Lunch is the biggest meal of the day for most people. That's why it's worth taking care of its quality. Here you will learn about my suggestions for wholesome, simple and quick lunches. You won't be without some nutritional tips either.

10 ideas for a healthy, tasty and simple dinner

Why is lunch so important?

I love to cook, but I know that sometimes everyone runs out of ideas for dinner. Cooking the same recipes over and over again quickly gets boring and you need to diversify your menu a bit.

For many people, dinner is the main meal. It accounts for up to 50% of the calories consumed during the day. Of course, this proportion depends on the number of meals you eat in a given day. Nevertheless, the common attitude is that lunch is the meal when you should finally eat properly. 

It is most often served hot, although full meals served cold are also great. Therefore, you should pay special attention to its quality. It's very important that dinner provides all the nutrients your body needs. So what should be on your plate?

• Protein products, for example, in the form of meat, fish, legumes, nuts, eggs or dairy products.
• Complex carbohydrates from whole grain cereal products, such as groats (buckwheat, pearl barley, oatmeal), brown rice, black rice, red rice, basmati rice, whole grain pasta, and potatoes or yams.
• Fats (unsaturated) - for example, in the form of vegetable oils (canola, flaxseed, oil) or nuts, seeds, seeds, or avocados.
• Vegetables or fruits, in the form of soups, salads or other side dishes.

Pasta dinner recipes

Pasta is a product that should not be missing from your kitchen and diet. Thanks to its nutritional value and ease of use, it allows you to prepare a wholesome meal in no time. Pasta is a great source of carbohydrates and protein. Besides, you will also find valuable dietary fiber in them. They are available on the market in so many forms that you are sure to find one for you.  

Whether you like spaghetti, penne or tagliatelle, you'll find inspiration for delicious dishes with a variety of toppings in our list. These recipes are not only delicious, but also easy to prepare, allowing you to save time and enjoy the taste of a delicious dinner at home.

Creamy pasta with smoked salmon

Recipe for a serving containing 781 kcal, 37.8 g of protein, 55 g of carbohydrates and 45.5 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 100 g of tagliatelle pasta
• 100 g smoked salmon
• 100 g fresh spinach
• 3 tbsp. mascarpone cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta al dente in lightly salted water.
2. Chop the spinach leaves and salmon on a board.
3. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and fry the salmon with the spinach and garlic.
4. Drain the pasta, but leave 1/4 cup of pasta water.
5. Mix it with mascarpone cheese.
6. Add the pasta and cheese to the pan and mix everything.
7. Season to taste and serve topped with lemon juice.

Spaghetti bolognese with shrimp

Recipe for a serving containing 702 kcal, 47.5 g of protein, 73.5 g of carbohydrates and 24 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 150 g shrimp
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tomatoes
• 100 g spaghetti noodles
• oregano, parsley
  salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel the shrimp from their shells and tails.
2. In a frying pan, heat olive oil and fry chopped onion, garlic and bell bell pepper.
3. Add shrimp and diced tomatoes and pour water over them.
4. Cook over medium heat until the water evaporates.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
6. Drain the pasta, put it on a plate and pour the finished sauce over it.
7. You can sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Noodles in coconut sauce

Recipe for a serving containing 736 kcal, 15.6 g of protein, 89.8 g of carbohydrates and 33.7 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion,
• 150 g of mushrooms,
• 1 carrot,
• 100 g cherry tomatoes,
• 2 tablespoons of chopped chives,
• 100 ml coconut milk 17% fat,
• 100 g of rice noodles,
• 1 tbsp. olive oil,
• turmeric, hot paprika,
  salt, pepper.

Preparation:

1. Dice the onions and cut the mushrooms into slices.
2. In a frying pan, heat the oil, fry the onion, add the mushrooms and fry until the water evaporates from them.
3. Add sliced carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
5. Meanwhile, slice cherry tomatoes, chop chives and cook pasta.
6. Add the tomatoes, chives, spices and mix.
7. Heat for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and serve with pasta.

Pasta with spinach pesto, tofu and cherry tomatoes

Recipe for a serving containing 836 kcal, 39.6 g protein, 71.6 g carbohydrates and 41.5 g fat.

• 200 g of spinach,
• 150 g cherry tomatoes,
• 100 g smoked tofu,
• 80 g of whole-grain spaghetti noodles,
• 20 g cashew nuts,
• 20 g of yeast flakes,
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
• salt, pepper.

Preparation:

1. Blend the spinach, nuts, yeast flakes, a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper with a hand blender or in a food processor to a smooth pesto.
2. Cook the pasta in lightly salted water.
3. Crumble the tofu with a fork or dice it, cut the tomatoes in half.
4. In a frying pan, heat olive oil and fry tofu until brown.
5. Drain the noodles and add them back to the pot.
6. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and heat for a while, stirring all the time.

Recipes with rice and groats

Rice and groats are other dry products that should never be missing from your kitchen. Like pasta, they are available in a wide variety of forms and allow you to quickly prepare delicious and healthy dinners. However, depending on the type of groats and rice, there can be significant differences in nutrients.

White rice is the least valuable representative in its group. It is a great source of complex carbohydrates, but is poor in other nutrients. Therefore, manufacturers often enrich it with iron, folic acid and B vitamins. Basmati, brown, red, or wild rice, on the other hand, is a natural source of these ingredients, and is also rich in plant protein and fiber. 

Groats also provide a great source of complex carbohydrates, plant protein, fiber, as well as B vitamins and minerals.

Fried rice with chicken and broccoli

Recipe for a serving containing 738 kcal, 45.3 g of protein, 83 g of carbohydrates and 25 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 150 g chicken breast fillet
• 100 g basmati rice
• 1/3 of broccoli (150 g)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• herb seasoning,
  salt, pepper

Preparation:

1. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and fry the chopped onion and garlic.
2. Rinse the rice in cold water and add it to the heated pan.
3. Season and stir.
4. Add broccoli florets and pour in water.
5. Simmer covered, over medium heat, until the rice and broccoli soften and the water evaporates. Add water if necessary.
6. Dice the chicken breast fillet, season and fry in a separate pan.
   When the rice is almost ready, add the chicken and heat for another minute.

Chicken in chili-mango sauce with rice

Recipe for a serving containing 667 kcal, 50.7 g of protein, 93.4 g of carbohydrates and 10.1 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 1 mango,
• 200 g chicken breast fillet,
• 50 g jasmine rice,
• 1/2 lime,
• 1 chili pepper,
• 4 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (12 g),
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce,
• 4 leaves of fresh cilantro,
• 1 tsp sesame oil,
• 1 clove of garlic,
• salt, pepper.

Preparation:

1. In a cup, mix the ingredients for the marinade: soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.
2. Cut the chicken into strips, coat with the marinade and set aside for at least half an hour.
3. Peel the mango, dice some and set aside, and blanch the rest with apple cider vinegar and garlic.
4. Cook the rice in lightly salted water.
5. Grill or bake the meat and serve with rice, sauce and sliced mango.

Beef stew with buckwheat groats

Recipe for a serving containing 713 kcal, 45.4 g of protein, 71.2 g of carbohydrates and 25.3 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 80 g buckwheat groats,
• 160 g of beef rump,
• 1 onion,
• 1 tbsp. olive oil,
• 1/2 tsp. potato starch,
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube,
• 1 garlic clove,
• 1 carrot,
• 1 pickled cucumber.

Preparation:

1. Cut the beef into cubes.
2. Fry the onion and pressed garlic.
3. Add the meat and sauté for a few minutes.
4. In the meantime, prepare broth from the cube.
5. Cut carrots into slices and cucumber into small cubes.
6. Pour a little bouillon over the meat, add carrots, cucumber seasoning and simmer until tender. Add bouillon if necessary.
7. In the remaining bouillon, cook porridge.
8. Thicken the sauce with starch.

Crepes

Pancakes are also a great idea for dinner. Depending on the ingredients you use to prepare the batter, you can affect their nutritional value. Pancakes made from the most popular wheat flour will not be outstandingly healthy or valuable. 

For example, buckwheat flour, oat flour or other healthy substitutes will work better. You can also enrich your batter with, for example, spinach, which will give your pancakes a unique green color and an interesting flavor.

Spinach pancakes with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes

Recipe for a serving containing 792 kcal, 27.9 g of protein, 65.6 g of carbohydrates and 44.8 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg,
• 75 g oatmeal,
• 100 g of almond drink,
• 50 g of spinach,
• 15 g olive oil,
• 120 g of Greek yogurt,
• 3 sun-dried tomatoes,
• 10 g of flaked almonds,
• pinch of salt and pepper.

Preparation:

1. Cook oatmeal in almond drink until slightly softened.
2. Transfer to the blender cup and add the spinach, eggs, oil and a pinch of salt.
3. Blend to a smooth paste. If the mixture is too thick, add some almond soda or water.
4. Pour the finished batter into a heated frying pan and fry until the edges are browned.
5. Flip and fry for a while more on the other side.
6. Mix yogurt with salt and pepper.
7. Spread the finished pancakes with cheese, add sliced sun-dried tomatoes and sprinkle with flaked almonds.

Buckwheat pancakes with salmon and chickpeas

Recipe for a serving containing 757 kcal, 38.3 g of protein, 88.5 g of carbohydrates and 24 g of fats.

Ingredients:

• 100 g buckwheat flour
• 1 egg,
• 70 g of milk 1.5% fat,
• 1 tbsp olive oil (10 g),
• 125 g of spinach,
• ½ onion,
• 60 g of cooked chickpeas,
• 30 g smoked salmon,
• 1 pinch of salt and pepper.

Preparation:

1. Mix flour with milk, egg and a tablespoon of olive oil. Gradually add sparkling water until you reach the desired consistency. The batter should not be too thick and should be pourable.
2. Heat a frying pan and fry the pancakes without adding any fat (if the batter sticks, grease the pan with a little olive oil).
3. In a separate pan, heat the oil and fry the chopped onion.
4. Add the spinach and simmer until it reduces in volume.
5. Add chickpeas, shredded salmon and season to taste.
6. Stuff and wrap the pancakes.

Pancakes with cheese, fruit and protein nutrition

Recipe for a serving containing 685 kcal, 31.7 g protein, 74.9 g carbohydrates, and 8.7 g fat.

• 75 g oatmeal,
• 1 egg,
• 150 ml of rice drink,
• 1/2 serving of protein conditioner (15 g),
• 80 g of forest fruits (or any fruit),
• 120 g of natural thick yogurt,
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp of sweetener.

Preparation:

1. Pour boiling water over the flakes and let stand for 5-10 minutes until softened.
2. Place the flakes, egg, almond drink, olive oil and conditioner in the cup of a blender and blend to a smooth paste.
3. Pour the finished mixture into a heated frying pan and fry until the edges of the pancake are browned. Then flip it over.
4. Mix yogurt with sweetener.
5. Spread the pancakes with the cheese mixture, add fruit and serve as desired.

Bad eating habits resulting from neglecting lunch

Finally, a little warning. People who skip a meal in the middle part of the day very often make worse food choices in the second part of the day - especially in the evening. Instead of lunch, what then occurs is lunch-dinner. In such a situation, the consumption of simple sugars, unhealthy snacks and empty calories in the middle of the day usually increases. 

By acting in this way, you lose control over what and how much you eat. This leads to an unhealthy relationship with food and the development of bad habits. That's why I recommend finding time to eat a decent meal, even if you work all day. Preparing meals for the day and taking them in boxes to work will help you do this.