9 Healthy Dinner Ideas for Weight Loss

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Although skipping meals may seem like a good weight loss strategy, it can actually make losing weight much harder. Not eating a meal does reduce the total calorie intake, which jumpstarts weight loss. However, your body can go into starvation mode and store fat around the belly.

A healthy, balanced diet is key for weight loss. These healthy dinner ideas for weight loss will inspire you to enjoy home-cooked meals and lose weight without starving.

Healthy Dinner Ideas for Weight Loss

Many people want to enjoy healthy dinners but don’t have the inspiration or don’t know how to prepare them. These quick, easy-to-follow recipes will set you up for success and allow you to enjoy the numerous benefits of a healthy diet, including weight loss.

Vegan Enchiladas

Who says healthy food isn’t delicious? These vegan enchiladas are tasty, healthy, and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 4-5 tomatoes
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 1-2 chile anchos (poblano chile peppers)
  • 3-4 garlic cloves (with peel)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Filling

  • 3 cups diced sweet potatoes
  • 2 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 cup cooked lentils
  • 1/2 chopped white onion
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Toppings

  • Cilantro
  • Avocado
  • Sunflower seeds
  • 12 corn tortillas

Directions

  1. Boil the water and soak the chile anchos in it. Grab a nonstick pan and roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves.
  2. Once the chile anchos are soft, place them in a blender and add the roasted vegetables and salt. Blend until smooth to make a sauce, and then set it aside.
  3. Now it’s time to make the filling. Take a pan, heat the oil, and add garlic cloves, onion, and sweet potato. Let that roast for around 10 minutes (until the sweet potato is al dente). Add the lentils and salt and taste the filling. To enhance the taste, add spices like basil, black pepper, coriander, etc.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Split the sauce in two and pour one half into a baking pan. While waiting for the oven to heat up, grab a pan and heat the tortillas a bit to make them soft enough so they don’t crack while rolling. After heating the tortillas, place a scoop of the filling in each.
  5. Roll the tortillas and place them into the baking pan. Ensure the seam side is down so they don’t open up.
  6. Grab the remaining half of the sauce and top the tortillas. Place the pan in the oven and bake for around 20-25 minutes.
  7. Grab the toppings and spread them across the tortillas.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This soup is one of the easiest healthy dinner ideas for weight loss and is perfect for colder nights. Best of all, you can prepare it in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 4-5 cups chopped broccoli
  • 3 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Grab a deep pot, add the butter, and place the pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic. Stir fry for a few minutes.
  2. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and broccoli to the pot and bring it to a boil. Add paprika, pepper, and salt, reduce to low heat, and let the soup simmer for around 20 minutes. You’ll know the soup is ready when the broccoli becomes tender.
  3. Add the cheddar cheese slowly and stir until combined. Remove from the heat.

*When serving, you can add more shredded cheese on top. Chopped parsley is also an excellent addition.

Loaded Cauliflower

Many people don’t like how cauliflower tastes, so they don’t eat it. However, this healthy vegetable can be delicious if it’s prepared right.

Ingredients

  • 1 1.25-pound cauliflower head chopped into florets.
  • 6 chopped scallions, divided into the white and green parts
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Parchment paper baking sheet or a silicone baking mat

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grab a baking pan, place a baking sheet or mat in it, and add the olive oil. Take the chopped cauliflower, place it in the pan, and roast it for around 20-25 minutes. Don’t worry if some parts become brownish; that’s perfectly normal.
  2. While the cauliflower’s in the oven, grab a skillet, place it on medium heat, and add the butter, garlic cloves, and the white part of the scallions. Sauté for a few minutes until they’re translucent.
  3. Add the heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the cheese is melted. Add the grated cheddar cheese (leave around half a cup to top the cauliflower), and the cheese sauce is now finished.
  4. Put the cheese sauce and roasted cauliflower into a baking pan and mix them. Add the remaining cheddar cheese and roast for approximately 25 minutes.
  5. Top the cauliflower with the green parts of the scallions.

*Optionally, you can add crumbled bacon and sour cream in the last step.

Mediterranean Turkey Skillet

If you want a quick, nutritional, and light dinner, you’ll love this dish.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 20 ounces ground turkey
  • 2 zucchinis cut into small slices (around 1/2 inch thick)
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 chopped banana peppers
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 15 ounces rinsed and drained black beans
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Grab a skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat, and add the turkey, zucchinis, onion, banana peppers, and garlic cloves. Mix the ingredients, add oregano, and cook for around 12-13 minutes until the turkey meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are soft.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix them in. Let the ingredients heat up for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, and remove the skillet from heat.

*Optionally, serve this with black sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or crushed walnuts.

Healthy Dinner Ideas for Weight Loss

Italian White Bean Soup

This soup is filling, delicious, and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium potato, cubed
  • 2 chopped carrots
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 chopped celery ribs
  • 1 chopped zucchini
  • 1 chopped jalapeno pepper
  • 1 15-ounce can of rinsed and drained navy beans
  • 2 1/2 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
  • 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

Directions

  1. Grab a deep pot and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potato and carrots and cook for around 4 minutes.
  2. Add the onion, celery ribs, zucchini, and jalapeno pepper, and cook for around 3 minutes while stirring.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. The vegetables should be tender.

Chicken, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Stew

This stew is delicious, low in fat and calories, and full of fiber, so it will keep you satiated for a long time.

Ingredients

  • 3 sweet potatoes cut into small pieces
  • 1 7-ounce bag of spinach
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
  • 17 ounces chicken stock

Spice Paste

  • 2 chopped onions
  • 1 chopped chili pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • A pinch grated ginger
  • 1 14-ounce can of tomatoes
  • 2 chopped lemons

Toppings

  • Toasted pumpkin seeds
  • Lemon wedges
  • Naan bread (optional)

Directions

  1. Grab a large saucepan, place it over high heat, add water, and bring it to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook them for around 10 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, put the spice paste ingredients into a blender and mix them.
  2. Take a large colander and put the spinach in it. Pour the sweet potatoes (with the water) over the spinach. That way, you’ll drain the potatoes and wilt the spinach.
  3. Place the saucepan back on the heat (without washing) and add the olive oil and the spice paste. Fry until the paste becomes thick, approximately 5 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken to the paste and fry until the meat is no longer pink, around 10 minutes.
  5. Pour in the chicken stock, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for roughly 10 minutes.
  6. Double-check whether the chicken is done by cutting into it and ensuring the meat is white. Add the black pepper and the sweet potatoes to the stew.
  7. Chop the spinach and add it to the stew.
  8. Top the stew with pumpkin seeds and lemon wedges and serve it with naan bread.

Chicken Taco Soup

It’s hard to describe how delicious this soup is. Besides being tasty, the soup is very easy to make in only a few steps. Don’t fear the long ingredients list; it’s mostly spices that give the dish a unique taste.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tablespoon coconut or avocado oil
  • 1 diced yellow onion
  • 1 diced red bell pepper
  • 1 diced green bell pepper
  • 5 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 pound of chicken breast (boneless and skinless)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 4.5-ounce cans chopped green chiles
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 32 ounces chicken broth

Toppings

  • Cilantro
  • Diced red onion
  • Lime wedges

Directions

  1. Grab a large pot and place it over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the coconut (or avocado) oil, and then add the peppers, onion, and garlic cloves. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
  2. Add the chicken breast, spices, tomatoes, green chiles, lime juice, and chicken broth to the pot and mix the ingredients. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for around 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
  3. Remove the chicken breast from the pot and place it on a large plate. Shred the meat using two forks and add it back into the soup.
  4. Serve the soup with cilantro, diced red onions, and lime wedges.

Cod Fillets With Shiitake, Black Garlic, and Sesame

Shiitake mushrooms promote weight loss, improve heart health, and reduce inflammation, making them a perfect ingredient for a healthy dinner. This quick recipe requires only a few ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 2 frozen cod fillets
  • 1 minced black garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
  • 1 cup dry shiitake mushrooms

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms by placing them in a bowl with warm water for around 20 minutes.
  3. Rinse the frozen fillets, pat them dry with a paper towel, and place them in a nonstick, oven-safe pan.
  4. Mix the black garlic clove, olive oil, and sesame seeds, and spread the mixture on the frozen fish fillets.
  5. Sprinkle the shiitake mushrooms over the fish and place the pan in the oven for around 15-20 minutes. If the fillets are thick, flip them after 10 minutes of cooking.

*Serve the fillets with rice, potatoes, or your favorite salad.

Falafel

Falafel is a signature Middle-Eastern dish typically made of ground chickpeas. Since chickpeas have a high fiber and protein content, they are an excellent choice for anyone who wants to lose weight. Falafel can be served with pita bread, salad, rice, potatoes, tomato sauce, etc.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chickpeas (soak them in water overnight and rinse in the morning)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 3 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Add the chickpeas, parsley, onion, garlic cloves, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper to a blender and mix until you get a smooth texture.
  3. Create small falafel balls using your hands. You should be able to get around 10-13 balls with this mixture.
  4. Grab a pan, put the oil in it, and fry the falafel balls. Two minutes on each side should be enough.
  5. Take a baking pan and put a baking sheet in it. Place the falafel balls on the sheet, drizzle them with the oil from the pan, and bake for around 15-20 minutes.

Dinner Is Important

Besides promoting weight loss, a healthy dinner influences our overall health. It improves our sleep, stabilizes blood sugar, lowers anxiety and stress, and regulates digestion. Hopefully, these healthy dinner ideas for weight loss will help you improve your eating patterns and reap the benefits of a well-balanced diet.

Read also: Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Weight Loss

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