The new year is HERE and I’m ready to pack in all of the nourishing, veggie-packed recipes to kick off 2021. To start the new year I rounded up 32 (plus a few bonus) healthy dinner recipes that are perfect for meal prep anytime, anywhere.
I included some go-to stir-frys, sheet pan meals, and slow cooker soups and stews to keep your weeknight dinners fun and delicious. You’ll also find plenty of vegetarian options and lightened up comfort foods that you’re going to love.
Pro tips for meal prepping dinners
- If you’re a visual person like me, make a calendar and write out what dinners you’ll be making for that week! That way you can easily create grocery lists and even write a little menu
- Shop in the bulk section of the grocery store for things like beans, grains & dried fruit
- Stock up on meal prep containers and reusable bags for easily storing leftovers & ingredients
- Use your freezer! Freezing recipes and leftovers is a great way to stock up on meals if you have a busy few weeks coming up
Scroll through and pick some of your favorites! Feed the whole family with a few of them, or treat yourself to a couple of nourishing dinners this week.
Looking for more meal prep ideas?
Look no further! We launched a FREE 7-day Simple & Nourishing Meal Plan (made for two people!) that’s gluten free, dairy free friendly and veg-friendly. This plan is all about focusing on foods that nourish your body while keeping you satisfied and feeling GOOD. Bonus? They’ll make you excited to get creative in the kitchen! You’ll find:
- flavorful, easy recipes for you (and a loved one or roommate) to enjoy — desserts included!
- a grocery list with everything you’ll need to make each recipe
- a meal plan calendar to guide you through the meals each day of the week
Click here to sign up and download the FREE meal plan!
V: indicates vegan
Veg: indicates vegetarian
GF: indicates gluten free
Vegetarian Favorites
Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice and Beans V, GF
Actually, the Best Vegetarian Chili Ever V, GF
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas with Avocado Lime Crema Veg., GF (use gf tortillas)
Vegan & Gluten Free Curry Chickpea Pot Pie with Sweet Potato ‘Crust’ V, GF
Butternut Squash, Chickpea & Lentil Moroccan Stew V, GF
Kung Pao Chickpea & Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry V, GF
One Pan Dinners
Firecracker Chicken Meatballs with Cilantro Coconut Pineapple Rice GF
One Pan Ginger Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce GF
One Pot Moroccan Chicken Stew with Sweet Potato & Couscous
Sheet Pan Zucchini Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Curry Sauce GF
One Pan Tandoori Chicken with Spiced Coconut Rice GF
One Pan Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Pineapple-Coconut Rice GF
Healthy Orange Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Cauliflower Rice GF
One Pan Thai Coconut Yellow Curry Chicken & Rice GF
Sheet Pan Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower GF
Sheet Pan Kickin’ Curry Honey Mustard Chicken & Veggies GF
30-Minute Sesame Chicken Green Bean Stir Fry GF
Goat Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with Caramelized Onions + Mushrooms GF
Cheddar-Stuffed Sweet Potato BBQ Turkey Meatloaf GF
Slow Cooker Dinners
Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala GF
Slow Cooker Yellow Chicken Curry GF
Vegan Slow Cooker Tofu Tikka Masala V, GF
Cozy Pasta & Hearty Quinoa
*feel free to use gluten free pasta in these recipes
Spinach Garlic Parmesan Orzo with Crispy Bacon GF
Incredible Caramelized Onion Spinach Chicken Pasta Bake GF
Spinach Bacon Pumpkin Mac and Cheese GF
BBQ Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowls GF
Tacos, Burritos & Enchiladas
Freezer-Friendly Green Chile Chicken Burritos GF (use gf tortillas)
Healthy Enchilada Chicken & Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers GF
Damn Good Salmon Taco Bowls For Two GF
Spicy Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce GF (use gf tortillas)
Cheesy Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Meatloaf Muffins GF
Hearty Soups, Stews & Chilis
Healthy White Chicken Chili GF
Vegan Coconut Tomato Lentil Soup V, GF
The Best Chicken Soup You’ll Ever Eat
Vegetarian Tofu Cashew Coconut Curry V, GF
The Best Minestrone Soup V, GF (use gf pasta)
Vegan Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup V, GF
Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup (whole 30, dairy free) GF
Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup (using canned tomatoes) V, GF
If you make any of these recipes, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how you liked it! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen.Â
So good to have it all at one place ! Thank you so much !
You bet! 🙂
wow all the dishes look so so good. I would love to try them all. thanks for the sharing.
I hope you get a chance to try them!
I am going to try Paleo Turmeric Chicken Meatballs with Green Tahini Sauce. I hope i can make it perfectly.
Great choice! Hope you love them 🙂
These recipes are really healthy and awesome. I gonna try few of them.
Absolutely! I hope you find some new ones you love.
Thank you for this great post! I feel set free from the overwhleming, regimented meal planning I tend to get stuck in. What I took away was it’s ok to do what I do ~ The Do Me/Do You mantra ~. While I don’t tend to keep multiple meats available in the fridge, I find keeping one meat/fish thawed helps the rest of the meal come together. My husband is super duper finicky on what veggies he’ll eat, but we keep trying others and slowly adding new items to our choices.
Meal planning can definitely be overwhelming, but once you find a few go-to recipes it can actually be fun! Hope you both find some new recipes that you love.
I’ve wanted to try #4 as my meal prep dinner and as soon as I was done making it had a taste.. I loved it and I had my family try a taste and before you know it, it was all gone! It was so delicious that we ate it all and there was no meal prep dinner for me! Lol
Glad you all loved it! Sounds like you’ll have to double it for meal prep next time 😉
Thanks for your good website and information !
the peanut chicken recipe is really beneficial and tasty too. I have tried it so many times. and keeping the shilajit benefits in mind these recipes can be really grateful for your body and your mind. as it boosts up the energy in your body and keeps your body healthy and strong.
So what is the dish in the header picture. It looks great.
So what recipe is the very first picture for? It look delicious
It’s this one! 🙂
Hi, my name is Dorothea ,but people call me Dori. I have Hashimoto hypothyroid disease and I look for recipes that help me make good choices. /since following you on Instagram I have started cooking your recipes in the this new year. I have never been able to loose weight. I have since lost 12 pounds which is a miracle for someone with thyroid disorder. So keep doing what you do cause I love following you and my adult children love seeing me cook your recipes and passing it on to them. they are so delicious and easy they love them too. Sincerely, Your biggest fan here in Chicago too, Dori
Hi Dori! I’m so happy to hear that and hope you keep finding recipes here that you love 🙂