Summer is the easiest time of year to embrace a healthy lifestyle. The long, warm and sunny days make getting active outside easy and also make small, light meals so much more appealing than hearty comfort food. To help keep your meal times delicious and interesting this season, here are 20 healthy summer dinner recipes that are simple to make and guaranteed to go down well with everyone.
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1. Salmon Burgers
Perfect for cooking outside on the grill or inside on the stove. Whichever you prefer! Serve them with crunchy baked zucchini fries for extra yum.
2. Whole Wheat BBQ Cauliflower Pizza
A delicious (and actually do-able!) alternative to a cauliflower pizza crust. Meatless Monday will never be boring ever again.
3. Salmon Fishcakes
Salmon mixed with light and fluffy mashed potato and formed into heart-shaped cakes. Serve with a crunchy salad and you've got a super fancy meal that's super easy to make.
4. Mexican Tilapia Bowls
Eat the rainbow! I love this one because it's so versatile. If you don't like peppers or sweetcorn, just swap them for other veggies.
5. Overflowing Chickpea Sloppy Joes
Vegans - this one's for you! Protein-packed chickpeas replace ground beef in this American classic.
6. Crunchy Baked Tilapia Tacos
A fast food favourite made healthy. Plus, you can stuff all sorts of veggies into the tacos for added flavour, texture and nutrition.
7. Chicken Fajita Pizza
Can't decide between Italian and Mexican? Make this pizza and you don't have to!
8. Caribbean Pork with Pineapple Salsa and Wild Rice
So tasty and tropical! Maybe pass on the beer if you're trying to be really healthy.
9. BBQ Chick Naan Bread Pizza
Single-serving pizzas mean you can't over-eat! And since this recipe uses pre-made naans, this meal comes together in no time at all.
10. BBQ Cheddar Chickpea Burgers
An awesome veggie alternative to beef burgers. And packed with so much flavour!
11. Bacon, Apple and Cheddar Quiche
Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The flavour combo sounds a little unusual, but it's incredible.
12. 30-Minute Skillet Lasagne
No heating the house up by turning on the oven here! Make it even lighter by using zoodles instead of pasta.
13. 30-Minute Pork Fajitas
Mexican food is the most summery of all foods. Just remember not to over-do it on the cheese.
14. Bacon and Mushroom Quiche
Can you ever go wrong with bacon and mushrooms? Skip the pastry base to lower the calorie count and make it even lighter.
15. Grilled Lime Salmon with Avocado-Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Look at all that fabulous fruity salsa! From Cooking Classy.
16. Fresh Tomato Risotto with Grilled Greens
A light and healthy take on traditional risotto. From Lauren Caris Cooks.
17. Cod with Chorizo and Chickpeas
Use all the different colored tomatoes you can find! From Super Golden Bakes.
18. Chicken Penne Casserole with Corn and Zucchini
Pasta can be light and healthy, too! From The Seasoned Mom.
19. Mediterranean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Doesn't the avocado tahini sauce just sound incredible? From A Saucy Kitchen.
20. Cajun Chicken with Coriander and Lime Rice
Fire up the grill! From Kitchen Sanctuary.
Daniela Anderson
I love the colourful selection of healthy recipes. I do love summer too, and the easy to prepare dishes. Summer is not only about salads, and am glad to see such a variety of yummy recipes.
Nicola
Thanks so much, Daniela! And you're so right. There's a lot more to summer cooking than just salads!
Kim @ Three Olives Branch
So many great options! That tomato risotto with greens looks so amazing!
Nicola
Doesn't it just! 🙂
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy
I'm sorry - I come from India, so I've had everyone's share of summers. I'm totally, and irrevocably a Fall girl now. But I wouldn't say no to any of these recipes. In fact, the Whole Wheat BBQ cauliflower pizza just went to the top of my list now!
Nicola
Thanks so much, Tina! And after a lifetime of Indian summers, I can totally get why you'd prefer fall!!
Amy
This is a great round up! I think that I'm most intrigued by your Mexican Tilapia bowls. I'm always looking for more ways to convince my kids that fish is good and they do in fact like it! (They do, they just need some prodding.) I think they'd love those, my kids are veggie crazy.
Nicola
I bet your kids would LOVE those bowls!!
Kavey Favelle
What a great selection of recipes, I sometimes find healthy eating collections can be a bit samey but you've chosen dishes that are really varied, so there's no chance of getting bored while eating well!
Nicola
Thanks, Kavey! I think healthy eating should be as fun and as varied as possible!