Healthy dinner ideas
Fill your plate with veg, a wholegrain or potato, and a protein. Lots of NHS dinners take 30 minutes or less. But two quick NHS fish dinners differ almost fourfold in salt. Check the extras.
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What is a healthy meal for dinner?
One built from three parts: veg, a starchy food and a protein. The NHS Eatwell Guide (for everyone over 2) says fruit and veg should be just over a third of the food you eat each day. Starchy foods are the same.
| Part | How much over a day | Easy dinner picks |
|---|---|---|
| Veg and fruit | Just over a third. At least 5 portions of 80g. | Broccoli, peas, peppers, tinned tomatoes, frozen spinach |
| Starchy food | Just over a third. Wholegrain when you can. | Wholewheat pasta, brown rice, potatoes with the skins on |
| Protein | Eat some | Beans, lentils, fish, eggs, lean meat |
Sources: NHS Eatwell Guide; NHS 5 A Day
Beans, peas and lentils are a good swap for meat. The NHS says they’re low in fat and a good source of fibre and protein.
One plate doesn’t have to be perfect. The NHS says to get the balance right over a day or even a week.
Tonight, check your plate has all three parts. Short on veg? Add a handful of frozen peas.
Quick healthy dinners in 30 minutes
The NHS has 90 free dinner recipes. These seven take 30 minutes or less, from chopping to plate.
| Dinner | Time | Per serving |
|---|---|---|
| Quick chicken couscous | 20 min | 322 kcal, 0.5g salt |
| Turkey stir-fry | 25 min | 301 kcal, 0.3g salt |
| Cheese and tomato grilled fish | 20 min | 172 kcal, 0.5g salt |
| Courgette and tomato frittata | 22 min | 222 kcal, 0.7g salt |
| Cheat’s pizza calzone | 20 min | 242 kcal, 0.9g salt |
| Salmon and broccoli pasta | 30 min | 465 kcal, 0.5g salt |
| Garlic, ginger and lime fish skewers | 30 min | 380 kcal, 1.9g salt |
Source: NHS Healthier Families
Want a light dinner? The frittata and calzone are both under 250 kcal. The grilled fish is 172 before the green veg and rice or potatoes the NHS serves it with.
Pick two to cook this week. Trying to lose weight? See healthy meals for weight loss.
Why does one quick fish dinner have nearly four times the salt?
Adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, around 1 level teaspoon.
Sources: NHS Healthier Families; NHS: salt
Look at the extras. The skewers are glazed with reduced-salt soy sauce, mango chutney and sweet chilli sauce, and the salad gets dressing.
The NHS warns that sauces like soy sauce, ketchup and mayonnaise can be high in salt. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
So go easy on sauces, and pick low-salt soy sauce and stock cubes. Add flavour with herbs, garlic, chilli or lemon instead. On a jar, more than 1.5g of salt per 100g is high.
Ready meals count as well. About three quarters of our salt comes from foods we buy, like bread, meat products and ready meals. See how much salt a day.
Healthy dinners for one or two
Every recipe above serves 4. Cooking for one or two? Make the full amount and keep the rest safely.
Cook once, eat two or three times
- 1
Cook once
Make all 4 portions. Eat 1 or 2 tonight.
- 2
Chill fast
Cool the rest and put it in the fridge within two hours.
- 3
Eat or freeze
Eat leftovers within 48 hours, or freeze them.
- 4
Reheat once
Heat until steaming hot all the way through. Only reheat once.
Source: FSA
Freeze in single portions. Then you only take out what you’ll eat, since the FSA says to only ever reheat once.
For more batch cooking ideas, see cheap healthy meals.
Healthy meals for a week
Plan the week, not just tonight. A few simple checks keep your dinners varied.
Six checks for a week of healthy dinners
- Have at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish, such as salmon or mackerel.
- Eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red or processed meat a day? Cut down to 70g.
- Swap meat for beans, peas or lentils on some nights.
- Choose wholewheat pasta and brown rice, or leave the skins on potatoes.
- Buy tinned veg, beans and fish in water, not brine, with no added salt.
- Count 80g of veg as 1 portion. Beans only count once, however many you eat.
Sources: NHS: fish; NHS: meat; NHS Eatwell Guide; NHS: salt; NHS 5 A Day
The NHS says fresh and canned tuna are not oily fish. The salmon pasta above is an easy one. See omega-3 foods for more.
Want every meal laid out? Try the free 7-day healthy meal plan.
When to speak to a GP
Have a special diet or a medical condition? The NHS says you might want to check with a registered dietitian first. See a GP if:
- You’ve lost a lot of weight without trying over the last 3 to 6 months, or have other signs of malnutrition (not getting enough nutrients), such as feeling tired or weak all the time.
- You’re worried a child or older person in your care may not be getting enough nutrients (malnourished).
- You spend a lot of time worrying about your weight and body shape, or you eat very little food.
- You make yourself sick or take laxatives after you eat, or have very strict routines around food. If you think you may have an eating disorder, the NHS says to see a GP as soon as you can.
You can also call the eating disorder charity Beat on 0808 801 0677.