Eating well doesn’t need to be hard or take long. These eight recipes are easy, enjoyable, and designed for all the busy lives out there.
1. High-Protein Greek Yogurt Chicken Bowl
Spiced chicken and grains get a creamy and tangy yogurt sauce. It’s fresh, filling, and tastes great despite minimal effort.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2 | Approx. 420 calories
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
- 1 cup mixed greens or arugula
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
- Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- Fresh dill or parsley for garnish
Instructions
Season the chicken with paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. Toss to coat evenly.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Rest for 2 minutes, then slice.
In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
Start your bowls with the rice or quinoa, then add the chicken, greens, cucumber, and tomatoes.
Layer the sliced chicken, drizzle yogurt on top, and finish off with some fresh herbs.
2. Garlic Shrimp Zucchini Noodles (10 Minutes)
All the comfort of a pasta dish with none of the guilt. Buttery garlic shrimp paired with light zucchini noodles is a weeknight dinner that takes less time to cook than to order takeout.
Approx. 310 Calories | Servings: 2 | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 medium zucchini, spiralized or peeled into ribbons
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Juice of one lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, roughly chopped, to taste
- Grated Parmesan for serving, optional
Instructions
Use a paper towel to pat the shrimp dry. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Melt butter in a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat.
Add in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant.
Place the shrimp in a single layer. Cook until pink and opaque on either side (about 2 minutes), and set aside.
In the cast iron, combine zucchini noodles and toss for 1 to 2 minutes. You’re looking for them to soften a bit, not to be mushy.
Add the shrimp back into the pan and toss with lemon juice and chopped parsley
Do not let them sit for long, or they’ll continue to soften too much, and stir them regularly.
3. One-Pan Black Bean and Egg Skillet
This dish is hearty and comforting and is made in just one pan. It is a great source of protein and fiber and is the perfect dish for dinner or for a casual weekend brunch.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2
Approx. 370 calories each
Ingredients
- 1 can (15oz) black beans. drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 yellow onion. diced
- 2 cloves of garlic. minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tb. olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 sliced avocado and fresh cilantro to serve
- with whole-grain toast or corn tortillas for the side
Instructions
In a skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the garlic, cumin, and paprika. Stir for 30 seconds or until the spices become fragrant.
Add the black beans and diced tomatoes. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 minutes or until it is slightly thickened.
With a spoon, make four small wells in the mixture. Crack one egg into each well and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook for about 4 to 6 minutes or until the eggs are set to your liking. Top with avocado and cilantro and serve straight from the pan.
4. Tuna Avocado Lettuce Wraps
No cooking, no mess, and done within five minutes, Tuna and avocado spread and crisp lettuce prove that eating light can be fun and interesting.
Prep Time: 8 min | Cook Time: 0 | Servings: 2 | Approx Calories: 290
Ingredients
- 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna in water
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 stalks of celery
- 2 tbsp red onion
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 lemon
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 8 large butter lettuce leaves
- Radishes and cucumbers
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
In a bowl, combine and mix the drained tuna and mashed avocado.
Add celery, red onion, Dijon mustard, juice of lemon, salt, and pepper. mix and taste.
Stack butter lettuce leaves to make a wrap.
Spoon the tuna mixture into each lettuce leaf and top with sliced radishes, cucumbers, and a sprinkle of bagel seasoning.
Serve with lemon.
5. Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
One pan, one oven, and one great meal. Salmon with herbs, rosemary, and sweet golden veggies. A healthy meal can’t be made any easier.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 2 | Calories: ~ 480
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (6 oz each)
- 1 zucchini, cut into half-moons
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley to finish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Toss to combine and spread onto the sheet pan, leaving the center empty.
While they cook, rinse the salmon and pat it dry. Then, skin-side down, place in the middle of the pan.
In a bowl, combine the remaining tbsp of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and thyme. Then, spoon some of the mixture onto each salmon fillet.
Roast the pan for 12-14 minutes. The salmon is ready when it easily flakes, and all the veggies are ready when they are golden on the edges. Finish with parsley and enjoy!
6. Creamy Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs
These are scrambled eggs, but they taste like a fancy restaurant. Cottage cheese mixes in with the eggs and gives a soft and custardy texture.
Approximately 320 Calories | 3 mins Prep | 7 mins Cook | 1 Servings
Ingredients
- 3 Large eggs
- 3 tbsp low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 tsp Butter
- Salt + Peppr (Cracked Black)
- Chopped fresh chives/ green onion
- 1 slice Whole-grain toast (for serving)
- Optional: Baby spinach/ cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Mix salt + pepper with eggs and cottage cheese. Whisk in a bowl and set aside.
Over medium-low heat, butter melts in a small skillet. (Non-stick)
Pour egg mixture, and let sit for about 20 seconds until edges begin to set/ harden.
Use a spatula to fold eggs from the edges toward the center of the pan. If undercooked, take off the heat. (Residual heat cooks the eggs)
Add chives and place on the toast, and put your sides of choice.
Substitutions, Storage, and Success Strategies
In terms of swaps, most proteins are flexible, so you can use shrimp, chicken, or tofu ( and even canned fish) pretty interchangeably across recipes and not have to change the method too much.
If you are a vegetarian, the best swap for ground turkey in the stuffed peppers would be lentils or crumbled firm tofu, and in the yogurt bowl, chickpeas work beautifully.
Almost everything here has a good shelf-life, so storage-wise,
You can keep most everything for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge, and the stuffed peppers and black bean skillet even get better after a night in the fridge since the flavors have a chance to deepen.
Zucchini noodles and lettuce wraps, however, should be eaten fresh so they don’t get soggy.
For every single recipe, you have to do the same thing for the storage and prep, and that is to keep your protein and veggies at the forefront of the plate.
If you do this every time, you won’t have to worry about them getting any less satisfying because they will be.
Common Questions
Can these be made ahead of time?
Most of them can, yes. Chicken bowl components, stuffed peppers, black bean skillet, and cauliflower fried rice all keep for up to four days.
Fillings and sauces can be prepped in advance, so all you have to do is assemble.
Zucchini noodles and lettuce wraps are best eaten fresh, however.
Will these actually keep me full?
Each recipe incorporates high-protein and high-fiber ingredients since those two are the biggest contributors to the feeling of satiation.
If you’re still hungry after a meal, add more vegetables before adding more carbs.
What if I do not eat meat?
The two dishes mentioned are already meatless.
As for the others, firm tofu is a great substitute for chicken or shrimp, and it also crumbles nicely for the stuffed pepper recipe
Do I need special equipment?
You won’t need anything special. A nonstick skillet, a baking dish, and a sheet pan are all you need.
A spiralizer is nice for the zoodles, but wide ribbon zucchini noodles made with a vegetable peeler will also do the trick.
How do I make sure I am eating the right amount?
The simplest and most effective way to achieve the right balance is to fill half your plate (or bowl) with veggies, a quarter with your protein, and the last quarter with a whole grain or a starchy veggie.
Every meal on this list is already made for this.