5 Healthy and family-friendly dinner recipes perfect for your busy week

Brenda Braslow, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)

Looking for healthy, family-friendly dinner recipes? These recipes will fit your weight-loss needs and satisfy the family, all taking 30 minutes or less from kitchen to table.

Reduce your weight and time spent cooking with family-friendly and healthy dinner recipes

Simplify your dinner menus with recipes that fit the whole family’s needs, including your weight-loss efforts. You'll free up more time for fun and family bonding with our recipes, which are much healthier and less expensive than restaurant versions.

You can adjust portions or add more side dishes to boost the calories for those who need higher-calorie counts. For example, keep sides like frozen or pre-cooked rice, potatoes, rolls, applesauce, canned beans, or fruit salad on hand for additional healthy calories. This way, you can cook just one meal for everyone while keeping your calories in line with your weight-loss needs.

Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice

Skip the takeout and make this healthy family-friendly dinner recipe that takes only 20 minutes to prep and cook–so easy! A healthier take on restaurant fried rice, it keeps the flavor and spirit with fewer calories but more fiber and protein.

Seasoned Turkey Tacos

A sure winner for the family, these turkey tacos take only 20 minutes from start to finish–probably faster than deciding on and picking up takeout. In addition, it is high in protein and much lower in fat and sodium than restaurant tacos. Add quick sides like pinto beans, steamed vegetables, and fruit to have a satisfying home cooked meal.

Shirataki Noodle Pad Thai and Shrimp

Who doesn’t like noodles? Low-calorie, low-carb shirataki noodles, plus a generous amount of shrimp and egg, make this noodle dish a fulfilling, flavor-packed meal. If the rest of the family needs additional carb at the meal, add fruit and/or milk to their meal. Bonus: Only 15 minutes to prep and cook!

Tasty Turkey Burgers

These flavorful, lean burgers are an excellent choice for a family meal. You can modify the bun based on family members' calorie and carb needs. You may want a sandwich thin or lettuce wrap to keep the carbs and calories low, while the kids may want a regular bun. Pair with a salad or roasted veggies, and you have an easy and tasty meal.

Divine Chicken and Veggie Tostadas

Transform leftover chicken breast into a kid-friendly tostada. Get the kids involved in prepping this easy yet tasty recipe that checks the healthy and the family-friendly boxes. Skinned rotisserie chicken breast tastes great in this recipe and saves time if you don’t have leftover cooked chicken.

Use these recipes to inspire more healthy and family-friendly dinners without playing short-order cook to your eating plan. You can also browse the MyNetDiary Premium recipe collection for more ideas!