There are nights when you're in the mood to grab a cookbook from the shelf or pull up a recipe on your iPad and whip out a masterpiece of a meal. And there are nights when you're just…not.
When that happens, don't consign yourself to a sad bowl of cereal or a sandwich (in fact, those choices are on this list of the 6 worst dinners you can eat). There are plenty of delicious dinners that don't call for carefully measuring ingredients or following detailed instructions. These 9 easy ideas are proof.
(Consistently short on time? can help you reach your weight-loss goals in just 10 minutes a day!)
Veggie loaded baked potato
Split a baked potato in half. Top with leftover roast veggies, sliced olives, and shredded cheddar cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, and top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. (No potato on hand? Try one of these amazing stuffed avocados instead.)
Caprese chicken quesadilla
On one half of a whole-wheat tortilla, layer part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced tomato, shredded chicken breast, thinly sliced basil, and more part-skim mozzarella. Fold the tortilla over and cook in a skillet with olive oil or nonstick spray until the tortilla is golden and the cheese is melted.
PREVENTION PREMIUM: Yet One More Reason To Follow The Mediterranean Diet
Drizzle a slice of whole-grain baguette with olive oil and toast until golden. Rub the toast with a clove of sliced garlic. Place toast on top of a bowl of minestrone soup, and drizzle the soup with store-bought or homemade basil pesto. (If you're in the mood to make your own soup, go for one of these 6 hearty bean soups that will keep you full for hours.)
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Easy salmon foil packets
Layer thinly sliced veggies (like zucchini, carrots, or potatoes) in the center of a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place a salmon filet on top of the vegetables, and season with olive oil, salt and pepper, plus a few lemon slices. Roll up the foil to form a packet and bake at 400° until salmon is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
MORE: 6 Time-Saving Foil-Pack Dinners You Can Make Tonight
Lentil, beet, and farro salad
Toss cooked lentils with steamed or roasted sliced beets, cooked farro, crumbled goat cheese, and chopped walnuts, then toss with olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Serve over a bed of baby spinach or arugula. (Bonus: Lentils are one of these 8 foods that have more iron than beef!)
MORE:6 Delicious Salad Dressings With 4 Ingredients Or Less
Mushroom ragout over polenta
Sauté sliced mushrooms, garlic, and diced onion in olive oil, and simmer in marinara sauce until warmed through. Serve over polenta and top with grated Parmesan cheese. (Mushrooms and these other 4 foods help fight seasonal affective disorder.)
Scramble eggs with canned black beans (drained and rinsed) and chopped scallions. Stuff eggs into warm corn tortillas, and top with sliced avocado and your favorite salsa. (Or try one of these 7 high-protein breakfast taco recipes.)
Garlicky shrimp and beans with quinoa
Sauté peeled, deveined shrimp with garlic, shallots, and olive oil until opaque. Add canned white beans (drained and rinsed) and cook until beans are warmed through. Serve shrimp and beans over quinoa or another whole grain. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a squirt of fresh lemon juice, and chopped fresh parsley.
MORE: 7 Genius Ways To Use Up Leftover Quinoa
Quick chicken and veggie stir-fry
Sauté thinly sliced red bell pepper, thinly sliced carrots, baby spinach, and grated ginger and garlic in canola oil until crisp-tender. Add leftover shredded rotisserie chicken breast and cook until warmed through. Drizzle with low-sodium soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Serve over brown rice and top with chopped cashews. (And make sure you also try these 11 easy dinners you can make with rotisserie chicken.)
Marygrace Taylor
Marygrace Taylor is a health and wellness writer for Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, Redbook, and others. She’s also the co-author of Prevention’s Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet and Prevention’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Visit her at marygracetaylor.com.
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Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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