Healthy Grain Main Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious grain recipes including quinoa, rice, couscous and bulgur. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Broccoli & Quinoa Casserole

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This broccoli-quinoa casserole makes a hearty vegetarian main dish. As the quinoa absorbs water and cooks, it creates the perfect amount of steam for cooking the broccoli. The broccoli is crisp-tender and adds texture to contrast with the creamy, cheesy quinoa. Swap in tricolor quinoa, if you prefer.
By Melissa Gray

Cinnamon-Roll Overnight Oats

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It takes just minutes to assemble this healthy no-cook breakfast, and you'll have meal-prepped grab-and-go breakfasts on hand for the rest of the week. Top these delicious vegan oats—inspired by classic cinnamon bun flavors—with fresh or frozen fruit and your favorite nuts and seeds.
By Carolyn Casner

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

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Like stuffed cabbage? You'll love this easy stuffed cabbage soup. It's got all of the classic flavors of stuffed cabbage without all the fuss of stuffing. Plus, you can make this warming soup ahead of time or freeze it for later for a quick dinner or lunch.
By Karen Rankin

Cheesy Black Bean & Quinoa Skillet Casserole

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This Southwestern-inspired one-skillet casserole is stuffed with quinoa and plenty of fresh vegetables. Sharp Cheddar cheese flavors the filling and adds a layer of ooey-gooey melted cheese on top.
By Carolyn Casner

French Onion Dip Chicken & Rice Casserole

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This creamy French onion dip chicken and rice casserole topped with crispy potato chips is perfect for game day or whenever you want a comforting meal the whole family will love.
By Liv Dansky

Turkey-Vegetable Bake

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Need to use up leftover turkey from the holidays? Make this low fat casserole. It's made with brown rice and lots of vegetables.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

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This one-pan chicken and broccoli casserole is prepared in a skillet on the stovetop, then finished in the oven until it's browned, cheesy and bubbling. Serve with a crunchy green salad.
By Robin Bashinsky

Cabbage Roll Casserole

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This casserole has all the elements of cabbage rolls—ground beef, onion and rice cooked in tomato sauce—and skips the fuss of rolling. The cabbage is chopped instead and layered with the saucy filling, then topped with cheese, for a satisfying and easy casserole. Feel free to substitute other ground meats, such as turkey, for the ground beef—this recipe would also be great with a vegetarian meat substitute.
By Carolyn Casner

Spinach, Feta & Rice Casserole

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This one-pan recipe is the casserole version of spanakopita! It's hearty enough to enjoy as a vegetarian lunch or dinner, yet versatile enough to serve alongside just about any protein. To make it extra creamy, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.
By Carolyn Casner

Baked Oatmeal with Pears

3
This comforting baked oatmeal is perfect for cozy weekend mornings and doubles as a make-ahead breakfast that you can meal-prep for healthy grab-and-go meals all week.
By Abbie Gellman, MS, RD, CDN

Quick-Cooking Oats

Sometimes basic is better. At breakfast, that can certainly be the case. These easy oatmeal recipes teach you the basic methods so you get creamy, tender oats every time. The flavorings and toppings are up to you.
By Erin Alderson

Slow-Cooker Arroz con Pollo (Chicken & Rice)

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This one-pot chicken dinner, inspired by the traditional dish of Spain and Latin America, comes together easily in the crock pot. The instant brown rice is added near the end, to keep it from overcooking.
By Laura Walsh
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Inspiration and Ideas

21 Healthy Rice Bowls That Are High in Protein
With black, brown, wild or cauliflower rice as a tasty, filling base, we pile these bowls high with all of your favorite veggies, beans, fish, meat and herbs to create delicious flavor combinations that you'll love.
26 Healthy Vegetarian Bowl Recipes You Can Make Ahead of Time
These vegetarian bowl recipes are perfect for your weekly meal-prep. In one meal-prep session you can easily make enough servings to have for lunches throughout the week. These bowls are full of delicious veggies and hearty grains, and they get plenty of satiating protein from ingredients like tofu and beans. Recipes like Green Goddess Buddha Bowl and Edamame & Veggie Rice Bowl are healthy, delicious and will keep you full throughout the day.
18 Healthy Chicken Bowl Recipes Perfect for Lunch
Salmon Rice Bowl
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Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
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Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage
7
Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl
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This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.

All Healthy Grain Main Dish Recipes

Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls

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These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.
By Carolyn Casner

One-Pot Chicken & Rice

3
This one-pot chicken and rice dinner is creamy, cozy and packed with vegetables! Tarragon offers a sweet mellow flavor, but if you're not a fan, basil can be used in its place.
By Liz Mervosh

Spinach & Feta Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Quinoa

8
With a variety of flavors and textures (and a whopping 30 grams of protein!), these meal-prep bowls will keep you fueled all afternoon. The spinach and feta turkey meatballs are adapted from Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki by Hilary Meyer. Look for premade tzatziki near the specialty cheeses and dips at your grocery store or make your own.
By Carolyn A Hodges, RD

Peanut Butter Protein Overnight Oats

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Powdered peanut butter is a handy pantry staple that makes a great vegan protein booster for oatmeal and smoothies. Double or triple this recipe to meal-prep breakfasts for the week or to have breakfast ready for the entire family.
By Carolyn Casner

Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fried Rice

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This sheet-pan shrimp fried rice recipe is a great way to use leftover rice, but you could also use pre-cooked microwave rice. Let it come to room temperature while you chop the veggies. Sambal, the spicy chile-based condiment popular in Indonesia, Malaysia and southern India, provides a kick.
By Cooking Light

Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

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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.
By Katie Webster

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

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Reduced-fat soup, semi-soft cheese and fat-free milk make this classic casserole recipe low in fat and calories.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Salmon Fried Rice

This salmon fried rice is a great way to use leftover salmon. Using frozen vegetables keeps prep work to a minimum. Sriracha gives this quick stir-fry a nice touch of heat.
By Adam Dolge

Asopao de Camarones (One-Pot Rice & Shrimp Stew)

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This hearty one-pot rice and shrimp stew is typically enjoyed during the cooler months in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Brown rice adds a boost of fiber and is a good source of complex carbohydrates.
By Wendy Lopez

Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Salad

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This zesty quinoa salad is delicious all on its own, with inspiration from the Mediterranean. Make a double batch for lunches later in the week.
By Adam Dolge

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal

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Unlike quick-cooking oats, old-fashioned oatmeal has time to turn extra-creamy and luscious with just a few minutes more of cooking time. With a bit of milk and the toppings of your choice, this oatmeal recipe can be your go-to morning staple for a filling, healthy breakfast.
By Erin Alderson

Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables & Barley

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Be sure to use bone-in chicken here--it enhances the flavor of the broth, and the bones are easy to remove after cooking. This healthy chicken soup can be made in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
By Patsy Jamieson

Slow-Cooker Quinoa Salad with Arugula & Feta

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Chock-full of quinoa, chickpeas and vegetables, this salad is a meal in itself. The roasted red peppers, lemon, olives and feta add texture and flavor. If you want to provide a meat option, serve with grilled chicken.
By Cooking Light

Winter Greens Bowl

This one-pan meal packs in lots of plant-based protein and flavor thanks to beans and quinoa, while a creamy lemon-garlic dressing completes the dish. 
By Mila Clarke

Nacho Cauliflower Casserole

1
This cauliflower casserole is inspired by nachos and stuffed with tender roasted cauliflower, sweet red pepper and brown rice. Salsa helps bind the ingredients together, along with melted cheese. Crushed tortilla chips on top add crunch. Serve with the suggested garnishes, or add your own favorite toppings to complete the dish.
By Nicole Hopper

Vegan Grain Bowl

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This easy grain bowl has so much to love--sweet potatoes, protein-packed chickpeas, creamy avocado and homemade tahini dressing. Make the full recipe on the weekend and pack into individual serving containers for ready-to-go lunches for work all week.
By Carolyn Casner

Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

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This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl comes together almost as quickly as at the restaurant, plus, you don't have to wait in line. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier dinner.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls

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A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos by Carolyn Malcoun. To cut down on prep time for these healthy taco bowls, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you'll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa.
By Carolyn A Hodges, RD

Blueberry-Banana Overnight Oats

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Blueberries, sweet banana and creamy coconut milk combine to turn everyday oatmeal into the best vegan overnight oats! Make up to 4 jars at once to keep in the fridge for quick grab-and-go breakfasts throughout the week.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

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Make these easy vegan overnight oats with whatever nondairy milk you have on hand. It's a great way to use up leftover canned pumpkin--plus, you can multiply the recipe to meal-prep healthy breakfasts for the whole week.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Quinoa & Chia Oatmeal Mix

9
Make your own hot cereal mix with this healthy recipe. Keep it on hand and just cook up the amount you need when you're ready for a hot breakfast. One serving of the warm cereal contains six grams of fiber—almost a quarter of your daily quota.
By Carolyn Casner

Apple-Cinnamon Overnight Oats

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It takes just a few minutes in the evening to mix rolled oats and almond milk and you have a head start on a healthy breakfast the following morning. In the morning, top the oatmeal with fresh fruit and toasted nuts. Make up to 4 jars at once to keep in the fridge for quick grab-and-go breakfasts throughout the week.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

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This pumpkin baked oatmeal is warm and comforting with the combination of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. The pecans add toasty flavor to this easy breakfast dish that's perfect for guests. Serve with yogurt for creaminess and maple syrup for added sweetness.
By Liv Dansky

Chicken & Shrimp Gumbo

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Chock-full of shrimp, chicken, sausage, okra and tomatoes, this flavorful stew is a staple in Louisiana. Make it a meal and serve with Real Cornbread (see associated recipe).
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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