To serve: Plate your desired amount of zoodles, top with pasta sauce and add your desired amount of meatballs. Top with grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe total time: 15-20 minutes (5 minutes prep + about 10-15 minutes cook time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate anything
Kitchen Tools: 1 saucepan, 1 fry pan, chopping board + knife, baking sheet + parchment paper (or extra fry pan - depends on how you cook the meatballs)
Buy Premade: zoodles, pasta sauce, meatballs, grated parmesan cheese
If you really want to make your own meatballs, I love this recipe, but it will take you much longer than 30 minutes to complete this meal.
If your children don't like zoodles you can always use regular noodles.
Bonus Healthy Add-On: Serve with a simple green salad.
Spice Level: Depends on the type of meatballs you buy. For a more spicy meal buy a "spicy Italian" meatballs and for a less spicy meal buy "mild Italian" or "sweet Italian" meatballs.
Adjusting for very small children: This meal is pretty easy to little ones! Just make sure you cut the meatballs small enough for them. Most children will think the zoodles are super fun to eat.
This meal is: (without cheese) Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, grain-free
Meal #5: Skillet meal - sausage, zucchini, cherry tomato, bell pepper, cornbread muffins
Iron skillet meal with sausage, zucchini, tomato, bell pepper and cornbread muffins.
Recipe total time: 20 minutes (10 minutes prep + about 10 minutes cook time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate anything
Kitchen Tools: skillet + stovetop, chopping board + knife
Buy Premade: corn muffins or bread, pre-cooked sausages
Tips from Leah:
We don't serve it over rice as she suggests because it is great all on it's own!
I like to add some Italian seasoning (and definitely extra garlic!) while the veggies are cooking for enhanced flavor.
Bonus Healthy Add-On: Serve with a simple green salad.
Spice Level: Depends on the type of sausage you buy. For a more spicy meal buy a "spicy Italian" sausage and for a less spicy meal buy a "mild Italian", "sweet Italian" sausage, or "smoked sausage" (and leave out the pepper flakes!)
Adjusting for very small children: This meal is pretty easy to little ones! Just make sure you cut the veggies and sausage small enough for them...they will go bonkers for cornbread slathered in butter!!
This meal is: Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free, Gluten-free/grain-free (without the muffin)
Get the full Smoked Sausage Zucchini Skillet recipe here.
Here is a recipe variation on the same theme but oven-roasted so it takes around 40 minutes total time due to the cooking time being 30 minutes.
Meal #6: Shrimp Stacks
Don't let the picture fool you, this recipe is incredibly easy!
Recipe total time: 20 minutes (15 minutes prep + about 5 minutes microwave time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate
Kitchen Tools: 1 cup measure, microwave, mixing bowl, chopping board + knife
Shortcuts:
buy frozen brown rice (just microwave to warm)
Bonus Healthy Add-On: Serve with sauteed veggies or a side salad.
Spice Level: Adjusting the spice level to suit your family is super easy with less or more sriracha.
Adjusting for very small children: This meal is pretty easy to little ones! Just serve it as is!
This meal is: Dairy-free, Gluten-free (buy gluten-free soy/tamari sauce)
Get the full Spicy California Shrimp Stack recipe here.
Meal #7: Fish Taco Bowls
Homemade Fish Taco Bowls
This is a family favorite! We have it almost every Tuesday but we switch up fish for chicken or beef from time to time. I call it my "Chipotle Copycat", except it's better!
Recipe total time: 20-25 minutes (10-15 minutes prep + about 10 minutes cook time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate, but if you want rice then don't forget to turn on your rice cooker in the morning!
Kitchen Tools: rice cooker - turn on the timer in morning. If you can’t do this either buy tortillas, serve over a bed of greens or buy premade rice.
Tips to reduce prep time:
buy pre-made toppings: pico de gallo, shredded cheese, chipotle mayo sauce, pre-cooked rice (if desired).
You could even buy pre-made taco seasoning for the fish if you didn't want to mix your own rub. We use this one when I'm lazy ;-)
Bonus Healthy Add-On: Add a hefty layer of romaine lettuce to the bottom of you taco bowl and serve with a plate of raw veggies.
Spice Level: Adjusting the spice level to suit your family is super easy.
Adjusting for very small children: This meal is pretty easy to little ones, although many will prefer the taco bowl without the pico de gallo and cilantro. Also, sometimes I find that they like it better when the rice, cheese, fish, and avocado are mashed together very well. It looks like sticky mush but it's easy to eat and the taste is still delicious!
This meal is: Dairy-free (without the cheese), Gluten-free
Get the full Fish Taco Bowls recipe here.
Meal #8: Fish Tacos
Fish Tacos with corn tortillas, cabbage, and chipotle lime sauce.
Fish taco dinner with a plate of raw vegetables.
I used to make fish tacos all the time in the summer, and they were good, but then I found a new recipe at Sassy Spoon and I immediately fell in love with her variations on a fish taco.
Recipe Total Time: 20 minutes (10 minutes prep + 10 minutes cook time)
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate
Kitchen Tools: skillet + stovetop, cutting board + knife, mixing bowls
Tips to reduce prep time:
buy pre-made chipotle mayo sauce
Bonus Healthy Add-On: Serve with a salad or plate of raw veggies
Spice Level: Adjusting the spice level to suit your family is super easy.
Adjusting for very small children: Instead of serving this as a taco, which is difficult for little hands, you can simply mash some avocado up and spread it on a corn tortilla, add a little bit of shredded fish and fold it in half. Now it's easy for them to handle.
This meal is: Dairy-free, Gluten-free
Get the full Spicy Fish Tacos recipe here.
Meal #9: Blackened Chicken Salad
What people love about this recipe is you can basically make-up whatever you want to go with the chicken. If you are strapped on time, skip the chimichurri and use the simple salad dressing recipe.
You can either grill the chicken, bake it, or pan fry it. Anything works, do what is easiest for you!
Recipe Total Time: 20-25 minutes
Recipe Notes:
No need to marinate
Kitchen Tools: skillet or grill or baking sheet, mixing bowl, chopping board + knife
Tips to reduce prep time:
buy pre-chopped and washed lettuce, pre-made taco seasoning for chicken
skip the chimichurri sauce and use the basic cilantro + oil dressing
Tips from Leah:
Make double or triple the chicken to either freeze or use for other meals.
You can also make chimichurri ahead of time and freeze it for nights when you are in a rush.
Spice Level: Adjusting the spice level to suit your family is super easy.
Adjusting for very small children: Instead of serving this as a salad, serve on a plate with cut up chicken bites, avocado bites, and a few raw veggies.
This meal is: Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, grain-free
Get the full Blackened Chicken Salad recipe here.
Don't forget to make extra for lunch the next day!
Blackened chicken salad leftovers for lunch.
No shortage of ideas now for easy, healthy weeknight meals!
I hope these 9 meals find their way into your weekly meal planning to make your life less stressful and more nourishing. Like I said before, my family has tried out all of these recipes (or created them!) many times so I can vouch for how yummy and easy they are.
A quick tip to making meal planning easier during the week is to only try one new recipe per week and maybe make it for the first time on a weekend so it is less stressful. Trying to whip together a new recipe after a long day or work or watching children can be overwhelming. Once you have a recipe that fits your schedule and the family enjoys, then add it to a weekly or monthly rotation.
I would love to hear from you how these healthy weeknight meals go for you...leave a comment or picture below!
Warmly,
OK, so dinners are sorted now but you are struggling with lunches, especially for the kids? You will want to read School Lunchbox Packing Tips Part 1 and then Part 2!
