Hot, healthy dinners = happy, healthy you!
When I get home from a long day of work, nothing sounds better than a warm, home-cooked meal. I, unfortunately, have always had a couple of problems when it comes down to actually making hot and healthy dinners.
First off, more often than not, I can’t think of any ideas for a meal to make. I’ll spend the entire drive home trying to think of something. I constantly tell myself things like “okay, at this next light, you have to make a decision”, and “if this light turns red before you get to it, you have to make a decision”, and “you have to figure out what you’re making when you get home by the time you see the next white car”.
Naturally, all of those things occur before I make up my mind and when I get home, I spend more time trying to figure it out. I spend so much time just trying to think of something to make that I end up just saying “forget it” and make myself something that can satisfy my growling tummy quickly. This something is usually not something that can be crowned healthy. The meals usually leave me feeling overly full and bloated–something I definitely am trying to avoid.
My second issue when it comes to wanting a warm, home-cooked meal during the week is that when those rare occasions occur where I actually do decide on a meal, the meal’s recipe is unhealthy. I end up making a huge pot of unnatural spaghetti and meatballs or a dish that involves way too much butter.
Both of these situations that I find myself in, and I’m sure many of you also find yourself in, really put a damper on both my weight loss journey and consequently my mood.
I almost gave up on trying to solve the problem when I discovered these delicious, healthy dinners. Each recipe below not only gives me the same exquisite flavors that those other unhealthy dishes I used to make gave me. Each recipe also acts as a replacement for a stressful step in my day: deciding what to eat for dinner.
This week, I made my life 10x easier and just followed this list for my dinners. On Monday, I enjoyed that rich Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs dish. On Sunday, I fell in love with Southwestern Stuffed Pepper Soup. And, every day in between also had a dinner to pair with it.
The best part about this list? Each and every recipe on it is warming and bursting with flavor, while also nourishing to the body with healthy ingredients. Take a scroll down this page to discover how you, too, can schedule your meals and brighten up your nights. You’ll find 7 hot and healthy dinners to have this week and you’ll want to have them every week after too!
1. Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs
I can’t stress enough how good carbs are–for my heart at least!
I went through a period of time when I thought that a no-carb diet was the way to go, but I ended up binging every couple of weeks. Some people really can’t live without carbs–and I guess I’m one of them.
When I did end that diet, though, I didn’t just dive into eating lots of unhealthy carbs. That would have made me just as unhappy as I was eating a no-carb diet, and would have definitely caused my weight to sky rocket. Instead, I researched good carbs–healthy ones that would aid me in achieving my weight loss goals, and gave myself a few rules to follow when it came to carbs.
Thanks to the whole wheat pasta used in this recipe as a replacement to the typical pasta used in normal spaghetti dishes, this recipe follows my rules. And, on top of that, it also contains 26 grams of protein. Shout out to the lean ground turkey for that one!
This healthified version of an Italian classic has never disappointed me, my family, or my friends! Yes, I have made the recipe for my family AND my friends–no one turns down a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs…especially when it’s a HEALTHY bowl of spaghetti and meatballs!
2. Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
Casseroles are the saving grace for any and all freezable, easy to make recipes. Our recipe for Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole is no exception. I plan on making it for a second and third time in two weeks. The second one is going to be for a family party at my parents’ house, and the third one is going to go right into my freezer for me to have as an easy, healthy dinner on nights when I’m too busy to cook.
Baking it after it’s been frozen doesn’t take any of the flavors away. Instead, it gives me a quick option for the whole family. I often find myself whipping one out of the freezer on busy week nights when the whole family just can’t decide what they want to eat. This casserole never disapoints any member of the family, so I never receive any complaints!
Plus, I know that I’m feeding my family food that is good for them. Although deliciously cheesy, this recipe is deliciously high in protein and low in sugar. But, the kids won’t even taste the healthiness behind it!
I was sold with this recipe at the phrase “5-ingredient”, but I made it again and again because of the incredible, creamy flavors.
The five ingredients this Spinach and Pasta Alfredo calls for are:
- Vegetable broth
- Fat-free cream cheese
- Baby spinach
- Whole grain spaghetti
- Low-fat, part skim mozzarella cheese
I’ve found this recipe to be efficient, delicious, and a great way to sneak some vegetables onto every family member’s plate!
Who couldn’t use a nice warm bowl of soup on cold winter nights or when the throat is on the scratchy side? When I ate this dish this past Thursday, I was actually feeling a bit under the weather, and I was also feeling a whole lot chilly thanks to the light snow that came out of nowhere.
I was very thankful to replace the cough drops that had been in my mouth all day at work with the warm, rejuvenating qualities of this soup. The vegetables in this soup are incredible, but my favorite ingredient is ginger–and not just for it’s flavor and aroma. Ginger provides numerous health benefits that include:
- Prevention of certain types of cancer
- Bone health boosting
- Immune system strengthening
- Promotion of digestion
So, this dish is yummy AND nutritious!
5. One Pan Smoked Sausage and Rice
Making dinners every night during the week can sometimes leave the sink piled up with pots, pans, and dishes–especially when you’re so tired after working, cooking, and eating that you just fall asleep directly after all three things are completed. Been there, done that many times!
Luckily, I only use one pan to make this recipe for Smoked Sausage and Rice. That’s right, one pan! Who knew that could be done when cooking a meal so full of different ingredients and flavors?
Well, I’m sure happy it can be done! Because of this recipe, I get to put my protein from the turkey sausage, my complex and high-fiber carbs from the brown rice, and my vegetables from the broccoli and red peppers all in one pan. Botta bing botta boom! My dinner is done before I know it and the dishes (really one dish) is clean before I know it!
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