3 Delicious, Healthy Dinner Ideas for Weight Loss

Recipes I Love That Taste Good, Fill Me Up, and Fuel My Workouts

When it comes to eating healthy, we’re often limited to two of the following three choices: fast, good, and cheap.

If we want something convenient that tastes good, we usually have to pay a premium for it. If we want something cheap and delicious, we often have to sacrifice our time to make it. If we want something affordable and efficient, it’s usually not the best tasting.

I set out to try and combat this cycle by creating recipe ideas that blend all three elements of fast, good, and cheap. I live a very busy lifestyle; I work full time as a physical therapist and sports performance coach, and part-time as a semi-professional soccer player. I train 5–6 days a week, depending on the time of year, so my body needs adequate fuel to perform my best, and protein to recover and prevent injury.

Through repeated trial and error, I have created three very simple, budget-friendly, delicious meals I look forward to eating at the end of a long work and training day. I have included the generic ingredients, as well as the calorie count and macros for one of my servings of these recipes. If you like any of these, give me a clap or send me a message in the comments!

Note: I am not a chef, registered dietician, or have any special skills in nutrition or food science- I am just sharing ideas I’ve come up with that I enjoy. Also note: I (Clyde) eat much more than the average person does due to my high training volume and never-ending appetite. Calories/macros will be calculated based on my serving sizes, but can be divided into “average person” sizes as indicated in the recipes.

Recipe 1: Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Pasta with Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes. Cook Time: 20 minutes. Makes 4 Clyde servings, or 6–8 average person servings

Ingredients: 16oz boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into small cubes), 16oz penne pasta, 10oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, 1tbsp olive oil, 6oz spinach, 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic, salt/pepper/red pepper/italian seasoning to taste for seasoning chicken.

Steps:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. When ready to drain, place spinach at bottom of drainer bowl, then pour hot pasta over the spinach (this allows the spinach to cook and wilt without any extra steps or dishes- my girlfriend taught me this….. mind BLOWN)
2. Cut chicken into small cubes and season densely with salt, pepper, red pepper, and italian seasoning (no such thing as too much seasoning, but amounts really depend on you and your preferences). Cook on medium high heat on skillet for 5–7 minutes per side, or until internal temperature is 165 degrees and no pink remains.
3. Remove chicken, tent with foil while preparing remainder of dish. Add olive oil and sun-dried tomato oil from jar to same skillet, allow to heat. Add minced garlic, stir for 30–45 seconds, then add sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
4. Add in pasta and spinach, stir for 2 minutes. Add chicken, reduce heat to simmer, stir for additional 2–3 minutes. Leave on simmer for 5 minutes (if you don’t have patience, you can begin eating without additional simmering).
5. Add parmesan or any additional garnishes!

Calories/Macros (Clyde serving): Calories: 920. Protein: 50g. Carbs: 134g. Fat: 20g.

Recipe 2: Ground Beef and Adobo Veggies

Prep Time: 5 minutes. Cook Time: 20 minutes. Makes 2 Clyde servings, or 4 average person servings.

Ingredients: 1 pound 93/7 lean ground beef, 1 zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 packet taco seasoning, 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic, adobo seasoning to taste.

Steps:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet on medium high heat. Add ground beef and half of taco seasoning, cook until brown and internal temperature of 165 degrees.
2. While ground beef is cooking, chop vegetables and add to mixing bowl. Add in remainder of olive oil, minced garlic, and as much adobo as you want, and mix/shake until thoroughly distributed among vegetables.
3. Once ground beef is cooked, add 1/2 cup of water, seasoned vegetables, and remainder of taco seasoning to skillet, combine well and stir for 2–3 minutes. Simmer for 5 minutes.

OPTIONAL: Most days I eat this recipe by itself; however, sometimes I add a side of brown rice for more carbs and bulk. Macros shown do not include brown rice- add about 150 calories for a one-cup serving of brown rice.

Calories/Macros (Clyde serving): Calories: 510. Protein: 48g. Carbs: 11g. Fat: 30g.

Recipe 3: General Tso’s Chicken and Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes. Cook Time: 15 minutes. Makes 2 Clyde servings, or 4 average person servings.

Ingredients: 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, 8oz jar of General Tso’s sauce (I love Trader Joes brand or Tsang brand- but any work), 4 cups broccoli florets, 2 tbsp chili sesame oil, 1 tbsp minced garlic, salt/pepper for taste

Steps:

1. Heat chili sesame oil on skillet over medium high heat. Cut chicken breast into small cubes, season as desired, and add to skillet. Cook 5–7 minutes per side, or until internal temperature is 165 degrees and no pink remains.
2. While chicken is cooking, mix broccoli with garlic, seasoning, and half of your General Tso’s sauce. Once chicken is complete, add broccoli mix to skillet, mix for 2–3 minutes.
3. Add remaining General Tso’s sauce, mix for one minute, then reduce heat to simmer and let sit for 5 minutes.

NOTE: Brown rice can also be added to this recipe for extra carbs and bulk. Macros shown do not include brown rice- add about 150 calories for a one-cup serving of brown rice.

Calories/Macros (Clyde Serving): Calories: 650. Protein: 54g. Carbs: 57g. Fat: 19g.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments/replies, I hope you guys like these ideas! If this is a popular topic, let me know and I’ll share more of my many favorite recipe ideas!

Learn more about how I can best help you reach your health and fitness goals here.