25 Easy Healthy Make Ahead Dinner Recipes

25 Easy Healthy Make Ahead Dinner Recipes for your slow cooker, instant pot, oven, stove, and air fryer!

It’s day THREE of healthy eats.

This week I’m focusing on easy healthy make ahead recipes. So far, we’ve covered breakfast and lunch, and today, we’re talkin’ allll about dinner. 

The hardest question to answer each week is the infamous: WHAT’S FOR DINNER?! I don’t know about you, but I always struggle to answer this. I want something healthy and homemade, but I’m also tired at the end of the day, and often find myself caving and going with something easy like frozen pizza or picking something up from the nearest restaurant.

But having a healthy home cooked meal doesn’t have to be any less delicious than that restaurant take-out. It also doesn’t have to be hard or take a ton of time . . . or dishes.

All of today’s healthy make ahead dinner recipes are:

• Quick and Easy.
• Healthy.
• Meal prep friendly.
• Delicious!

My absolute favorite way to cook an easy healthy dinner is to throw it in my crockpot, but I’ve also included recipes for your instant pot, oven, stove, and even air fryer!

Crockpot

The crockpot is the ultimate tool for easy healthy make ahead dinners: throw the ingredients into your crockpot before work and BAM dinner is ready right when you walk through the door. Pair with a light, crisp salad for a complete meal!

Don’t have time before work? Prep the ingredients the night before and store them in a ziplock baggie in the fridge. If you’re looking for exact meal prep directions on a certain recipe, let me know in the comments below!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a stick-to-your-ribs meal made healthier. Loaded with chuck roast, veggies, and a rich broth, this is the perfect, hearty fall meal!

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Crockpot Orange Chicken

This Crockpot Orange Chicken is better than take out! It tastes better, is so much healthier, and is ridiculously easy to make. Orange chicken for the win!

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Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe

Slow Cooker Carnitas. An easy, flavorful, healthy meal made in the crockpot. Tender pork served in your favorite tortilla and topped with a homemade salsa? Gimme!

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Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry Recipe

This Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry is packed with vegetables, chickpeas, and all your favorite Thai flavors: red curry paste, coconut milk, peanut butter, and more! It's vegan, gluten-free, and ultra-healthy!

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Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry

This Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry is healthy, tasty, & only takes one dish & five minutes to put together! 3 hours of cook time & you've got one yummy meal!

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Instant pot

I like to call the Instant Pot, the slow cooker for people who don’t plan ahead. 😉 It has the ease of a slow cooker, but it’s much much faster. If you DO plan ahead and want to meal prep, all of these recipes can be stored in the fridge and re-heat beautifully!

Healthy Instant Pot Turkey Cheeseburger Soup

Healthy Instant Pot Turkey Cheeseburger Soup. Packed with flavor, but light on calories! Only 250 calories per large 1 1/2 cup serving. Loaded with turkey, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chicken broth, potatoes, cauliflower, and cheese! No cream!

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Instant Pot Lentil Sloppy Joes Recipe

Instant Pot Lentil Sloppy Joes. A health-i-fied vegan, gluten free version of a classic! Quick, easy, meatless weeknight dinner. 

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Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

This Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili is SO quick and easy to make and full of vegetables, beans, and quinoa! Healthy. Gluten free. Vegan. Ready in 30 mins! Less than 300 calories per serving. 

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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

This Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is ultra tender and made with frozen chicken breasts — no thawing necessary! It's quick, easy, perfect for meal prep and makes a great base for SO MANY different recipes!

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Instant Pot Chili

This Instant Pot Chili Recipe is the best chili ever! It's quick, hearty, and loaded with bacon, beef, beer (optional), veggies, beans, and spices!

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Oven

Say goodbye to boring healthy baked chicken breasts and helllooo to these easy, flavorful oven baked dinners. Everything from scallops, to turkey, chicken, and everything in between.

These are great quick, last minute dinner ideas, but if you’re looking for exact make ahead directions on a certain recipe, let me know in the comments below!

Pork Tenderloin

This Pork Tenderloin Recipe is quick, easy, healthy, and so tasty! Loaded with pork, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, onion, and apples, and smothered in balsamic vinegar and spices: garlic, rosemary, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper!

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BBQ Cheddar Turkey Meatloaf Muffin Cups

This BBQ Cheddar Turkey Meatloaf Muffin Cups Recipe is healthy, but also bursting with gooey cheese. At only 177 calories per muffin, this recipe is a complete meal packed with veggies and lean protein!

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Walnut Baked Scallops

Walnut Baked Scallops. Scallops topped with a crumb topping - walnuts, parmesan, and spices - and drizzled with a coconut oil, lemon, and white wine sauce. Easy. Nutritious. Delicious. Ready in under 30 minutes!

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Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas Recipe

These Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas are healthy, gluten free, and full of veggies, tender chicken, and spices! Minimal clean up for an easy weeknight dinner!

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Easy Lemon Honey Baked Salmon

Easy Lemon Honey Baked Salmon. A quick, easy, gluten free, and healthy recipe made with salmon fillets, salt, pepper, garlic powder, honey, lemon juice, butter, and dijon mustard!

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Sweet Potato Tacos Recipe

These Sweet Potato Tacos are gluten free, vegan, healthy, and oh yeah, absolutely DE-LICIOUS! Loaded with sweet potatoes, mushrooms, black beans, and spices - these hearty tacos will surely satisfy!

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Air fryer

An air fryer is a fun way to “deep fry” in a healthier way . . . no oil necessary! I also love reheating leftovers in the air fryer to re-crisp. 🙂

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets

These Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets are juicy on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside! A healthier, easier, and tastier version of a drive-through or frozen classic!

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Homemade Healthy Air Fryer Fish Sticks Recipe

This Homemade Healthy Air Fryer Fish Sticks Recipe only requires 10 ingredients (INCLUDING salt and pepper): cod or tilapia, spices: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, whole wheat flour, eggs, lemon juice, panko breadcrumbs, and old bay seasoning! Oven baked instructions listed as well.

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Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos

A healthier, but just as delicious twist on traditional taquitos, you're going to LOVE this Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos Recipe. Corn OR flour tortillas filled with the easiest crockpot salsa chicken and air fried until golden brown and crispy. Oven baked and deep frying directions included!

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Stovetop

Whether you’re looking for Mexican, Chinese, pasta, or something in between, I’ve got you covered with these quick and easy stovetop dinners.

Taco Cauliflower Rice Skillet Recipe

This Taco Cauliflower Rice Skillet is quick, easy, healthy, low carb, and absolutely delicious! Loaded with ground turkey or chicken, vegetables, and frozen cauliflower rice!

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Healthy Mexican Casserole

This Healthy Mexican Casserole is full of good for you ingredients like ground turkey, quinoa, black beans & bell peppers! Healthy Mexican food? Yes please!

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Blackened Tilapia with Homemade Spice Rub

This blackened tilapia recipe is not for the weak! It's spicy, with bold flavors. For those of you who think healthy eating is boring, think again!

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Turkey Bolognese

This Healthy Turkey Bolognese Recipe aka Turkey Meat Sauce is quick, easy, healthy, and so delicious! Ground turkey (or meat of choice) is cooked with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, spices: basil, Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, and nutmeg - tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth!

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Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe

This Healthy Alfredo Sauce is a lightened up version of a classic (helloooo only 130 calories per serving). Made with greek yogurt, skim milk, and parmesan!

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Ground Turkey Fried Rice

This ground turkey fried rice is a healthier twist on a take out classic! Leftover brown rice is mixed with a few veggies, extra lean ground turkey, spices, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin, chili garlic sauce, and more!

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– Jennifer

Looking for more? Be sure to see all our healthy dinner recipes.