These healthy dinner Ideas will help feed your family FAST on busy weeknights! You’ll love these quick and easy recipes.
Whether you’re juggling school drop-offs, after-school activities, or just running on coffee fumes, these meals are here to rescue dinner with simple ingredients, easy prep, and big taste. Now you can spend less time cooking and more time with the ones you love.
Why you’ll love these recipes
- Quick and simple: Most dinners are ready in 30 minutes or less, making them perfect for even the busiest weeknights.
- Minimal cleanup: Many recipes use just one pan or pot, so you won’t be stuck with a sink full of dishes after cooking.
How to choose quick dinner ideas
Figuring out what to make for dinner is sometimes harder than actually cooking it. Either nothing sounds good, or you’re convinced it’ll take too long. Here are some of my go-to tricks when I need fast inspiration.
- Start with what you already have at home. Got a bunch of carrots hanging around? Search for carrot recipes. It’s a great way to cut down on food waste and stretch what you’ve already got.
- Keep a list of your tried-and-true dinners. Sometimes you don’t need something brand new—you just need a reminder of your own favourites. Having a running list makes it easy to pick without overthinking.
- Look for recipes you can prep ahead. If ingredients are washed and chopped ahead of time, weeknight cooking feels way less overwhelming. My meal planning app, Dinner Prep Pro, includes prep-ahead instructions so you can get everything ready on the weekend.
Recipes with 10 ingredients or less
One of the easiest ways to save time on dinner is to keep the ingredient list short. If you’re looking for even simpler options, I’ve also got you covered! Check out my list of recipes with 5 ingredients or less.
Sheet pan dinner ideas
Here are some of my favourite sheet pan recipes to get you started — they’re some of the easiest dinners you’ll ever make! The formula couldn’t be simpler: toss on some veggies like bell peppers or sweet potatoes, add a protein such as chicken, drizzle with your favourite sauce, and let the oven do the rest. And if you’re craving even more inspo, I’ve got a full roundup of more sheet pan dinners right here on the blog for you to check out.
One pot pasta recipes
One-pot dinners are one of my favourite ways to cut down on cooking time and dishes, and the pasta recipes below do just that! No need to fuss with extra sides, just one pot and dinner’s done.
Easy stir fries and skillet dinners
Stir fries and skillet meals are some of my go-to healthy dinners because they’re quick, customizable, and always satisfying.
Mix and match dinner ideas
Mix-and-match dinners are one of my favourite ways to use up whatever’s hanging out in the fridge. Just grab a protein, some veggies, and a base like rice, tortillas, or lettuce, then build from there.
Think buddha bowls, tacos, burritos, salads, lettuce wraps, burgers, loaded fries, or even healthy nachos — the combinations are endless and perfect for last-minute dinners.
Freezer meals
Freezer meals are a lifesaver when life gets busy. Whether it’s a full dinner you’ve already cooked and frozen or just a Ziploc bag of prepped ingredients and sauces, having something ready to grab takes so much stress out of dinnertime. I love making pasta, hearty soups with beans, or a savoury stew ahead of time and freezing them in single portions. When you’re ready to eat, just reheat straight from the freezer in the microwave for 7–8 minutes, giving it a stir halfway through, and dinner’s done.
Crockpot recipes
Crockpot dinners are hands-down the easiest way to get a hot meal on the table. You can toss everything together the night before or in the morning, then let it simmer away while you sleep or head to work.
Instant Pot recipes
The pressure cooker is a total game-changer for busy nights. Just like a slow cooker, most of the work is hands-off. You dump everything in, set it, and let it do its thing. The big difference? The Instant Pot gets it done fast. From preheating to pressure release, you’re looking at 20–30 minutes for a full dinner, all in one pot with hardly any cleanup.
How to make a meal plan for weekly dinner ideas
Meal planning is really the only way to go for consistently eating healthy, budget-friendly dinners every night.
I will usually fill in 4-5 days’ worth of meals in a meal planner and account for my schedule that week when planning everything out. On nights I have activities, I will plan to eat a fast meal like a stir fry or cook something in the Instant Pot.
Leftovers are also great for busy nights! Sometimes I’ll make a big batch of soup, chili or pasta and freeze individual portions to eat on nights I don’t have time to cook. See more of my fave freezer meals.
Still need help? My Dinner Prep Pro app gives you weekly customizable meal plans with grocery lists and 1-hour meal prep checklists to take away the guesswork.
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls to pack up your meals.
- A rice cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
- If you don’t have a slow cooker, this crock pot is super helpful for cooking hands-off!
- Here’s the Instant Pot I use.
- Use these Ziploc bag holders if you’re preparing freezer meals.
Comments & Reviews
Melisa Alexander says
you have great ideas, they’re very delisous
Susan says
Do you have a chicken fajita recipe that you cook in aluminum foil? I thought I saw it on your Facebook page. The recipe included rice and tortillas.
Taylor Stinson says
I just have a sheet pan version, not a foil pack version. Hope this helps 🙂 https://thegirlonbloor.com/the-best-sheet-pan-chicken-fajitas/