13 Easy Weeknight Dinners to Kick Off A Healthy 2018

After a month of indulgent eating at holiday potlucks, cocktail parties, and celebrations, it’s time get our diets back on track with the healthy meals to which we are accustomed. However, after all the holiday baking and entertaining, laborious meal planning and preparation is the last thing we want to do. To remedy this, we’ve scoured the internet for the best simple vegan meals that are full of flavor and nutrients that can be prepared in approximately 30 minutes, giving you more time to work on all those other New Year’s resolutions.
 
1. Zucchini noodles
Spiralized vegetables are a delicious alternative to pasta when trying to cut calories and carbs. Keep things simple with a store-bought sauce, or try this easy vegan pesto from The Spruce.
 
2. Vegetable wraps
Leafy greens are a versatile alternative to a bread wrap due to the abundant variety of lettuce leaves from which to choose such as collard, endive, Bibb, or iceberg. Opt for a substantial filling that uses tofu, tempeh, or beans to create a healthy meal that satiates and satisfies. Our favorite? This curry tempeh “chicken” salad from The Blissful & Fit Chef.
 
3. Bean salads
Use pre-packaged steamed lentils and canned chickpeas to make a hearty dinner salad such as this one from Cookie + Kate in 20 minutes.
 
4. Vegan bowls
This sesame kale bowl from The Glowing Fridge provides a satisfying protein punch with quinoa and tempeh, but keeps things light with loads of kale and broccoli. With no oil in the dressing, you can indulge guilt-free.
 
5. Vegetable spring rolls
These nutrient-packed rainbow spring rolls from Minimalist Baker are ready in just 30 minutes, and the accompanying ginger peanut sauce is oil-free, making this no cook meal a cinch to prepare. Just roll your favorite combination of fruit and vegetables in rice paper for a delicious dinner option any day of the week.
 
6. Pho
This quick vegan pho from Delicious Everyday is a gluten-free, vegan spin on an otherwise time-intensive dish. Abundantly full of vegetables, this meal comforts and purifies at the same time.
 
7. Ramen
Julie Hasson’s vegan and gluten-free ramen is a healthy dinner that’s light like soup but satiates like a hefty stew.
 
8. Raw tacos
The lentil and walnut mix in these tacos from The Full Helping is a delicious option for stuffing romaine leaves.
 
9. Soba noodle bowls
Noodle bowls are a wholesome dinner that you can customize any way you like by using all the rogue vegetables in your refrigerator. A combination of fresh and sautéed vegetables are a perfect complement to buckwheat soba noodles, especially when paired with an easy homemade teriyaki sauce like this one from Oh She Glows.
 
10. Stuffed sweet potatoes
This Mediterranean baked sweet potato from Minimalist Baker transforms the nutritious sweet potato into a substantial meal. A tasty superfood on its own, the sweet potato becomes savory, sweet, and healthy by stuffing it with vegetables and legumes.
 
11. One-pot curry
One-pot meals are a fast solution to what’s for dinner … and make for quick clean up, too. Curries are nutritious and easily adaptable with the variety of options for mains such as sweet potato, lentil, tofu, or spinach. This chickpea curry from HurryTheFoodUp is ready in 25 minutes.
 
12. Stuffed avocados
This salsa stuffed avocado from The Whole Serving adds even more goodness to this recipe with an avocado cream sauce. Full of the good fat we want to eat, stuffed avocados are a savory meal when topped with fresh vegetables and beans. Depending on the complexity of your filling, you can have this meal idea on the table in 20 minutes.
 
13. Vegetable fajitas
Fajitas are a colorful dinner solution with a Mexican twist. Saute vegetables in water or vegetable broth instead of oil to keep things even more figure friendly. These Portobello fajitas from The Garden Grazer cook up in 10 minutes along with onions and a mix of bell peppers. Serve with corn tortillas and your favorite salsa.
 
Stephanie Dreyer is the founder of VeegMama, where she helps families cook and eat healthier.