No time is no longer an excuse for unhealthy eating. Whether you're running short on time for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even dessert, we've got you covered with lots of easy recipes you can make in under 15 minutes. Everything from sandwiches and salads to microwavable meals.
You'll be shocked by what you can whip together with so little time! Here are some of our favorite easy recipes to cook at home. And for more, don't miss these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.
Chicken Panini with Pesto and Peppers
Paninis are without a doubt one of our favorite easy recipes to throw together. Keep it simple with this chicken panini recipe: A light, healthy spread like pesto, a low-calorie cheese like fresh mozz, and a layer of lean white meat chicken deliver all the same flavor and a tasty crunch for a fraction of the calories.
Get our recipe for a Chicken Panini with Pesto and Peppers.
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Breakfast Tacos with Bacon and Spinach
No matter what time of day it is, breakfast tacos are always a good idea—and will always be one of our go-to easy recipes to make. Infectiously delicious, to be sure, but also a perfectly healthy start to your day, assuming you stick to corn tortillas, which have half the calories and twice the fiber of their flour counterparts.
Get our recipe for Breakfast Tacos with Bacon and Spinach.
Melted Brie with Vegetables
When you're in the mood for a snack but want to keep things simple, this melted brie is one of our favorite easy recipes to throw together. Brie is the unquestionable star here, but the sautéed vegetables add plenty of vital substance to our melted brie cheese recipe.
Get our recipe for Melted Brie with Vegetables.
Protein Pancakes
Pancakes are probably one of the favorite easy recipes you can make, but they're usually carb-heavy and don't provide a ton of protein for a satisfying and filling morning meal (sorry, just relaying facts here). Adding protein powder can totally help though!
Get our recipe for Protein Pancakes.
Tuna Burger with Wasabi Mayo
A firm, meaty fish like tuna is prime picking for the burger treatment, and we love making tuna burgers for a protein-packed meal. All it takes is a quick pulse in the food processor or even just a bit of fine chopping.
Get our recipe for a Tuna Burger with Wasabi Mayo.
Avocado Crispbreads with Everything Bagel Seasoning
Avocado toast is arguably one of the most popular breakfast dishes in recent years. And although a serving of healthy fats for breakfast is a good setup for a day of clean eating, some people aren't crazy about eating a thick slice of bread first thing in the morning. For those looking for a lighter version of this beloved breakfast staple, a thin Finnish crispbread can provide a tasty alternative.
Get our recipe for Avocado Crispbreads with Everything Bagel Seasoning.
Panini with Provolone, Peppers, and Arugula
Our take features the same classic flavors of the Italian sandwich but turns it into a crispy, melted panini. We promise you won't miss the bulky bread, the mound of meat, or the excess 600 calories.
Get our recipe for a Panini with Provolone, Peppers, and Arugula.
Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Banana
We love this oatmeal with peanut butter and banana recipe for its good-for-you ingredients. It makes a healthy morning meal you can have ready in minutes.
Get our recipe for Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Banana.
Turkey Sloppy Joes
The best part about sloppy joes is that everything you need is likely already in your pantry and spice cabinet, gathering dust, waiting for a chance to shine. Open a can, measure out a few spices (if you have children, employ them as your sous chefs), and you'll have a crowd-pleasing dinner on the table in about 15 minutes.
Get our recipe for Turkey Sloppy Joes.
Italian Tuna Melts
This recipe is fast and easy, and the ingredients are tasty, yet affordable, and they are even nonperishable, so you can keep extras on hand as a go-to during a particularly packed or stressful day, and your waistline won't suffer a bit.
Get our recipe for Italian Tuna Melts.
Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde
These chicken tacos with salsa verde are not only delicious, but they are also a much healthier alternative to their chain-restaurant counterpart. So get cooking and indulge!
Get our recipe for Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde.
Ultimate BLT Sandwich
Instead of being slathered in a sea of sauce, we chose to crown our BLT with a soft, oozing fried egg—the only condiment you need. It adds gooey goodness and a punch of protein you'll be glad to have.
Get our recipe for Ultimate BLT Sandwich.
Spicy Pumpkin Parfaits
This spicy fall-inspired parfait smells like pumpkin pie and holiday spices, and it'll brighten up any breakfast spread or snack time during the cooler months.
Get our recipe for Spicy Pumpkin Parfaits.
Dark Chocolate Dipped Bananas
These small banana pops are the perfect dessert for those who are looking to wow a crowd at their next potluck. You can top these bananas with shredded coconut, almonds, or sea salt. If you're feeling extra adventurous, you could always add other types of toppings, like cookie crumbs or mini candies.
Get our recipe for Dark Chocolate Dipped Bananas.
Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug
If you want to eat a nutritious breakfast but don't want to deal with the hassle of washing a bunch of cooking pans, this eggs in a mug recipe is perfect for you. It's for one serving, making it a great option for those weekday breakfasts when you just want to eat something and get out the door.
Get our recipe for Broccoli-Cheese Eggs in a Mug.
Caprese Sandwich
We're pretty sure this Caprese sandwich is one of the simplest easy recipes out there. The pairing of creamy fresh mozzarella, juicy ripe tomatoes, and fat leaves of sweet basil is so good that you'd be crazy not to exploit it as often as possible to make yourself look like a culinary genius.
Get our recipe for a Caprese Sandwich.
Seared Scallops with White Beans and Spinach
When you want something fancy but are looking for easy recipes to throw together, seared scallops are the way to go! Scallops are a tremendous source of lean protein, super-easy to cook and stack up well with bold and subtle flavors alike. Learn to properly sear a scallop (hint: make sure the scallop is very dry and the pan is very hot) and you'll be won over.
Get our recipe for Seared Scallops with White Beans and Spinach.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Pasta is certainly on our list of easy recipes, and surprisingly, it can be healthy! Alfredo is now a staple on chain restaurant menus everywhere, not least of all because it costs next to nothing to load a bowl with 1,200 calories' worth of fat and refined carbohydrates. To dampen the Alfredo impact, we turn to our old friend béchamel, which creates a thick, creamy sauce without the calories of heavy cream and excess butter.
Get our recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo.
10-Minute Mediterranean Tofu Scramble
This quick scramble is packed with Mediterranean flavors from bell peppers, feta, parsley, and tomatoes, but if you're looking for an extra flavor boost, try adding sun-dried tomatoes in oil, capers, or even olives.
Get our recipe for a 10-Minute Mediterranean Tofu Scramble.
Classic Beef Tacos
While there are many different types of taco combinations to make (like shrimp or pork carnitas), nothing can truly beat the classic combination of a beef taco. This beef taco recipe is the exact type of thing you would imagine when planning for Taco Tuesday, or when you're craving Taco Bell.
Get our recipe for Classic Beef Tacos.
Acai-Blueberry Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are great easy recipes to throw together! This recipe keeps things pretty straightforward: You'll blend frozen mixed berries, yogurt, and almond milk, as you might do with a regular smoothie. But the fun part is that instead of drinking this blend, you get to eat it with a spoon, complete with fresh and crunchy toppings.
Get our recipe for Acai-Blueberry Smoothie Bowl.
Open-Face Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo
It's all about what you're putting on top of that slice that matters, and in this hot ham and cheese open-face sandwich, we add chipotle mayo and eggs to give you extra protein with a kick. You won't even miss that other piece of bread! Plus, if you think about it, eating this hot sandwich for breakfast is basically like what you would expect from a frozen Hot Pocket, except much healthier and way better.
Get our recipe for an Open-Face Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo.
Chicken Fajita Burrito
We've not only made this recipe so that it will save you in calories, but it's also quick and easy to make, so it'll save you time, too.
Get our recipe for a Chicken Fajita Burrito.
Gnocchi with Peas and Prosciutto
Here, we take the classic Italian pasta pairing of peas and prosciutto, replace the noodles with dumplings, and throw in plenty of asparagus to round out the creation. You can make this gnocchi recipe richer with a drizzle of cream or half-and-half or a bit of butter, but this one is great as-is.
Get our recipe for Gnocchi with Peas and Prosciutto.
Chicken Pot Stickers
You can throw together a lot of easy recipes with frozen foods! This recipe works great as an appetizer for four, but you can also cut the recipe down and make it a lean meal for one.
Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Stickers.
RELATED: These are the easy, at-home recipes that help you lose weight.
Seared Chicken Pizzaioli
To lighten things up without losing flavor, we ditch the typical chicken parmesan breading (which gets soggy underneath the sauce anyway) and sear the chicken rather than fry it. A ladle of red sauce and a thin layer of bubbling mozzarella rounds the dish out—without rounding you out.
Get our recipe for Seared Chicken Pizzaioli.
Ultimate Club Sandwich with Super Mayo
We think our version of the club sandwich—ham, turkey, bacon, and a souped-up mayo—would win over any guest, with the added bonus of containing half the calories of the club sandwiches that normally show up on menus.
Get our recipe for an Ultimate Club Sandwich with Super Mayo.
Chicken Greek Salad
This Greek salad recipe is both hearty and healthy without adding any heavy, high-calorie ingredients. It's great for a big dinner party (or shall we say a Toga party?), or for meal planning as it will keep well in the fridge for a week. Just double the recipe and dole yourself out a few spoonfuls for your lunch each day and you'll be set.
Get our recipe for Chicken Greek Salad.
Savory Waffle with Ham and Egg
We start by building around an open-faced sandwich with a toasted waffle as an alternative to a pancake. The ingredients may sound like a strange combination, but stick with us! We know what we're doing. The flavors are nicely balanced and the portion size is perfect if we do say so ourselves.
Get our recipe for a Savory Waffle with Ham and Egg.
Chicken Burger with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli
We've gone ahead and helped you out by reinventing the chicken burger, using a lean grind of meat and a hugely flavorful—but surprisingly low-calorie—spiked mayo to deliver on the promise of a truly healthy burger you can happily indulge in.
Get our recipe for a Chicken Burger with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli.
Caprese Tomato Tower Salad
The classic tomato salad from Capri, Italy, is a study in simplicity: sweet, acidic tomatoes contrasted with creamy mozzarella slabs and the bright herbal bite of fresh basil, yet with a complex taste you'll crave.
Get our recipe for a Caprese Tomato Tower Salad.
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Looking for easy recipes that don't even require cooking? This peanut butter overnight oats recipe is bound to become one of your go-to healthy breakfasts!
Get our recipe for Peanut Butter Overnight Oats.
Margarita Chicken
Our version of margarita chicken, a meal that you can have on the table in minutes, contains all the same bells and whistles (Cheese! Salsa! Sizzle!), minus all the added calories and dollars spent on eating at a restaurant.
Get our recipe for Margarita Chicken.
Crunchy Breakfast Salad with Eggs
This breakfast salad has a crispy texture thanks to snap peas, radishes, and cucumbers, and adding walnuts is a great way to add healthy fats to your breakfast and curb cravings later in the day.
Get our recipe for a Crunchy Breakfast Salad with Eggs.
Tuna Veggie Melts
This particular tuna veggie melts recipe can help cut the calories of a regular tuna sandwich. Instead of using two slices of bread for the melt, save the calories from those carbohydrates and keep the sandwich open-faced. While most tuna sandwiches are made with mayonnaise, this particular recipe cuts the calories by swapping it out with mashed garbanzo beans and yogurt.
Get our recipe for Tuna Veggie Melts.
10-Minute Baked Eggs with Mushroom and Spinach
When you're in need of easy recipes but want to pack in the protein, eggs are always a great go-to! In this recipe, the little ceramic vessels are perfect for housing eggs, meat, cheese, and vegetables and then tossing them in the oven. What emerges 10 minutes later is a perfectly cooked egg—whites soft but firm, yolk gloriously runny—surrounded by a tasty and filling supporting cast.
Get our recipe for 10-Minute Baked Eggs with Mushroom and Spinach.
Chicken Tacos with Roasted Red Peppers
Making chicken tacos at home doesn't mean you have to continue using the same boring combination of ingredients! Chicken is such a versatile meat that it can go with a lot of different types of toppings, especially when wrapped in a tortilla.
Get our recipe for Chicken Tacos with Roasted Red Peppers.
Chicken Salad Sandwich with Raisins and Curry Powder
Make a big batch of this chicken salad as part of your weekly meal planning and work it into other sandwiches, stuffed in pitas, or crowning a bowl of mixed greens.
Get our recipe for Chicken Salad Sandwich with Raisins and Curry Powder.
Breakfast Burrito
By swapping out worthless white tortillas for whole wheat, swapping fatty pork sausage for the lean chicken variety, and adding fiber-rich beans and some fresh avocado, we've slashed the calories in half while increasing the overall nutrition (and deliciousness).
Get our recipe for a Breakfast Burrito.
Turkey BLT Salad
By turning the bread into crunchy croutons and the lettuce into the base of a salad, you minimize the refined carbs and maximize the healthiest part of the equation. Toss in a handful of cubed deli turkey to boost the protein, and suddenly you have a salad with substance and style to tuck into. This turkey BLT salad is a far cry from a boring desk salad.
Get our recipe for a Turkey BLT Salad.
Vegetarian Pesto Gnocchi with Green Beans and Tomatoes
When you make this pesto gnocchi, figure 2 tablespoons per plate—and throw in some healthy extras like tomatoes and green beans to bring substance and balance to the bowl.
Get our recipe for Vegetarian Pesto Gnocchi with Green Beans and Tomatoes.
Pan Burger with Fried Egg and Special Sauce
When we think of easy recipes, we immediately think of the simplicity of the pan burger. We take things one step further with this sandwich, creating the perfect fried egg burger, complete with a special sauce that rivals any you would find at a restaurant.
Get our recipe for Pan Burger with Fried Egg and Special Sauce.
Loaded Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Vegetables
When you're in need of easy recipes that will use up food in the fridge, what better way those ingredients into a bowl of pasta? We ditched the typical cream, butter, and cheese Alfredo sauce for something much better for you—and just as delicious.
Get our recipe for Loaded Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Vegetables.
Fiery, Protein-Packed Eggs Diablo
Sure, you could make hard-boiled or scrambled eggs for breakfast, but if you really want to kick things up a notch, why not try this recipe for eggs diablo? With crushed red pepper and fire-roasted tomatoes, along with green peppers and onions, this dish is bursting with flavor and nutrition.
Get our recipe for Fiery, Protein-Packed Eggs Diablo.
Guacamole
Nobody should be without a solid guacamole recipe. Sure, it's a healthy, incredibly delicious condiment that makes almost anything it touches taste better, but there's an even more compelling reason to commit this recipe to memory: It's because having an awesome guac recipe is one of the easiest ways to impress others, and it's all thanks to avocado and some certain key spices.
Get our recipe for Guacamole.
Banana Pancakes
Using yogurt and cottage cheese in these pancakes does two things: It brings extra protein to the breakfast table, and it helps produce the lightest, moistest pancakes you've ever tasted.
Get our recipe for Banana Pancakes.
Egg Sandwich with Pastrami and Swiss
In this recipe, we choose our ingredients with more care. The combination of pastrami and Swiss has long been confined to the realm of the lunchtime deli counter, but we think it works beautifully with soft scrambled eggs—especially because pastrami trounces both sausage and bacon in the calorie department. Give it a try.
Get our recipe for an Egg Sandwich with Pastrami and Swiss.
Thai-Inspired Beef Lettuce Wraps
Now wraps at places like P.F. Chang's and The Cheesecake Factory are overwrought affairs packing as many calories into an appetizer as you should have in an entire meal. Consider this version a blissful, healthy, flavor-packed return to the wrap's humble roots, and you'll save hundreds of calories in the process.
Get our recipe for Thai-Inspired Beef Lettuce Wraps.
Veggie Scramble with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Goat Cheese
When of our favorite easy recipes to throw together is an egg scramble! This veggie scramble is a great meal, so healthy and filling that you could even make it as a side for a dinner dish as well.
Get our recipe for a Veggie Scramble with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Goat Cheese.
Asian-Inspired Sesame Noodles with Chicken
Think of this meal as a salad, with the noodles standing in for lettuce. Add in some protein and as many—or as few—vegetables as you like, and toss the whole package with a light but powerful dressing, and there you have it: It's the culmination of four millennia of noodle knowledge!
Get our recipe for Asian-Inspired Sesame Noodles with Chicken.
Vegetarian Black Bean Omelet
Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for an overpriced gut bomb when you can make something better, healthier, and cheaper at home in 10 minutes flat? And nowhere is that question more relevant than with omelets.
Get our recipe for a Vegetarian Black Bean Omelet.
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