20 Simple and Nutritious Meal Plans To Adorn Your Dining Table

Healthy Food Ideas

1. Pea and Spinach Carbonara

What surpasses the appeal of swiftly preparing a wholesome dish like fresh pasta? Carbonara, akin to traditional pasta, hides a unique element that elevates it to a global favorite: the raw egg, imparting a luscious sauce and tantalizing taste.

Craft carbonara with fresh pasta for quicker cooking. The rest lies in your hands, shaping an effortless, delightful dinner. Introducing peas and spinach amplifies healthiness and flavors. Note, pasteurized eggs are key due to incomplete cooking. They avoid adding weight.

2. Oatmeal Blueberry Maple Pancakes

Pancakes, morning gems sought by all, grace tables. Blend your everyday oat pancakes with diverse elements for a delightful twist. Consider oat buttermilk pancakes topped with blueberries and cinnamon maple drizzle for a sublime breakfast union. Varieties of fresh fruits enhance this nutritious feast.

3. Lemon Chicken Pasta

Smart, healthful plans spring from unassuming culinary fusions. Delve into the synergy of lemon, chicken, and pasta. The result? A delectable dish, free from weight-inducing components.

You can simply combine rotisserie chicken with spiraled baby zucchini. Brief cooking yields healthfulness in a mere 10 minutes.

4. Salmon Tacos with Pineapple

Enhance your dining experience with chili-infused fish tacos. Elevate these by coupling salmon and pineapple salsa, yielding swift, wholesome dining. Amplify salmon tacos' heat with hints of cayenne or chipotle powder for a delectable fusion.

5. Broccoli and Chicken Soup

Enhancing your table with healthy fare, chicken soups enchant palates. The wholesome touch of broccoli elevates your easy, health-conscious meal strategy. Amid bustling days, craft this soup with roast or rotisserie chicken, defying weight gain.

Broccoli florets absorb creaminess, bestowing lightness to this tender chicken-infused dish. Lean towards chicken breasts, although thighs also suit this wellness-focused recipe.

6. Rainbow Veggie Wraps

Ideal for families with kids, this simple dish entices with its vibrant palette. Conveying a sushi-like ambiance, it assembles effortlessly, even for children.

Crafting this rainbow entails precise wrapping of vegetables, cheese, and hummus—a healthy delight. Slicing the roll accommodates portioning, making rainbow veggie wraps Instagram-worthy.

7. Tomato Salad-Stuffed Avocados

Avocados burst with flavors and healthfulness, especially when loaded with veggies. Tomato salad-stuffed avocados echo this wholesomeness. Beyond desserts, smoothies, or guacamole, avocados excel in stuffing—nutrition sans weight gain.

Blend tomato, Feta, herbs, and onion for a hearty mixture. Fill avocados post-pit removal and relish the freshness.

8. Cilantro Shrimp Dipped In Honey-Lime Sauce.

Seasoned shrimp presents a swift, healthy option amidst busyness. Rapid shrimp cooking eases life while enriching protein content.

Elevate flavors with butter-cooked shrimp, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne. Further delight with homemade honey-lime dip and fresh lime juice—an epitome of health.

9. Lentil Curry and Cauliflower Rice

Tired of daily white rice to shun weight-inducing fare? Embrace cauliflower rice or 'bumps.' Elevate this with a delightful curry twist. Utilize pre-cooked lentils, and blend with Indian-style simmer sauce for an elevated flavor profile, controlling carb intake. Explore this veggie-rich, health-centric meal.

10. Chhole (Chickpea Curry)

Chhole, an Indian favorite, soothes palates. Aka chickpea curry, it features accessible canned beans. Seeking swift, non-weight gain fare? This Indian chickpea curry beckons.

Crafting Chhole takes minutes, pairs with brown basmati rice or warm naan. Diversity abounds—experiment beyond. Rotis or bhaturas enhance the delight. Chickpea alone, elevated by roasted cauliflower florets, enhances chole's glory.

11. Classic Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Veggies 

You can never say no to sesame noodles because of their exquisite combination of colors and flavors when cooked. Over that, the classic recipe of Sesame noodles is worth giving an effort in the kitchen because it requires almost no effort and settles well in your list of easy, quick, and healthy meal plans.

Its combination with lean chicken and varieties of vegetables is what must be your target. People have their styles of cooking sesame noodles. However, if you are a beginner, you must follow a few steps to be on the safe side, and to make it a non-weight gainer food. You must rinse the spaghetti until cold, followed by proper draining in the colander with shaking movements. You can always give it a spiralizing touch with raw zucchini, carrot, and other veggie noodles.

12. Spinach and Feta stuffed Egg Pitas

Egg pitas hold an esteemed spot in the hearts of gastronomes. When filled with a personalized magic scramble, their appeal is hard to resist. Such is the tale of the spinach and Feta-stuffed egg pockets, promising a healthful and expeditious repast in under 15 minutes.

The amalgamation of frozen chopped spinach and crumbled Feta yields a convenient, flavor-packed stuffing for these egg-infused pitas. An ideal option for aficionados of meatless dining, these whole-wheat pitas can be elevated with an assortment of spreads. Whether it's sun-dried tomato tapenade, basil pesto, or sun-dried pesto, each choice imparts a burst of delectable flavors. Relish this uncomplicated culinary venture, steering clear of weight-gaining fare.

13. Cornstarch Bourbon Chicken

Does Bourbon Street in New Orleans ring a bell? Especially if you're a fan of vampire dramas. However, Bourbon chicken is your ticket to a solo dining extravaganza. Fascinatingly, Bourbon chicken owes its name to the renowned Bourbon Street.

All that's required is a cornstarch coating for the chicken, ensuring a satisfying crunch that detonates a cascade of flavors. This coating also lends thickness to the sauce, delivering dual benefits with the modest effort of coating the chicken. So, why not embrace the essence of Chinese American eateries in your home tonight?

14. Your very own Tostadas

Your quest for straightforward, healthful meal plans remains incomplete without crafting your own tostadas. Scaling mountains isn't necessary; a trio of ingredients unveils pure enchantment. Begin with store-bought corn tortillas, brushed with olive oil and baked to a delightful crunch.

Next, the toppings take center stage. A medley of fresh pico de gallo and refried beans creates a perfect symphony atop your delectable tostadas. Embrace this fantastic, uncomplicated culinary inspiration.

15. Scallop Scampi with Pasta

Elevate the classic shrimp dish's flavors with the infusion of scallop scampi and pasta. This fusion stands as an excellent choice for an expedient, flavorsome meal, offering room for creativity beyond these core components. Introducing whole wheat angel hair pasta can amplify both taste and fiber content, transforming it into a healthful option.

16. Tomato Gnocchi with White Beans

Sun-dried tomato gnocchi boasts remarkable versatility, particularly in your pursuit of straightforward, wholesome meal ideas. When combined with spinach, these tomatoes infuse the dish with Vitamins C and K, culminating in a richly textured delight. Enhancing the flavor profile with white beans ensures this tomato gnocchi creation is a fitting addition to your dining tableau

17. 3-Ingredient Frittata

The world of frittata recipes beckons, a treasure trove for those seeking uncomplicated, health-conscious meal options. Embellished with nutritious ingredients like basil and zucchini, coupled with creamy mozzarella, this frittata seamlessly transitions from breakfast to lunch or dinner. Enliven the experience by pairing it with a fresh salad.

18. Breakfast Naan Pizza

Ever contemplated the transformation of a simple naan into a delectable pizza? If not, it's time to explore. Design your morning pizza using naan as the canvas, crowned with eggs and toppings of choice for a hassle-free breakfast treat.

19. Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken

Transforming into a 3-ingredient grain bowl, the farro ensemble featuring rotisserie chicken stands as a healthful solution for bustling evenings. With a salad kit serving as the crowning touch, this non-weight-gaining option materializes swiftly, embodying both heartiness and well-being.

20. Non-Veg Pad Thai

For the avid admirers of Thai cuisine, non-veg pad thai presents an enticing proposition. Infuse the dish with an assortment of vegetables to elevate portion size and nutritional value. Snap peas, matchstick carrots, scallions, and whole-grain brown rice are superb augmentations, fostering a symphony of flavors and nourishment.

Now that you possess a collection of simple and nutritious meal plans, why not embellish your dining table with delectable dishes?

Also Read: Healthy Breakfast Recipes To Start Your Day

Authored By: Poorvi Chhajer

About the Author: Poorvi is a psychology graduate with a knack for writing and a belief in Ayurveda.