Healthy food fast? Yes, it’s possible! These quick and easy meals are on the table in no time.
Quick and Healthy Ideas for Dinner
Healthy eating can mean a lot of different things. For some of us it means incorporating more low-carb or Whole30-friendly meals into our weekly routine. For others it’s all about following a Mediterranean diet or committing to meal prep and eating more protein or plant-based foods. However you define it and put it into practice, we can all agree on two things: healthy eating nourishes us and fills our plates with plenty of wholesome ingredients. That’s the idea behind these quick and easy any-night dinner recipes, including this creamy chicken skillet.
It’s the ultimate weeknight dinner — comforting, satisfying and ready in just about 40 minutes. Packed with hearty vegetables and lean chicken breast, it’s a healthy option that delivers 23 grams of protein and still never skimps on rich, creamy flavor. A crispy panko topping adds just the right crunchy, cozy touch. Plus everything comes together in one skillet, giving you another reason to high-five yourself when it’s time for cleanup.
Just a Pennsylvania Dutch girl raised on simple good food that fills you up. Fussy recipes that leave you still hungry need not apply!
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Baked pastas are among my family’s favorite dinners. Homemade lasagna has earned the title of “Most Requested Birthday Dinner,” but since it is a labor of love to prepare, I reserve it for special occasions. But just because I won’t layer noodles and sauce on a weeknight doesn’t mean that pasta casseroles aren’t on the menu.
When requests for lasagna start rolling in, I turn to recipes like baked spaghetti for inspiration. It has all of the essential elements of a family-friendly dinner, from the quick-cooking sauce to the tangle of spaghetti and cheesy finish. In this version of baked spaghetti, I’m tossing the pasta with another beloved Italian-American sauce, alfredo sauce. Alfredo baked spaghetti comes together with just 15 minutes of prep and tastes extra-creamy, cheesy, and delicious.
On May 13th of this year, my life changed forever. My dearly loved husband of 48 years passed away in his sleep. He’d spent 7 weeks in the hospital before they sent him home. He kept me company for 3 more weeks before passing. I’d had the time and forethought to prepare myself for the many impacts his passing would bring, but I forgot one very important impact. I was suddenly cooking only for one person.
Becoming an “empty nester” is something that all parents face at some point in their lives. Among all the other changes in your lives, you find yourself cooking for just the two of you. So, if you’re at all like me, you start either downsizing your recipes or you look for ones that are already sized for two. You find that the large pans, crockpots, etc., are too big now. So, you downsize your appliances.
Cooking for One now!
I have two different friends who have each lost their spouse in the last few years. Not surprisingly, neither one cooks any more. One woman who lost her spouse just last year, has her son living nearby so they frequently bring meals over to her or invite her to their house. It works well for them.
My second friend lost her husband during COVID pandemic. He’d had Parkinson’s Disease and things just didn’t go well with the isolation. Mona has taken on a number of volunteer activities that she enjoys, including helping in the kitchen for our church’s Christian School. This allows her to bring meals home from work that she can eat later.
Me, I wanted to do something different. I still enjoy cooking, just not every night. To be honest, while my husband was in the hospital, I spent the mornings with him, ran home and threw hamburgers or hot dogs in the Air Fryer and made some kind of frozen potatoes to go with. Dinner would end up being a bowl of salad that I picked up premade from the grocery store. Not exactly healthy or economically sustainable! My doctor had been urging me to change my diet for years so now seems like the best time to do that.
Meal Prepping revisited
My youngest daughter gave me this idea when she came down after her daddy’s passing. She takes one day, and meal preps her dinners for the week. I wanted to do a head slap, why hadn’t I thought of that! I’d previously thought of chopping all the different veggies up and freezing them. So, why not just do that for a week at a time? Duh!
That takes planning, and folks, I can be great at planning. I have a freezer full of meats that have been packaged for two people. So why not start with them?
So, what does all this mean for You?
Going forward from here, you can expect more books that focus on meals for one person, meal prepping for the week, and even some menu planning. I still want to include individual recipes, recipe lists, etc. So, if you find yourself cooking for just one person, hang in there, I’m bring more recipes and ideas for you and me both!
