38 Healthy (& Easy!) Meals to Kick-Start the Year

Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Low carb, filling and ready in 25 minutes? That's what you get with this tasty Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe from Damn Delicious! Ground chicken and chopped veggies make this dinner not only gorgeous, but healthy and something the entire family will love.

12-Minute Chicken and Broccoli

Need dinner in a flash? This healthy chicken and broccoli stir fry from Gimme Some Oven is here to save the day! Homemade sauce tops off this delicious meal made in just one pan. Add rice and enjoy!

Baked Bell Pepper Tacos

If cutting the carbs is on one of your new year's resolutions, you'll want to sink your teeth into this Peas and Crayons recipe, Baked Bell Pepper Tacos. Low carb bell peppers are stuffed with high-protein meats, tofu or lentils and topped with your family's favorite goodies like cheese and sour cream.

Honey Lemon Chicken Stir Fry with Asparagus and Mangos

It takes just thirty minutes from pan to table for Carlsbad Craving's Honey Lemon Chicken Stir Fry. Lightly breaded chicken and homemade sauce makes this a perfect busy weeknight dinner that's bursting with flavor and is oh so easy on the waistline.

15-Minute Garlic Shrimp Zucchini Pasta

Say hello to the best alternative to fatty butter and carb-loaded pasta with Gimme Delicious' 15-Minute Garlic Shrimp Pasta! Zucchini noodles (aka zoodles) are swapped for traditional noodles and seasoned with olive oil and Italian dressing that is so good, your kiddos will hardly miss the carbs.

10-Minute Italian Chicken Wraps

Weeknight dinners have never been so easy once you try this 10-Minute Italian Chicken Wrap recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron. Pre-cooked chicken is paired with bright and colorful lettuce, tomatoes and avocados and a zesty dressing for a healthy and speedy evening meal.

One Pot Burrito Bowls

All the things you love about burritos come together in this healthy and 30-minute burrito bowl recipe from I Heart Naptime. The best part? It only needs one pan so cleanup has never been easier!

Hawaiian Chicken Bites

Juicy chicken and pineapple come together in Rasa Malaysia's simple and tasty Hawaiian Chicken Bites recipe. Skewers are pan fried in the kitchen (no BBQ needed!) and brushed with tasty BBQ sauces that's so delicious you kids won't realize they're also eating fruit!

Broccoli Cheddar Risotto

This risotto recipe isn't high maintenance and gives you a creamy rice dish with no dairy fat. The creaminess comes from the rice starch, and it's simmered for half an hour rather than constantly stirred, freeing up time at the stove.

Quinoa Black Bean Wrap

Packed with protein-rich quinoa, black beans, and hummus, these wraps are good for lunchboxes as well as dinners. Check out the recipe for this plant-based healthy meal in our archives.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This easy soup needs very little effort for a big result. Once the veggies are chopped, simply throw things into the pot and let it all simmer. Head over to Well Plated for the how-to.

Chicken Pomegranate Pasta Salad

Pomegranates are in season and high in fiber and vitamin C, making this recipe from Weelicious, a perfect addition to a healthy New Year menu. The seeds add great texture and flavor to savory dishes and this salad is quick and easy to prepare.

Veggie Alphabet Soup

The family will get a healthy kick-start for the year with this warming bowl of broth, they might even be able to spell it! This soup is loaded with veggies as well as the alphabet and is lower in sodium than store-bought alternatives.

Green Detox Smoothie

This green goddess of a smoothie from Pinch of Yum will put you on track for a healthy New Year. Banana and kale are blitzed with nuts and topped with pomegranate seeds to make this the perfect January drink, with one eye on the festive season and the other looking forward to a healthy new year!

Healthy Nachos

Comfort meets healthy with these tray-baked nachos. Layer up tomatoes, cheese and spices on corn chips and top with avos and cilantro for a super easy meal that takes just 15 minutes to put together. Check out the recipe in our archives and head to You Totally Got This for more tips on this dinnertime fave.

Mexican Lentil Quesadillas

Packed with protein, these lentils mixed with salsa end up tasting like refried beans. The lentils take just 20 minutes to soften, and you're set for an easy dinner the kids will love. Serve with guacamole for a superfood boost.

Lentil Sausage Lasagne

Make use of seasonal kale with this soup that's high in fiber as well as dairy and gluten-free. The recipe uses chicken sausage, lots of beans, and is spiced up with Worcestershire sauce. Made in a crock pot or slow cooker, this soup is cooked largely unattended.

Zoodle Pizza Casserole

This recipe combines the genius of zoodles (zucchini noodles) with the kid fave pizza and the ease of a casserole. Layer up ingredients in an oven-safe dish and you'll have a veggie-packed dinner ready in around 30 minutes.

Easy Fish Tacos

This satisfying and healthy dinner from Averie Cooks is easy, family-friendly and ready in 15 minutes. The fish is lightly baked—switch out tilapia for another lean white fish if you prefer and serve with avocado, crunchy corn, cabbage, and cucumbers.

Sweet Poodles

Sweet potatoes are a winter favorite with all that Vitamin A and C, magnesium and potassium. Put the sweet veggie in the dinner spotlight by spiralizing it with chickpeas and green onions and adding a peanut sauce for a vegan meal that comes together in one pot, in about half an hour. Head to Kristine's Kitchen for the healthy how-to.

Easy Peasy Pasta Dish

Combine chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic and you'll have a healthy pasta dish that virtually makes itself. Check out the recipe in our archives. Garnish with grated cheese and dinner's done.

Black Bean Burger

A healthy kick doesn't mean burgers are off limits—when they're made with black beans! High in fiber and served with a fresh salad, you can find this healthy recipe in our archives. You can even use lettuce as an alternative to brioche or burger buns.

Simple Filet Of Sole

This fish recipe from our archives comes from Robert Rosenthal's cookbook Short Order Dad. Sole has flaky white flesh with a mild taste - add some steamed greens and you've got a lean protein supper that can be ready in under twenty minutes.

Baked Gnocchi

Sweet potato and spinach are both packed with Vitamin A along with lots of other nutrients, so this gnocchi recipe scores high for a healthy start to the New Year. The only fiddly bit is prepping the dough, but once it's done the pieces just need to bake for ten minutes and dinner's done.

Pumpkin & Cannellini Bean Soup

There are just five ingredients in this soup from Boulder Locavore—and all of them are wholesome and healthy. Serve with toast for a meal that's not only easy to make but perfect for getting back on track after a diet of rich holiday foods.

Chicken Biriyani

Layer up browned chicken pieces with rice and lemon for a recipe that, while it has lots of carbs, is full of goodness. Garlic and nuts add flavor, but you can adapt the dish to your palate. Biriyani is a comforting, much-loved dish and this recipe from The View From Great Island keeps it simple too.

Salmon Bake

This easy sheet pan dinner from Scrummy Lane is a quick way to bake salmon and makes for a healthy dish with a citrus zing. Not every child likes asparagus, so switch it out for a trimmed root veggie like carrot or parsnip if you think the kids will prefer it. 

Here's a healthy twist on the potato salad—make it with sweet potatoes, black beans, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and juicy pomegranate seeds for a dish packed with vitamins and minerals. This colorful creation from Take Two Tapas is the perfect celebration of healthy.

Teriyaki Lettuce Cups

These chicken teriyaki cups are easy to eat with your hands like all the best kid-friendly foods. Grill up chicken pieces and top it off with cheese and veggies. For kids needing more carbs, just serve with a side of warm jasmine rice.

Crock Pot Lasagne Soup

Don't be put off by all the ingredients with this lasagne soup.  Packed with veggies, it's a mid-winter pick-me-up that's worth the shopping list, plus it cooks unsupervised in a crock pot or dutch oven. Open to lots of variations, you can switch out sausage to ground turkey or beef and add different veg, like carrots, to the mix.

Smoked Salmon & Soba Noodles

Salmon is packed with omega-3s, protein, vitamins, and minerals, and soba noodles are another protein powerhouse. Add crunchy cucumber and green beans (skip the radishes if you prefer), and you have this healthy dinner from My Little Larder that's hearty enough to fill empty bellies but healthy enough to give everyone lots of energy.

Pork and Apple Bake

Combine apples, chops, and mashed potatoes for a sweet comfort food packed with nutritional value. The recipe involves just a bit of prep and then 20 minutes baked in the oven. This sweet and savory combo makes for a hearty meal the kids will love.

Chili Pasta Soup

Add beans and beef to twirly noodles for a low maintenance soup that comes together in under half an hour. The recipe in our archives is full of fiber and protein and will set the family up for a healthy start to the year.

Greek Couscous Salad

Couscous works well with veggies and is easy to prep. This simple salad uses ever-seasonal cucumbers and tomatoes with olives and feta for a Mediterranean feel. Get the recipe from Plated Cravings.

Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This recipe from Pinch of Yum produces an easy, comforting soup with lots of vegetables and no heavy cream. It's a meal packed with protein, and you can switch out the spinach for kale and add chopped root veggies for some seasonal flare.

Veggie Stuffed Baked Potato

No need to pile a baked potato with cream cheese and butter—check out this recipe that combines carrots, sautéed onions and tangy feta cheese for a winter warmer with a healthy twist. Get creative using broccoli or another seasonal winter veg.

Mexican Quinoa Mix

Vegan, gluten-free and packed with nutrients, this stew from Cookie and Kate by way of No Excuses Detox is also super easy to cook. Thickened with quinoa and beefed up with black beans, it is fresh and full of flavor. Ditch the jalapeños and spices if that’s too much for tiny taste buds—it’ll still taste great.

Classic Tomato Soup

While this recipe has cream in the ingredients, tomato soup has lots of vitamin K and calcium and simmers with nutritional value. Head to our archives for this version of a classic. It's the perfect way to transition from holiday excess to a healthy New Year.