Hopefully these healthy family dinner ideas will help bust you out of a recipe rut while ensuring every member of the family enjoys their meal!
Depending on the time of year, you can usually tell what time I ate dinner just by looking at the photo. Bright and vibrant? That’s an early dinner while the sun’s still up. Artificially lit and a little moody? That’s a 7:00 dinner when my overhead kitchen light has to do all the work. It’s silly, but I get a kick out of how much better food photos look in natural light.
Regardless of the season or the lighting, dinner still has to happen, and it can still be healthy and satisfying even when the photos aren’t magazine-worthy. In case you’re burned out on your usual go-tos (we all are at some point or another, right?!), here are some healthy family dinner ideas we’ve enjoyed lately to help spark some mealtime inspiration for busy weeknights.
Taco Salads: A Healthy Family Dinner Idea
I’ve tried taco salads with every lettuce under the sun and realized nothing can replace iceberg. Yes, I know it’s basically solid water, but it CRUNCHES so beautifully. I add in more nutrients by adding finely diced onion and zucchini in with the ground beef, which also makes it “go a little further.” This one’s become one of our go-to healthy family dinner ideas because it’s endlessly customizable and comes together in about 20 minutes on a busy weeknight.
Greek Shrimp with Feta over Zoodles
I love this Greek Shrimp dish because everyone loves the taste and it’s customizable. The girls usually eat it with a small, easy to eat pasta (lately radiatori has been a favorite) and I will usually mix David’s regular spaghetti with some zoodles.
Shredded Chicken with Oven Fries & Sauteed Baby Kale with Pine Nuts
We’ve been on an oven fry kick. I think Yukon Gold are my favorite, but good ‘ol Russets have worked really well too. I slice them fairly thin and evenly, place them on a baking sheet, spray all sides with oil, sprinkle them with salt and garlic powder, then roast them for about 40 minutes at 375 (each batch differs so I just watch it until they’re golden and crispy), flipping half way. My family has destroyed these lately! David and I opt for BBQ sauce and the girls usually have a ketchup dipper.
Portabella & Gouda Stuffed Peppers with Roasted Potatoes & Steamed Broccoli
The peppers are from The Fresh Market and were super easy to bake up. I bake the tiny potatoes the same way as I outlined above, but for less time. So addicting, and hearty enough to be dinner on its own.
Shredded Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken over Cauliflower Rice
The teriyaki chicken slow cooker recipe I used tasted really good but had way too much sugar in it for my liking. I’d love to try to make it again, cutting the sugar in half and trying honey instead. If you like sweet teriyaki though, give it a try! I find the cauliflower rice in the frozen section at Whole Foods and LOVE keeping it on hand. It cooks up in less than 5 minutes and works really well as a sub for rice in a multitude of dishes.
If you’re looking for more healthy family dinner ideas that come together with minimal fuss, these next few are just as easy to pull off on a busy weeknight.
Balsamic Marinated Pork Chops over Brown Rice with Roasted Brussels
I really enjoyed this maple balsamic pork recipe, especially because I’ve finally learned that using a good meat thermometer makes ALL the difference when cooking pork and keeping it juicy. Pork has a tendency to dry out quickly, so if you think you dislike pork chops, I recommend using bone in and getting a quality meat thermometer. (I have this one)
Mahi Tacos with Crunchy Cabbage Slaw
Fish tacos are something I totally wing and rarely follow a recipe with. I’m working on a solid apple cider vinegar based slaw recipe but haven’t perfect it yet. I love the crunch cabbage adds, so I always include it, along with a sour cream (or Greek yogurt) based sauce with lime and cilantro. It’s turned into one of our favorite healthy family dinner ideas for taco night with a twist.
Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup: A Healthy Family Dinner Idea
Ok, this delicious soup was actually my lunch for a week, but I had to include it because I love it so much. This turmeric powerhouse is one of my favorite go-to winter recipes, but it’s hearty enough to make year-round.
Marinated Chicken over Orzo with Roasted Okra: A Healthy Family Dinner Idea
An underwhelming picture for a really awesome meal. If you haven’t tried my marinated chicken recipe, please, please do. It was one of my favorites growing up and still a favorite today. The girls love this meal, and Kaitlyn who isn’t a big meat eater even gobbles up the chicken. I was actually surprised my family enjoyed the roasted okra, but it just goes to show, when it doubt, roast that veggie!
Shredded Buffalo Chicken Wraps: A Healthy Family Dinner Idea
Super simple. I cooked the chicken in a slow cooker with a little broth, shredded it in my Kitchen Aid (find my other favorite kitchen hacks here!), put some on the girls’ plates then added buffalo sauce to the rest for David and me. I piled it on a La Tortilla Factory wrap with iceberg, avocado, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, tomatoes and a drizzle of ranch. This one also makes great leftovers for lunch the next day. I had planned on making my favorite blue cheese dressing, but left the Greek yogurt at the store after I bought it. That’s what happens when you let your toddler bag the groceries!
Still hungry for more healthy family dinner ideas? Check out my weekly detailed meal plans and other dinner ideas!
Now share with me- what is your favorite recipe you’ve tried lately?!
Had your family loved anything that has surprised you?
alexis says
Love these ideas (since I have been in a winter cooking rut!) How does your toddler manage taco/wrap type food? We did tacos last night, and my toddler was really frustrated by the challenge of holding it (and less than thrilled by my suggestion of eating the tortilla and fillings separately.)
Brittany Dixon says
I put only a modest amount of filling, then wrap it up with the ends tucked in- easy peasy! I tried crunchy shells one time and it was a bit much for this age and phase 😉
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Okay, all of your dinners look amazing! And I need to find more ways to use turmeric. Yay for more sunlight for photos too…LOL! I struggle in winter too since I shoot with natural light. The window for day-lit photos is definitely smaller in the winter.
Jessica says
Onions and shredded zucchini in ground beef is genius and I totally need to do that. Hmm…maybe we will be having spaghetti tonight.
Heather says
Thanks for some of these suggestions! They really do look/sound delicious. I admittedly am not the healthiest eater in the world, but now that I am cooking so much more, I am trying to be better. I feel like I have been seeing zoodles everywhere lately! Do you feel like you get a lot of use out of your spiralizer?
Brittany Dixon says
I wouldn’t say a lot of use, but some. I really love the premade zoodles (me=lazy) but it’s nice having a spiralizer for the weeks I want to lighten up my meals in an easy and cheap way.
Julie says
Love these ideas. I have twin two year olds and have always been a proponent of “this is what’s for dinner… not making you something separate”. So for taco salad night, do you give them actual salad or just the beef. Please tell! Also, I’m trying to reduce the amount of money I spend on groceries each week. I’d love a post about how much you spend and how long it lasts!
Brittany Dixon says
They actually love salad but my floors were clean for once (a rare occurrence!) so I wrapped meat, cheese, lettuce, guac, and black olives in a soft tortilla, tucking in the ends so it wouldn’t spill. I’ll definitely share more about our grocery habits! I love that topic 🙂
Kate says
These look great! I’ve definitely been in a rut lately so these recipes come just at the right time.
As for the Teriyaki: I only use a small blob of honey or less than 1Tbsp of sugar for a family-sized batch of teriyaki salmon. I can imagine you need even less for chicken…
Brittany Dixon says
So good to know- this recipe had so much sugar! I should have halved it, but live and learn 🙂
Katy @ Dirt to Delish says
We have taco salads once a week- so easy to change up the meats/toppings to keep things interesting and they’re perfect for leftover lunches to take to work. I actually have one today!
I 100% feel you on the dark winter food photos; can’t wait for longer days!
June says
How long do you put in your chicken for the crock pot shredded chicken? How much broth?
Brittany Dixon says
It varies but yesterday I did 4.5 hours on high with about a 1/2 cup or so of broth. Since I take the chicken out to shred, the amount of liquid doesn’t matter quite as much!
Heather @Lunging Through Life says
We love fish tacos over here but I have yet to be able to make a sauce that I love! I’ve had one with chipotles before which was good but I just can’t get the right sauce. Can you share yours if you have one you love please 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
What kind of sauce? Usually I do a mix of sour cream or greek yogurt with lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and salt!
claire says
Thanks for sharing these ideas. Can you tell me more about the filing in the stuffed peppers? Were they vegetarian?
Brittany Dixon says
No, not vegetarian. David picked them out and I figured they were veggie from the name too (I should have known better with David picking!). They were mostly ground beef wit mixed in Gouda and mushrooms.
Jerrica says
Love that you use zucchini to bulk up meat meals! It takes two pounds of ground meat to feed my family so I always use 1 lb and lentils to stretch it! Such a money saver and nobody even knows…literally, I’ve never even told my husband I do it 😂
Brittany Dixon says
Oh my gosh I LOVE the idea of adding lentils!! I’m totally going to try that. Thanks 🙂
Sara @ Oats & Rows says
Ummm do you deliver?? Haha, your meals always look amazing!
Brittany Dixon says
Haha, thank you! Unfortunately no deliveries, as I’m realizing I’m barely buying enough to cover my 4 family members! Those kids are starting to EAT- ah!
Erica says
Thanks for the great inspirations! We have been in a rut lately. I’m transitioning my toddler to one nap which means I’m extra rushed trying to get his dinner before he becomes too cranky. We will be having taco salad variation during super bowl though and I definitely will try the avocado oil oven fries!
Jennifer Tomanchek says
I made your goat cheese and pistachio chicken on Monday- SO good and making the Greek pasta with shrimp tonight! Keep these recipes coming please! 😘
Brittany Dixon says
Thanks Jen!! xoxo! …and let me know about that air fryer!
SHU says
Literally ALL of those look awesome to me!! Excellent ideas, thank you!!! 🙂
Katie @ Live Half Full says
I wrote this post I linked to awhile back and I reference it often!
Annie says
Adding Zucchini to the beef is genius! I’ll be doing that from now on. I also just noticed the sun staying up longer and it makes me so so happy, spring is coming!