10 Healthy Dinner Recipes For When You’re Lazy

When you have a jam-packed schedule, it can feel like a major effort to deal with a guilt-free meal.

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We totally hear you—and are here to help you end the day on a good note. So to help you stay on your slim-and-trim track, we’ve gathered up a slew of healthy dinner ideas that require 10 minutes or less of hands-on work—but are all packed with ingredients and nutrients. And once you see how easy it is to cook your way to thin, check out these ways to lose weight in 4 seconds easy fat burning dinner recipes

1 One Pot Lemon Herb ChIcken & Rice

One Pot Lemon Herb ChIcken & Rice

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Nutrition: 422 calories, 9.8 g fat (4.3 g saturated fat), 161 mg sodium, 39 g carbs, 1.7 g fiber, 2.2 g sugar, 42.2 g protein (calculated with unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon added salt, low sodium chicken broth)

Seven ingredients, one large skillet and 30 minutes are all you’ll need to make this delicious protein-filled meal. To amp up the fiber count and boost your dinner’s satiety factor, add some chopped broccoli or brussels sprouts to the mix.

Get the recipe from Le Creme de la Crumb.

2 Easy Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Glaze

Easy Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Glaze

Total Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Nutrition: 362 calories, 25.2 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 199 mg sodium, 14 g carbs, 13 g sugar, 18.2 g protein (calculated with no added salt and optional 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)

Chops may not be the leanest cut of pork on the market, but a 3.5 serving of the protein source provides a decent hit of choline, a nutrient that attacks the gene mechanism that triggers the storage of fat around the liver. And by making this Asian-inspired dish at home, instead of ordering something similar from your local take-out joint, you’re saving tons of sodium, calories and sugar—without sacrificing flavors you crave. Looking for even more ideas that don’t sacrifice calories for taste?

Get the recipe from Damn Delicious.

3 Creamy Chicken Quinoa Broccoli Casserole

Creamy Chicken Quinoa Broccoli Casserole

Total Time: 45 min

Serves: 6

Nutrition: 363 calories, 11 g fat (3.4 g saturated fat), 467 mg sodium, 3.3 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 33.7 g protein

Just because you’re trying to lose weight, doesn’t mean you have to give up savory comfort food—and this cheesy, bacon topped dish proves just that! By using quinoa in lieu of traditional white rice, the talented blogger behind this dish boosts the protein content six-fold and adds an additional 11.5 grams of waist-whittling fiber to her casserole creation. And thanks to the addition of broccoli, this dish provides a fair amount of vitamin C, a nutrient that counteracts cortisol, a stress hormone that promotes belly fat.

Get the recipe from Pinch of Yum.

4 Mexican Tortilla Casserole

Mexican Tortilla Casserole

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8

Nutrition: 424 calories, 13 g fat (6.6 g saturated fat), 324 mg sodium, 57.4 g carbs, 12.1 g fiber, 5.9 g sugar, 22.4 g protein (calculated with black beans)

This recipe relies on canned beans and a combination of frozen and no-chop veggies which keeps prep time to a quick 10-minutes. And after 20-minutes in the oven, this fiber and protein-rich one-dish wonder is ready to make its dinner table debut.

Get the recipe from Savory Simple.

5 Simple Sesame Chicken

simple sesame chicken

Total Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Nutrition: 435 calories, 21.8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 611 mg sodium, 9 g carbs, 1.1 g fiber, 2.5 g sugar, 52.8 g protein (calculated without rice and with 2 tablespoons sesame seeds)

It may arrive at your front door in just 30 minutes flat, but if Chinese takeout is part of your weekly dinner lineup, it’s likely making it very difficult to shed unwanted pounds. Don’t believe it? Consider this: An order of sesame chicken from P.F Chang’s will cost you 890 calories and an entire day’s worth of blood pressure-spiking sodium. The solution? This homemade version, on the other hand, has a fraction of the calories and salt and can get on your kitchen table just as quickly.

Get the recipe from How Sweet Eats.

6 Harissa and Citrus Baked Salmon

Harissa and Citrus Baked Salmon

Total Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Nutrition: 307 calories, 14 g fat (1.4 g saturated fat), 817 mg sodium, 13.5 g carbs, 9 g sugar, 31.6 g protein (calculated with 32 oz salmon and green onions)

Move over, sriracha, a new saucy condiment is bringing the heat to dinnertime dishes. Harissa, a paste made with hot chili peppers, garlic and smoky spices, joins together with citrus fruits and onions to create this unique—yet easy to make—salmon dish. To round out your meal, follow Sweet Phi’s lead and serve your fish with a side of roasted broccoli. The green cruciferous veggie contains a potent phytonutrient called sulforaphane that increase testosterone and fights off fat storage.

Eat This! Tip

It may be more costly, but it’s worth it to buy wild salmon instead of the farmed variety. Not only is wild salmon leaner than farmed because it’s not plumped up on fishmeal and feed that’s been pumped with hydrolyzed chicken feathers, but it’s also proven to be significantly lower in cancer-linked industrial chemicals called PCBs. Other chemicals found in farmed fish include dioxins from herbicides, the most famous being Agent Orange.

Get the recipe from Sweet Phi.

7 5-Ingredient Butternut Squash, Arugula & Goat Cheese Pasta

Butternut Squash, Arugula and Goat Cheese Pasta

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 5

Nutrition: 307 calories, 14.1 g fat (3.8 g saturated fat), 145 mg sodium, 36.3 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 3.4 g sugar, 53.9 g protein

Low-cal, high-protein pasta? Not only possible, it’s delicious. You won’t even miss the extra noodles thanks to the addition of arugula, pine nuts, goat cheese, and butternut squash. Better yet: You’ll sidestep overloaded sodium and fat counts found in most pre- and semi-homemade pasta dishes.

Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

8 3-Ingredient Salmon

3-Ingredient Salmon

Total Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Nutrition: 236 calories, 11.3 g fat (1.7 g saturated fat), 79 mg sodium, 0.6 g carbs, 0.5 g sugar, 33.1 g protein (calculated without added salt)

Want to lose weight without going hungry? Wild salmon is a must-have. Not only is it rich in omega-3s, healthy fats that stave off metabolism-slowing inflammation, but it’s also a great source of protein, a nutrient that increases post-meal calorie burn by as much as 35 percent! Thankfully, it doesn’t take a lot of work to transform a raw fillet into a filling, delicious meal, and this recipe by The Healthy Maven proves just that. We love that it goes from the oven to your dinner table in just 20-minutes flat.

Get the recipe from The Healthy Maven.

9 One Skillet Lemon Chicken and Red Potatoes

One Skillet Lemon Chicken and Red Potatoes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Nutrition: 310 calories, 22.3 g fat (5.7 g saturated fat), 195 mg sodium, 10.2 g carbs, 1.4 g fiber, 1.6 g sugar, 18.1 g protein

Yes, you read that correctly, we’re telling you to eat potatoes for weight loss. The reason: An Australian study that measured the satiety index of 38 popular foods found that white spuds were not only more filling and satisfying than things like cookies and cake (no surprise there), they also ranked better than healthy picks like brown rice and oatmeal. As a result, research participants ate less on the days they consumed them. Add this healthy meal to your weekly rotation and it may just be easier for you to say no to dessert.

Get the recipe from Chelsea’s Messy Apron.

10 5-Ingredient Easy White Chicken Chili

5-Ingredient Easy White Chicken Chili

Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Nutrition: 460 calories, 6.5 g fat (1.2 g saturated fat), 948 mg sodium, 43 g carbs, 14.6 g fiber, 5.8 g sugar, 53.3 g protein (calculated with cooked shredded chicken)

A chili recipe that comes together in just 15 minutes? It may sound too good to be true, but it’s not! The secret behind the speed? Pre-cooked chicken—it cuts the cooking time in half. To keep the calorie and fat counts reasonable, steer clear of the sour cream and crumbled tortilla chips add-ons. Instead, top off your bowl with some avocado (a fruit that’s been shown to lower BMI and whittle waistlines) and fresh cilantro.