Save Time With Healthy Dinner Meal Recipes
Finding the time to cook a healthy homemade meal can seem impossible when life gets busy. It’s tempting to grab fast food or microwave a TV dinner, but these options aren’t the healthiest or the most cost-effective for big families. Instead, you can stock up your freezer with delicious made-ahead dinner recipes loaded with flavor and nutritious ingredients.
Here are eight dinner recipes that will support your family’s health while reducing your dinner prep time during hectic evenings.
1. Classic Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie is a family favorite meal. Try this healthy chicken pot pie that is lighter on calories but not on flavor. An insider tip to save even more time is to use a rotisserie chicken from the store. For this freezer meal, you’ll cook the filling ahead of time, allow it to cool, and then freeze. You’ll need to thaw it overnight in the fridge, prep the pie dough, and bake for 25 minutes.
2. Flavorful Pesto Chicken Meatballs
We’ve picked out this chicken meatball recipe because it’s lower in calories and fat than beef or pork meatballs but loaded with pesto flavor. After cooking and cooling, freeze the meatballs until the night before you plan to use them. While warming up the meatballs, cook some spaghetti and use a healthy jar of sauce to complete a very tasty but quick dinner.
3. Hearty Crockpot Taco Soup
Does your family love Taco Tuesday? This hearty taco soup is easily made in a crockpot and freezes very well in freezer-safe jars or even Ziploc freezer bags. You can also store individual servings in microwave-safe containers for a very quick meal.
4. Freezer-Friendly Crockpot Lasagna
Lasagna is made easily with this crockpot recipe! Feel free to add some extra veggies, like spinach or mushrooms, or swap the extra-lean ground beef for turkey. This recipe also holds up very well in the freezer. You can either freeze the entire lasagna or cut it into serving-size portions. Serve with garlic bread or a quick side salad.
5. Hearty and Easy Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffed bell peppers are super simple, making them an awesome quick dinner. You can also easily customize a recipe to include a different protein source or add extra vegetables. Kids can also choose their favorite color bell pepper! Best of all, stuffed peppers freeze really well and can be stored for up to 3 months. All you need to do is thaw overnight and reheat in the oven.
6. Savory and Versatile Veggie Burgers
Heating or grilling up a frozen patty is a quick way to make a burger, and this awesome veggie burger recipe fits the bill perfectly. After preparing and cooking the patties, let them cool and place them in safe freezer containers. You can reheat in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.
7. Delicious Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
It’s hard to beat mac and cheese for a quick dinner that everyone in the family will love. Skip the boxed mac and try this cheesy butternut squash variation instead. It’s also a great recipe for sneaking in more veggies into your family’s diet. You can freeze portions of the cooked mac and cheese or freeze only the puree to add to freshly cooked pasta.
8. Quick Shredded Beef Taquitos
Taquitos are a great handheld dinner option that is especially appealing to kids. We chose this recipe for its simplicity and great taste, and the fact that it can be cooked frozen! You can bake these from frozen in just about 30 minutes and serve with your family’s favorite salsa. Make a big batch because we bet your family will love these!
Your family’s oral health depends on a healthy, varied diet.
Nutritious meals benefit your family’s physical health and are a crucial factor in achieving and maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Limiting sugar and starches boosts cavity prevention, and eating a wide variety of different foods can reduce the chances of a nutrient deficiency. Young children who are exposed to varying types of foods, flavors, and cuisines are less inclined to be picky eaters as they grow older.
During your next visit to the dentist, ask your dentist about nutrition and how it impacts oral health. They can offer excellent insight and guidance into how important diet is for a healthy smile and what foods your family should eat to prevent cavities or gum disease.
