27 Light Dinner Ideas to Try Tonight

 

Deciding what to cook for dinner every night for the rest of your life is a pretty daunting task. Luckily, we’ve rounded up 27 delicious light dinner ideas that will have you excited for the end of the day instead of grabbing yet another take out dinner. The bonus is that they are all healthy options too, so you can really feel good about eating them!

1. Weight Watchers Shrimp Stir Fry

It’s easy to forget just how easy, and how delicious, a stir fry can be. With the right flavors thrown in, it can feel like you’re at a Michelin-star restaurant when you devour this appetizing dish. Pepper, paprika, orange, soy sauce and garlic are the flavors used here.

2. Easy Greek Chicken Salad Bowls

Salad bowls are simple, but look much fancier than they are. They are also super versatile because you can usually sub out anything. This recipe works well if you like to meal prep, as you can chop all the veg and prepare the dressing in a container ahead of time and just combine it all before eating.

3. Baked Bruschetta Chicken

This light dinner idea takes a carb-heavy appetizer and turns it into a protein-packed entree. This flavourful dish is easy to whip up and uses ingredients like mozzarella, basil, and tomato to pull off that Italian feel. A dash of balsamic vinegar really pushes this recipe over the edge. 

4. Artichoke & Asiago Stuffed Chicken

The classic artichoke and asiago dip is made from scratch, stuffed inside a chicken breast, coated in breadcrumbs, and then baked to produce a delicious, filling, and healthy dinner. Pair it with a salad and it makes it even healthier!

5. Spinach, Cucumber, Chicken & Ranch Wraps

You had me a ranch. Of course, to make this dinner healthy then it needs to be a homemade version. This can be just as tasty though and much healthier for the heart. The spinach and chicken amp up the protein content, making this wrap ideal for a light dinner.

6. Pineapple Chicken and Rice Wraps

When I hear wrap, my mind goes to lunch, not dinner. However, these are basically dinner wrapped up. A pineapple chicken dish, similar to a sweet and sour sauce, served with rice and then bundled in a tortilla, makes it easy to chow down if you’re in a rush.

7. Easy Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers always seem very elaborate and time-consuming. Making an entire meal, stuffing it into something, and then baking it? Who has time for that? However, this is merely a simple beef filling with Mexican spices. It’s not enough for a meal its own. And guess what? Stuffing it into a pepper and baking is actually easier, quicker, and healthier than cooking and serving the beef with rice!

8. Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe)

Who doesn’t love a copycat recipe? Not only is it cheaper, but it’s also healthier! When thinking of light dinner ideas, you don’t automatically think of Chipotle, but now you can. These are made from spiced, crumbled tofu and can be added to anything. Think protein bowls, wraps, or rice. The key ingredients here are extra-firm tofu and using chipotles in adobo sauce.

9. Weight Watchers Grilled Shrimp

These shrimp skewers pack a punch flavor without the heavy cream or carbs. The shrimp only need to marinate for about 20 minutes to absorb to delectable flavor combo of lime, apple, cilantro, and chili, among others. They are then cooked on the grill, giving them that yummy charred flavor.

10. Weight Watchers Chicken Tacos

Chicken tacos with a slow-roasted salsa? Sign me up! Crunchy red cabbage and lime are key to this dinner, so don’t sub them out. By making the chicken seasoning yourself from simple pantry items, they are instantly healthier and less salty than the store-bought packets.

11. Ham & Pineapple Sheet Pan Dinner

Add all the ingredients to the sheet pan and cook! Such a simple idea, it should be a weekly occurrence in all households. Buying pre-cooked ham will make this dinner even quicker and more convenient.

12. Three Bean Salad

Beans are a simple and cheap protein. This recipe couples them with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette to transform the basic food into a yummy salad. Try adding grilled chicken on the side to make it a full dinner.

13. Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Amping up the lunch staple to make it work as a dinner, the classic spinach and artichoke dip is smeared inside the sandwich. The dip must be homemade of course to avoid the calories that are loaded into the store-bought versions. A low-calorie bread makes it an even lighter option as well.

14. Sweetcorn Salad

This is the perfect accompaniment to barbequed meat in the summer months. Loaded with vegetables, it is coated in a delicious homemade ranch dressing.

15. Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

Turkey is a much lighter option than beef when it comes to burgers. They pack a punch of protein without the saturated fat. The feta in this recipe adds a different flavor and the tzatziki sauce is a fantastic choice over mayo.

16. Easy Chicken Burrito Bowls

Burrito bowls are so versatile, you can have the regularly but change them up each week. Take a rice base, add a protein and some veg and voila it’s a whole meal. This recipe uses tasty Mexican spices.

17. Sweet & Spicy Baked Chicken

Chicken is usually the main meat a family eats during the week, and this recipe helps mix it up with a delightfully original flavor. It uses sugar-free maple syrup for sweetness and offsets it with garlic and three different types of spice!

18. Buffalo Chicken Wraps

The chicken can be marinated overnight, making it simple to cook the following day. Then you simply add some cheese and lettuce, wrap it up and boom, dinner’s ready.

19. Tuna Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

The invention of canned tuna makes this a simple dinner to throw together. The lemon dill sauce is the perfect accompaniment and the addition of Greek yogurt makes it a lighter option, with added protein.

20. Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma

The chicken in this light dinner is marinated in a delicious combination of cumin, turmeric, and paprika to give it a Middle Eastern flavor. It’s coupled with roasted vegetables and served in a fluffy pita bread.

21. Caesar Baked Chicken

A classic caesar salad, with the chicken baked in the oven for an even healthier way of enjoying this dish. The dressing is homemade, making it more delicious and healthier than from a bottle.

22. Southwest Chicken Tacos

There are so many ways to enjoy tacos, and southwest chicken is one of the best. This simple recipe calls for a slow cook and shredded chicken approach, with all the salsa and veg thrown in with the meat. Then stuffed into a soft taco and topped with cheese before devouring in full.

23. Turkey Salsa Cheese Stuffed Burgers

If you haven’t tried a stuffed burger, now is the time. Don’t wait a moment longer. The melted cheese oozing out of these burgers is on another level, especially when you consider this is a healthy dinner option!

24. Buffalo Chicken Rolls

If you think you’ve had buffalo chicken, think again. This recipe takes the classic sauce and ramps it up, smothering the chicken with a cheese sauce and breadcrumbs before baking. Oh, my!

25. Chicken Philly Style Stuffed Peppers

If you have an abundance of peppers to use up, a stuffed peppers dinner is an ideal way to get rid of them. This recipe takes shredded chicken, veggies, and ranch dressing, stuffs them inside, and bakes with cheese on top. Can you say easy?

26. Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken

Incase you didn’t know you can cook an entire chicken in your crock pot, you can. It’s a thing. The seasoning in the recipe is to die for, adding a sprinkling of cajun spice to the rub is genius. Add roast potatoes on the side for a bigger meal, or a salad for a lighter option.

27. Derby City Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken, grapes, walnuts, apple, yogurt, and a small amount of mayo are all you need to recreate this usually fat-filled deli salad. Subbing Greek yogurt for mayo or sour cream is always a great way to lighten up a meal!