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Being hungry sucks (it’s a scientific fact). So why spend hours cooking a gourmet feast when a nutritious meal could be only 12 minutes away from getting from the kitchen to your plate? Skip the grumbling tummy, the hangriness, and the cranky guests, and serve up any one of these 52 healthy meals that are so quick and easy, you’ll wonder why you ever ordered takeout.
1. Cacao and Blueberry Smoothie
Um, YUM. This smoothie is full of amazing flavors from blueberry, vanilla, coconut milk, and of course, cacao powder. You can whip this up in under five minutes, but if you’re especially lazy in the morning, just make at night to take on the go the next day.
2. Honey Lemon Ricotta Breakfast Toast
Say goodbye to boring toast. This version dresses up a piece of bread with ricotta, lemon, figs, honey, and pistachios for a fancy (but super fast) breakfast treat. Pro tip: these guys work great as apps if you put them on crostinis instead.
3. Poached Egg and Avocado Breakfast Salad
You can have salad for breakfast, too. Just whip up a poached egg (or any other style you love) and toss it in a bowl with some tomatoes, lettuce, cooked quinoa, avo, and pistachios for an added crunch. Just cook the quinoa the night before if you want it truly under 12 minutes.
4. Healthy Single Serving Blueberry Muffin
This healthy breakfast is a little more of a healthy dessert, but we’ll let it slide. Made from healthier subs like sorghum flour, applesauce, almond milk, and flaxseed, this quick microwavable muffin is a guilt-free way to start your morning.
5. Pina Colada Yogurt Parfaits
Take a trip to the tropics with this pineapple and coconut flavored breakfast. We love pairing these sweet fruits with the bitterness of Greek yogurt to balance out the flavors.
6. Blue Corn Breakfast Tacos With Scrambled Eggs
It doesn’t get much better (or easier!) than breakfast tacos. This version stuffs eggs, avocado, and smoked salmon inside of blue corn tortillas for a rainbow colored breakfast. Feel free to switch up the recipe with some of your favorite fix-ins, too.
7. Homemade Flavored Instant Oatmeal
This blogger has recipes for four different flavors of awesome instant oats: blueberry vanilla, chocolate banana, walnut and date, and strawberries and cream. You can store them in the fridge for up to five days and make them in minutes whenever you’re ready!
8. Peanut Butter Breakfast Toast Four Ways
Peanut butter toast might be a classic, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring! These four variations are awesome for breakfast, or a post workout snack. If you’re gluten-free swap out regular toast for a rice cake or a gluten-free bread.
9. Egg Breakfast Wraps with Bacon, Avocado, and Tomato
These “wraps” are a creative and gluten-free way to hold your B.A.T. (bacon, avo, tomato) combo. Instead of using a wrap, the blogger uses an egg “tortilla,” which is essentially an egg-only omelet that you wrap up. This one will make you feel very fancy.
10. Turmeric Tofu Scramble
This vegan scramble is perfect for rushed mornings or lazy-night dinners. Just combine tofu with lots of yummy spices and veggies and eat it ontop of some avo-toast. If you’re vegetarian, not vegan, feel free to throw some scrambled eggs in, too.
11. Paleo Sweet Potato Waffle Breakfast Sandwich
Leggo that Eggo! You can make this killer sweet potato waffle breakfast sandwich in the time it takes that frozen waffle to thaw. Protein-rich and full of good fats, it’s a great way to fill up on the good stuff at the start of the day so you’re not breaking out the snacks an hour later.
12. Whole30 Breakfast Bowl
Whole30 may be one of the toughest diets out there, but that doesn’t mean Whole30 recipes aren’t delicious! This quick breakfast bowl is a yummy twist on your standard bowl of oats: cook up a mashed banana with two eggs then throw it in a bowl with some apples, almond butter, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. YUM.
13. Banana Berry Smoothies
With all the craze surrounding juice and smoothies these days, it can seem daunting to make one in your own kitchen, but there are so many easy recipes that’ll make you realize how far that is from the truth. This version combines bananas, blueberries, raspberry sherbet, frozen yogurt, and juice for a flavorful breakfast or pre-workout treat.
14. Avocado Tortilla Breakfast Pizza
Pizza for breakfast? Yes, really. This “pizza crust” is actually a flat tortilla that you pop in the oven for 10 minutes with some mashed avo, grated cheese, and an egg on top. Best brunch ever.
15. Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Omelet
Omelets are a lazy cook’s best friend. They’re easy, healthy, and seemingly fancy. This Mediterranean-inspired version is loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, onions, feta, and red chili flakes for a spicy and super filling breakfast.
16. Strawberry Chocolate Almond Acai Bowls
Smoothies don’t have to be sipped with a straw! This colorful Acai bowl packs in some sneaky greens (spinach or kale) and lots of healthy staples like Goji berries, Acai powder, nuts, and berries.
17. Two-Ingredient Pancakes
Yep, you read that right. Just two ingredients: banana and egg. These “pancakes,” are super easy to make and you can customize them with whatever add-ins your heart desires. Mixing in some protein powder makes these guys a great post-workout snack, too.
18. Simple Muesli Breakfast
Never heard of museli? Just think of it as a different type of oatmeal. This version packs in yogurt, nuts, and berries in addition to the classic base so your breakfast will be far from boring.
19. PB & J No-Bake Oatmeal Bars
Who doesn’t miss a packed PB & J sandwich in their lunch box every day? These easy no-bake snack bars will allow you to indulge your nostalgia. If you make a big batch on Sunday you’ll have a week’s worth of snacks or breakfasts set.
20. 10-Minute Italian Quinoa Salad
Once you cook up some quinoa, it’s only 10 minutes to this easy lunch recipe. It’s full awesome flavors and nutrients from onions, peppers, tomatoes, and artichokes. And because you can serve it cold, this is an awesome next-day leftover to bring to work!
21. One Pot Spiralized Zucchini Noodle Soup
This is about as far from packaged Ramen as you can get. Spiralize some zucchini and add it to a pot full of vegetable broth, miso packets, and asparagus. Throw some Sriracha, sesame seeds, and green onion on top for a trendy way to warm up on a cold day.
22. 10-Minute Tuna Wrap
Wraps are one of the best ways to make a quick (and healthy!) lunch. This one is filled with tuna, homemade avocado-tahini sauce, lettuce, cucumber, and bell pepper. Crunchy and delicious!
23. Avocado Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
Gluten free? You can have wraps, too! Load up some lettuce-wraps with some avo-chicken salad (a healthier swap for mayo) and garnish with radishes, lime, sprouts, and jalapeño (if you like it spicy!).
24. Turkey, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Panini
Few things in this world are better than goat cheese. And combined with avocado, turkey, and warm bread? That’s next level.
25. Open-Faced Avocado BLT Sandwich
This open-faced sandwich is a fun update on the BLT. Tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and bacon sit on top of creamy hummus for a great way to make a quick healthy lunch.
26. Sun-Dried Tomato Spinach Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Grilled cheese can be healthy too, we promise! Using whole-grain or gluten-free bread, low-fat cheeses, and adding in some veggies are all ways to enjoy a cleaner version of your favorite childhood meal.
27. Sweet and Savory Grilled Cheese
This tasty sweet and savory lunch is as easy to make as it sounds. Grab some white cheddar cheese, slap it onto whole grain bread, and bring in some butter and a green apple, and there you have it! Swap out the type of cheese as your please for a perfect afternoon meal.
28. Chicken Tortilla Lettuce Wraps
This ingredient list may seem hefty, not what it really does is leave you a lot of room for experimentation. The basics are a head of lettuce, chicken breast, cheddar cheese, and tortillachips. The lettuce serves as the bed for all of your tasty ingredients, and you couldn’t ask for a healthier twist on this great dish.
29. Creamy Vegan Corn and Red Pepper Blender Soup
Rainy, cold day outside? Stay in and cook up this tasty soup (it’s so quick you won’t even have to pause your Netflix to do so). This spicy, vegan concoction packs in tons of vegetables, too.
30. Easy Margherita Flatbread Pizza
Have you ever met someone who doesn’t love Margherita pizza?! We haven’t, so this is basically the perfect (and healthy-ish) dish for any pizza lover (that’s everyone, right?). The base of naan gives this pie a unique flavor that blends well with the mozzarella.
31. Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Whether it’s your side or a main dish that you add a little protein to (try an egg!), this roasted sweet potato is the perfect mid-day treat. The blogger keeps it simple (sour cream, chives, parmesan), and if you’d rather top it with some healtheir fixings, use an avocado or some Greek yogurt dressing in place of sour cream.
32. Chicken Hummus Wrap
Truly the simplest (and tastiest) wrap out there, this dish combines chicken and hummus to satisfy all your savory cravings. The simplicity is great because guess what? You’re free to add anything else you want.
33. Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Pinwheels
This meal might look fancy, but it’s prep couldn’t be easier. These tasty pinwheels (or whole wrap, if you choose to make it that way) is filled with vegan cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. The nutrients here are off the charts, and so is the flavor.
34. Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Swapping out a higher carb wrap for lettuce is the key to lunch if you’d rather save your carbs for dessert today. These spicy wraps have a Thai twist, and though you’ll need a few spices and some ingredients like shredded cabbage and hoisin sauce, this will not let you down (and you can make more to save for later).
35. 5-Min Spicy Asian Chicken Salad Paleo Friendly
Following Paleo? No problem, we’ve got your back with this spicy Asian chicken salad. It’s super easy to prepare (use bagged salad mix, sesame seeds, carrots, and chicken) combined with a few sauces, and there you have it: a tasty lunch with a bit of a kick.
36. Avocado Caprese Chicken Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette
If you’re tired of salads (we don’t blame you, they can get old if you don’t switch it up), this is the one you need. This combo bowl packs in chicken, mozzarella balls, and avocado on top of a bed of lettuce. Talk about getting all your nutrients (and flavor) in in one meal!
37. Easy Ranch Chicken and Vegetable Skillet
A nice veggie skillet is about as simple, and healthy, as you can get. But don’t forget your protein! Adding chicken to this meal makes it totally well-rounded, and easy to get from the fridge to the table in no time.
38. 10-Minute Spinach Lasagna
Ten minute lasagna?! Yep, you read that right. The key to this dish is no-boil lasagna noodles, which you’ll combine with ricotta cheese, Mozzarella, Parmesan, and spinach. If you’re feeling some comfort food, this one won’t let you down.
39. Coconut Green Pasta
Coconut pasta? We’re hooked. This recipe combines the basics (noodles, spinach, olive oil) with a twist of coconut milk to create a unique flavor. You won’t want to go back to regular pasta, trust us.
40. Spinach Tomato Tortellini Soup
This soup is the perfect warm dinner for any time of year. After all, who doesn’t like pasta AND soup together? This tortellini soup is the everything we needed.
41. 10-Minute Soy-Ginger Salmon
Ginger salmon? Count us in, and it only takes ten minutes. The trick is to combine spices with your fish (arrowroot powder, fresh ginger, redd pepper flakes, and soy sauce) for the perfect flavor once it’s done.
42. Couscous Salad In Avocado Bowls
Want to live in a real life Pinterest board? This recipe is the perfect starting place. A halved avocado will serve as the base for this mix of cous cous, chicken broth, and tons of spices.
43. Creamy Spinach Artichoke Hummus Pasta
Spinach, artichoke, and hummus, all on pasta? It might sound like a lot, but it’s actually amazing. Just pick up some gluten free pasta and the prep will only take you ten minutes.
44. Healthy Broccoli Slaw Fish Tacos
You don’t often see “broccoli” and “fish tacos” in the same recipe, but this one perfectly combines healthy and tasty. With an added kick from jalapeno and lime, this will be a party pleaser for any group.
45. 10-Minute Cauliflower Fried Rice
This is a classic, and swapping in riced cauliflower makes it pretty damn healthy-ish, too. Packing in a ton of veggies and minimal oil, this is the perfect dish for a tasty, grain-free dinner.
46. Easy Honey Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli
Any protein and veggie combo makes for a healthy dinner, but shrimp and broccoli together is just what we need. It’s easy, quick, and full of flavor.
47. Healthy Roasted Chicken and Veggies
We’re told that the healthiest meals are the most colorful, and this dinner is basically a rainbow on a plate. With a 5 different veggies cooked togehter with oven-roasted chicken, this simple dinner also packs all the nutrients you need.
48. 5-Ingredient Easy White Chicken Chili
Want a quick homemade chili for a cold day? We’ve got it right here, and it takes almost no time. Combine Great Northern beans, chicken (for your protein), chicken broth, and spices for this cozy dish.
49. 10-Minute Coconut Curry Soup
Soup lovers, this one is for you. With a pinch of cayenne, curry powder, and ginger, this creamy coconut curry comes with a kick. The best part? All it takes is a blender—and 10 minutes—to whip up this flavorful dish!
50. Migas (Tex-Mex Style)
Take this classic Mexican breakfast and rework it for dinner. You get your salty fix with the tortilla chips, a healthy dose of cheese, and plenty of veggies, too.
51. 15-Minute Quinoa and Korean Beef Bowl
Instead of ordering in, make this tasty Korean beef bowl at home yourself. It’s easy and quick but packs the same punch as the real thing.
52. Six-Minute Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks
Ahi tuna is basically a treat any time, so making it in just a few minutes only sweetens the deal. Sear the fish for a total of about 6 minutes, throw onto some veggies, and serve.
