15 Cheap Healthy Dinner Ideas You Can Make in 15 Minutes

April 05, 2021

Need a quick, healthy, budget-friendly meal idea to get on the table fast? We have pulled together 15 of our favorite recipes for when you need to save time and money. These cheap, easy meals feature healthy, inexpensive staples, like beans, pasta and frozen vegetables—and all take 15 minutes or less to make. As always, feel free to make substitutions with whatever veggies and proteins you have on hand to make these recipes cheaper and more convenient.

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Two-Ingredient-Dough Margherita Pizza

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You won't believe how quick and easy it is to make this healthy pizza. Thanks to a two-ingredient dough that combines self-rising flour and Greek yogurt, there is no need for a rise time. Just roll, top and bake, and you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in under half an hour.

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Chickpea Curry (Chhole)

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Made with convenient canned beans, this quick and healthy Indian recipe is an authentic chickpea curry that you can make in minutes. If you want an additional vegetable, stir in some roasted cauliflower florets. Serve with brown basmati rice or warm naan.

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Quick Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

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Long day at the office and feeling pressure to get dinner on the table? This quick taco recipe is the answer. It takes just 15 minutes and six ingredients and will relieve your stress and satisfy your hunger at the same time!

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Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Credit: Leslie Grow | Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
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Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. “Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal,” she says.

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3-Ingredient Refried Bean & Pico de Gallo Tostada

Credit: Sara Haas
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Making your own tostadas is easy. Use store-bought corn tortillas, brush them with olive oil and bake to crunchy perfection! Here we topped the tostada with refried beans and fresh pico de gallo for an easy 3-ingredient meal.

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BBQ Chicken Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

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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 money, you can opt for chicken thighs or any leftover chicken you have.

 

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3-Ingredient Chicken Caesar Flatbread

Credit: Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.
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A frozen cauliflower-based pizza crust becomes the crispy base for this no-fuss flatbread. Pick up a Caesar-style salad kit to save yourself the hassle of needing to buy lots of other ingredients (everything's included in the kit!), and use rotisserie chicken to simplify prep even more.

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3-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Chickpeas

Credit: Carolyn A. Hodges, RD
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Boxed blended soups are the perfect canvas for simple stir-ins to make them more substantial and satisfying. Here, roasted red pepper soup is jazzed up with canned chickpeas and fresh baby spinach for a fast, comforting meal.

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Peanut Zoodles with Edamame

Credit: Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.
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A package of fresh zucchini noodles gets tossed with shelled edamame and store-bought peanut sauce in these 5-minute, no-cook vegetable noodle bowls. Because prepared sauces and dressings are commonly high in sodium, scan the label and opt for those that contain 150 mg sodium or less per tablespoon.

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3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

Credit: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.
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Swap out regular pasta for pasta made with chickpeas and you'll more than triple the fiber and double the protein in this simple, satisfying dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to use frozen broccoli in a pinch (you can blanch the broccoli in the same water you use to cook the pasta).

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Broccoli & Parmesan Cheese Omelet

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This high-protein breakfast recipe features broccoli and cheese folded into a light and fluffy omelet.

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White Bean & Veggie Salad

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This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

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Tomato Bun Tuna Melt

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Make a bun out of a tomato in this healthy low-carb tuna melt recipe that swaps bread for veggies. You save 23 grams of carbohydrate and get 1 veggie serving while you're at it!

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BBQ Chicken Bowls

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These BBQ chicken bowls are perfect for weeknight dinners—and are a great way to use up leftover chicken. They come together in just 15 minutes and are chock-full of the classic barbecue flavors you love, including saucy beans, coleslaw and potatoes. To simplify the recipe, use whatever cooked chicken you have on hand.

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He Bao Dan (Pocket Eggs with Soy-Sesame Sauce)

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In Wuhan, China, this is a common way of cooking eggs. Serve warm over rice or noodles.

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