Simple Healthy Meals are EASY, use FEW INGREDIENTS, are QUICK to prepare and leaves you with MINIMAL CLEANUP. We’ve found 11 perfect recipes to make at home! All are gluten-free and are keto and often paleo-friendly.
An essential part of a good, sustainable eating plan are meals that are simple, healthy and easy to prepare.
It can be tempting to delve into all the complicated recipes that use special (and often expensive) ingredients, but keeping it simple is your best bet if you want to stay on course.
What Are Simple Healthy Meals?
Here at Living Chirpy, we believe that truly simple healthy meals to make at home are:
- Cooked with few simple, easy to find ingredients
- Take a short time to prepare and cook
- Use few cooking vessels (minimal cleanup)
- And finally, tastes GOOD!
How to Make Simple Healthy Meals?
Simple and easy healthy meals come in all shapes and sizes, and are prepared in a variety of ways.
We’ve created 3 basic tips to help you when searching for simple healthy meals. The method to make these meals depend on the recipes you find.
We’ve included some of our very favorite easy healthy recipes from our archives as well as from other great bloggers in the last section of this post
Tips For Finding Simple Healthy Meals Online:
- Don't get discouraged by long ingredient lists.
Herbs and spices, optional garnishes or sauces, salt and pepper on these lists often make it seem like you need a lot more items than you actually do.
Read carefully and you'll see that you probably already have most of what you need. Or only need to pick up a few simple fresh ingredients from the grocery store.
- Skip the recipes using specialty ingredients.
It can be fun to cook with nut flours, exotic sauces or spices and other ingredients that you'll only find in recipes that start with "paleo" or "keto", but it's not necessary.
Keep it simple. Stick to what you have. You don't NEED to cook complicated recipes even if it seems like everyone else in the health community is.
- Minimize the kitchen clutter by using one cooking dish.
One pan or one pot recipes are your best friend! So are slow cooker healthy recipes. You don't need to have four pans going on the stove.
Ain't nobody got time for that. The less equipment you need, the better.
What Are Some Simple Healthy Meals?
It can be a lot of fun searching for new healthy recipes, and before you know it - you’ll be a pro that can turn almost ANY recipe you find online into a simple healthy meal with healthy substitutions.
Below I've compiled a list of 11 Simple Healthy Recipes to get you started.
Keep the tips listed above in mind and you'll do just fine when you're hunting for more simple recipes to add to your healthy meal repertoire!
1. Creamy Tomato Artichoke Chicken
This recipe is fantastic to throw together when you're in a pinch.
Three of the main ingredients (crushed tomatoes, coconut cream, artichoke hearts) are canned items, which means that if you keep them stocked in your pantry, you'll always have a quick and easy recipe to make when you need it.
For those that are intolerant to dairy, this simple recipe uses coconut cream as a healthy alternative. The meal is compliant for keto, paleo, and Whole30 eating plans and can be made in under 30 minutes!
Carbs: 4g
Calories: 420
( Find this recipe at 40 Aprons )
2. One Pot Amish Beef and Cabbage Skillet
This simple healthy recipe only needs 7 ingredients! Cabbage and ground beef are really affordable healthy ingredients that are perfect for cooking bulk.
With this dish you'll have enough for dinner and plenty of leftover food. Freeze the rest for a snappy dinner or lunch when you're short on time or not in the mood for cooking.
This recipe tend to do well with toddlers and kids because its simple, but flavorful! It’s also great for students trying to be healthier, because the ingredients are very affordable and it yields a LOT!
Carbs: 8.3g
Calories: 176
( Find this recipe here at Living Chirpy )
3. One Pan Simple Paleo Lemon Chicken
This recipe is so simple and easy to prepare. Most of the ingredients you will most likely already have in your kitchen.
A lemon sauce with chicken never fails to be delicious and goes well with a variety of side dishes.
This is a great simple healthy meal for dinner, that can also be fancy enough to serve for a at home dinner date for two!
Serve this with one of the following to complete your plate:
- asparagus
- sliced avocado
- diced tomato and cucumber
- steamed broccoli or cauliflower
Carbs: 8.5g
Calories: 428
( Find this recipe at My Natural Family )
4. 10-Minute Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles
Dinner in a flash! Both shrimp and zucchini cook very fast, so making this meal is as simple and easy as it gets. Also, most of the ingredients are basics that could already be in your fridge or pantry.
The lemon garlic butter sauce in this dish gives the two main ingredients a rich, delicious flavor. Using a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles is a great way to give a ultra simple dish a little personality!
( Find this recipe at Eat Well 101 )
5. One Pot Paleo Chicken Dinner
The great thing about this recipe is that it requires minimal effort. Just a quick chopping of vegetables and a light sear of the chicken is all you need.
After that it goes into a pot for 30 minutes, which means you can kick back and relax while dinner is cooking.
It's compliant for keto, paleo, and Whole30 meal plans, and needs only 9 simple ingredients! This dish usually leaves leftovers which you can save for the next day or freeze to have for another time.
Carbs: 17g
Calories: 190
( Find this recipe here at Living Chirpy )
6. Tuna Stuffed Avocados
You only need 7 ingredients for this simple healthy meal! Canned tuna is a great thing to keep stocked in your pantry for the times you want to make a throw-together dish like this one.
Even though this meal seems very simple, it contains fatty ingredients (healthy fatty, that is!) which is very filling. Have this for lunch or dinner and it'll keep you satisfied and nourished until your next meal.
Carbs: 12,8
Calories: 478
( Find this recipe at Downshiftology )
7. Lemon Garlic Butter Steak and Broccoli Skillet
If you skip all the optional ingredients and garnish, this recipe only needs around 7 ingredients! With a cooking time under 20 minutes, dinner will be ready in a flash.
( Find this recipe at Eat Well 101 )
8. Simple Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Chili
This sweet potato chili is a great addition to a paleo or Whole30 eating plan. Simple recipes using ground beef is an easy way to get some more affordable animal protein into your diet!
You'll only need around 8 ingredients for this one, and you can have it done in under 40 minutes too.
( Find this recipe at Healthy Liv)
9. Dijon Baked Salmon
Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. You'll only need 6 ingredients for this simple healthy recipe! It's keto, paleo, and Whole30 compliant.
Serve this with one of the following to complete your plate:
- cauliflower rice
- diced cucumber and avocado
- sautéed zucchini slices
- mashed sweet potato
Carbs: 1,9g
Calories: 249
( Find this recipe at Downshiftology )
10. Easy Sausage and Pepper Skillet
This is the kind of recipe you should be making in your day to day healthy eating.
The ingredients are simple, the method is simple, and the flavor is amazing! Onions, bell pepper, and sausage work really well together.
You can have dinner ready in about 15 - 20 minutes when you make this, which is perfect for those who don't exactly enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.
( Find this recipe at All The Healthy Things )
11. Spicy Shrimp and Cauliflower Rice Bowl
This paleo and keto friendly dish has a good mix of ingredients that'll keep you nourished and filled. The coconut cream, egg, and avocado in this dish are all healthy fats that keeps you feeling satisfied.
You'll only need around 20 minutes for this simple recipe!
( Find this recipe at The Organic Kitchen )
In Conclusion...
Healthy eating can be a stress-free experience when you choose the right recipes.
- Remember to keep it simple,
- Stay away from the “fancy” pretentious ingredients,
- Pick recipes that use the least amount of equipment.
Do this and you'll be just fine on your healthy eating journey!
For more simply healthy recipes, check out the rest of Living Chirpy’s recipe catalogue for more tasty dishes and useful round-ups!
If you make any of these delicious recipes or have any other simple healthy meal suggestions or general healthy eating tips, please leave a comment below!
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