15-Minute Healthy Meals for Lunch and Dinner

One of the top concerns when I mention healthier eating is: TIME. We all don’t have that much of it when we parse out our day, and we’d rather not spend it in the kitchen or doing dishes (unless that’s your passion and then in that case, go for it)! Here are 5 lunch and 5 dinner meal ideas that shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to whip up if you have all of the ingredients on-hand from your weekly grocery haul.

Here are 5 quick and healthy 15-minute lunch ideas:

1. Turkey & Veggie Wraps

• Ingredients: Whole-grain tortilla or Siete brand Gluten-Free tortillas, lean organic turkey slices, hummus, spinach, shredded carrots, and avocado slices.

• Instructions: Spread hummus on the tortilla, layer turkey and veggies, roll up, and slice into halves. Pair with a handful of baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, or any other side you’ve been loving lately.

2. Quinoa Veggie Bowl

• Ingredients: Pre-cooked quinoa, canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed), diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and olive oil with lemon juice. You could also add a protein like grilled chicken on top to pack it with more protein!

• Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like parsley or basil.

3. Shrimp Stir-Fry

• Ingredients: Pre-cooked shrimp, frozen stir-fry vegetables, coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce), rice or cauliflower rice, and avocado oil.

• Instructions: Heat avocado oil in a skillet, toss in veggies, cook until tender, then add shrimp and coconut aminos. Serve over pre-cooked rice or cauliflower rice.

4. Avocado Chicken Salad

• Ingredients: Shredded rotisserie chicken with the skin taken off (optional), mashed avocado, lime juice, diced red onion, plain greek yogurt, avocado mayo, and cilantro.

• Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and serve on whole-grain toast, lettuce wraps, GF bread of choice, or rice cakes.

5. Caprese Pasta Salad

• Ingredients: Cooked chickpea or lentil pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze. Option to add some prepped grilled/baked chicken or ground beef.

• Instructions: Toss pasta with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Top with your meat/protein of choice, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze, then season with salt and pepper.

And here are 5 quick and healthy 15-minute dinner ideas:

1. Garlic Butter Salmon with Rice and Steamed Veggies

• Ingredients: Salmon fillets, garlic, organic butter or ghee, lemon, broccoli (can be steam in a bag), jasmin rice, and green beans.

• Instructions: Sauté salmon in garlic butter until cooked through. Steam broccoli and green beans on the side. Cook or heat up pre-cooked rice. Serve with a lemon wedge for flavor.

2. Beef and Veggie Stir-Fry with Potatoes

• Ingredients: Lean ground beef, frozen stir-fry veggies, coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce), mini colorful potatoes, and avocado oil.

• Instructions: Brown the beef in a skillet in avocado oil, then add veggies and coconut aminos. Cook until veggies are tender. Boil or bake your potatoes however you like best.

3. Mediterranean Chicken Pitas

• Ingredients: Rotisserie chicken with the skin off (optional), whole-grain pita of choice or Lavash bread, tzatziki, chopped cucumber, tomato, hummus, bell peppers, and spinach.

• Instructions: Stuff pita or layer Lavash with chicken, tzatziki, and veggies. Serve with a side of hummus and sliced bell peppers. Tip: you can make homemade tzatziki with plain greek yogurt and a few other simple ingredients!

4. Shrimp Tacos

• Ingredients: Pre-cooked shrimp, corn or almond tortillas (Siete brand is my favorite), avocado, shredded cabbage, salsa, cotija cheese, and lime.

• Instructions: Sauté shrimp with a sprinkle of chili powder and garlic. Assemble in tortillas or taco shells with cabbage, salsa, cheese, and avocado. Squeeze lime on top.

5. Zucchini Noodles with Turkey Marinara

• Ingredients: Zucchini noodles, ground turkey, marinara sauce (Rao’s is a good brand), and parmesan.

• Instructions: Brown turkey in a skillet, add marinara sauce, and simmer. Heat zucchini noodles separately, then top with the turkey marinara and parmesan.

If you have a favorite 15-minute meal, drop it in the comments for other people to try out!