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  5. 20 Dinners for Healthy Aging in 20 Minutes

20 Dinners for Healthy Aging in 20 Minutes

Alex Loh
Alex Loh Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD March 20, 2021
Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD
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Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

Get a filling and delicious meal on the table with these dinners that support healthy aging. These recipes have at least 20% of the daily value of two or more of nutrients that are important as we age, including protein, calcium, fiber and vitamin D. Healthy recipes like Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans and Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry are on the table in just 20 minutes.

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Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes

<p>Looking for a new way to turn a bag of frozen cheese ravioli into a satisfying and healthy dinner? This easy pasta recipe calls for just five ingredients but is loaded with fresh flavors. By using grape tomatoes, prewashed spinach and prepared pesto, we eliminate all prep work, making this 15-minute Caprese-inspired ravioli the ideal weeknight meal.</p>
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Looking for a new way to turn a bag of frozen cheese ravioli into a satisfying and healthy dinner? This easy pasta recipe calls for just five ingredients but is loaded with fresh flavors. By using grape tomatoes, prewashed spinach and prepared pesto, we eliminate all prep work, making this 15-minute Caprese-inspired ravioli the ideal weeknight meal.

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Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

<p>This easy lemon-garlic chicken recipe calls for cutlets, which cook in less than 10 minutes! Can't find them? Make your own from chicken breasts. Place each breast on a cutting board and, with your knife parallel to the board, slice into the skinny side of the chicken breast in a single smooth motion. The side of green beans is cooked right in the same pan as the chicken, so this 20-minute easy, healthy dinner is not just a snap to prepare--the cleanup is a cinch too.</p>
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This easy lemon-garlic chicken recipe calls for cutlets, which cook in less than 10 minutes! Can't find them? Make your own from chicken breasts. Place each breast on a cutting board and, with your knife parallel to the board, slice into the skinny side of the chicken breast in a single smooth motion. The side of green beans is cooked right in the same pan as the chicken, so this 20-minute easy, healthy dinner is not just a snap to prepare--the cleanup is a cinch too.

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Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

<p>To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.</p>
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To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.

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Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Salad

<p>This zesty quinoa salad is delicious all on its own, with some serious Mediterranean flair. Make a double batch for lunches later in the week.</p>
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This zesty quinoa salad is delicious all on its own, with some serious Mediterranean flair. Make a double batch for lunches later in the week.

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Black Bean-Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Black-Bean Quinoa Buddha Bowl
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Treat your Buddha bowl to a vacation south of the border! This black bean and quinoa Buddha bowl has the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the greasy fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.

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20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce

<p>This low-carb chicken dinner whips up in only 20 minutes, thanks to thin-cut chicken breast and packaged zucchini noodles. If you have a spiralizer and want to make your own zucchini noodles, use two medium zucchini.</p>
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This low-carb chicken dinner whips up in only 20 minutes, thanks to thin-cut chicken breast and packaged zucchini noodles. If you have a spiralizer and want to make your own zucchini noodles, use two medium zucchini.

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Spinach & Egg Scramble with Raspberries

<p>This quick egg scramble with hearty bread is one of the best breakfasts for weight loss. It combines weight-loss power foods, eggs and raspberries, with filling whole-grain toast and nutrient-packed spinach. The protein and fiber help fill you up and the whole meal clocks in at just under 300 calories.</p>
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This quick egg scramble with hearty bread is one of the best breakfasts for weight loss. It combines weight-loss power foods, eggs and raspberries, with filling whole-grain toast and nutrient-packed spinach. The protein and fiber help fill you up and the whole meal clocks in at just under 300 calories.

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Beefless Vegan Tacos

<p>Take taco night in a new direction with these healthy vegan tacos. We've swapped crumbled tofu for the ground beef, without sacrificing any of the savory seasonings you expect in a taco. You can also use the filling in burritos, bowls, taco salads and to top nachos.</p>
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Take taco night in a new direction with these healthy vegan tacos. We've swapped crumbled tofu for the ground beef, without sacrificing any of the savory seasonings you expect in a taco. You can also use the filling in burritos, bowls, taco salads and to top nachos.

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BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous

<p>In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff.</p>
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In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff.

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Toaster-Oven Quesadillas

<p>We love finding new ways to use our kitchen tools and appliances. These toaster-oven quesadillas with peppers and avocado are the perfect example of an unexpected toaster-oven hack we had to share.</p>
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We love finding new ways to use our kitchen tools and appliances. These toaster-oven quesadillas with peppers and avocado are the perfect example of an unexpected toaster-oven hack we had to share.

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Beef Pad Thai

<p>We've bulked up the serving size of beef pad thai by adding in lots of healthy veggies like matchstick carrots, snap peas and scallions. Look for whole-grain brown-rice pad thai noodles to add an additional 3 grams fiber to each serving.</p>
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We've bulked up the serving size of beef pad thai by adding in lots of healthy veggies like matchstick carrots, snap peas and scallions. Look for whole-grain brown-rice pad thai noodles to add an additional 3 grams fiber to each serving.

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Classic Sesame Noodles with Chicken

<p>Classic sesame noodles become a healthy meal with lean chicken and tons of veggies in this quick recipe for Asian noodles. Be sure to rinse the spaghetti until it's cold, then give it a good shake in the colander until it's well drained. Are you a spiralizing pro? Swap 5 cups of raw zucchini, carrot or other veggie "noodles" for the cooked pasta.</p>
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Classic sesame noodles become a healthy meal with lean chicken and tons of veggies in this quick recipe for Asian noodles. Be sure to rinse the spaghetti until it's cold, then give it a good shake in the colander until it's well drained. Are you a spiralizing pro? Swap 5 cups of raw zucchini, carrot or other veggie "noodles" for the cooked pasta.

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Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

<p>Yogurt makes a fine substitute for cream in the sauce for this easy pasta recipe. Just warm the yogurt (do not boil) and add some pasta-cooking water to thin it out. Lemon and fresh basil brighten up the whole-wheat pasta and complement the shrimp in this quick dinner recipe.</p>
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Yogurt makes a fine substitute for cream in the sauce for this easy pasta recipe. Just warm the yogurt (do not boil) and add some pasta-cooking water to thin it out. Lemon and fresh basil brighten up the whole-wheat pasta and complement the shrimp in this quick dinner recipe.

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Spinach & Cheese Breakfast Skillet

<p>Eating a big healthy breakfast' like this 700-calorie hash-and-egg recipe' may help lower your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger, and reduce snack cravings later in the day. Plus, research shows eating the bulk of your daily calories earlier in the day could help you lose weight. If you're looking for a lighter breakfast, this recipe can serve two.</p>
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Eating a big healthy breakfast' like this 700-calorie hash-and-egg recipe' may help lower your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger, and reduce snack cravings later in the day. Plus, research shows eating the bulk of your daily calories earlier in the day could help you lose weight. If you're looking for a lighter breakfast, this recipe can serve two.

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Greek Salad with Edamame

<p>Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar.</p>
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Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar.

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BBQ Chicken Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

<p>This zippy, creamy slaw is so good you might find yourself making it for other sandwiches. Still, it pairs beautifully with the tangy pulled chicken for an incredibly quick dinner you can make even on your busiest nights. To save even more time, use a preshredded coleslaw blend.</p>
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This zippy, creamy slaw is so good you might find yourself making it for other sandwiches. Still, it pairs beautifully with the tangy pulled chicken for an incredibly quick dinner you can make even on your busiest nights. To save even more time, use a preshredded coleslaw blend.

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Tofu & Vegetable Scramble

<p>Feel free to customize this speedy tofu and vegetable scramble with your favorite combination of vegetables and spice. Try to use veggies that will all cook at the same rate, like peppers, green beans and sugar snap peas.</p>
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Feel free to customize this speedy tofu and vegetable scramble with your favorite combination of vegetables and spice. Try to use veggies that will all cook at the same rate, like peppers, green beans and sugar snap peas.

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Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

<p>This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.</p>
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This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.

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Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl

Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
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Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these Mediterranean meals and pack in containers with lids to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab & go lunches all week long.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chicken

<p>In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss and chicken salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. Any extra dressing is delicious served over grilled chicken or flaky white fish, such as cod or flounder.</p>
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In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss and chicken salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. Any extra dressing is delicious served over grilled chicken or flaky white fish, such as cod or flounder.

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    1 of 20 Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes
    2 of 20 Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans
    3 of 20 Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry
    4 of 20 Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Salad
    5 of 20 Black Bean-Quinoa Buddha Bowl
    6 of 20 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce
    7 of 20 Spinach & Egg Scramble with Raspberries
    8 of 20 Beefless Vegan Tacos
    9 of 20 BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous
    10 of 20 Toaster-Oven Quesadillas
    11 of 20 Beef Pad Thai
    12 of 20 Classic Sesame Noodles with Chicken
    13 of 20 Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp
    14 of 20 Spinach & Cheese Breakfast Skillet
    15 of 20 Greek Salad with Edamame
    16 of 20 BBQ Chicken Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw
    17 of 20 Tofu & Vegetable Scramble
    18 of 20 Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
    19 of 20 Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
    20 of 20 Green Goddess Salad with Chicken

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    20 Dinners for Healthy Aging in 20 Minutes
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