Meals in 30 Minutes

Amid our busy lives, it can feel like a challenge to prepare homemade meals that are both nutritious and delicious. While it is common to think that quick meals must compromise on either quality or taste, this is not the case. Discover delicious recipes that will leave you feeling satisfied and nourished in just 30 minutes with Choose Homemade’s collection of quick and healthy meals!

Spring Chicken and Snap Pea Stir Fry

First up is the Spring Chicken and Snap Pea Stir Fry. This quick recipe clocks in at 25 minutes and the carrots and snap peas are both in season in the spring making it a great meal to bring out as the weather gets warmer.

Carrots serve as an excellent source of vitamin A, offering a variety of benefits for vision, skin, and immune health. While the recipe calls for sliced carrots, feel free to swap them out with some pre-shredded bagged carrots from the store to save yourself some extra time! 

Enjoy the dish as-is or make it a full MyPlate meal by adding a can of drained pineapple chunks for fruit and serving with brown rice to add whole grains to your plate. You can also stretch your protein dollars by using less chicken and adding eggs that cook in minutes to this easy dinner meal!

Beef & Broccoli Ramen

Find fresh broccoli at an Oklahoma SNAP-Accepting Farmers near you, or save time using frozen. Either way, our Beef & Broccoli Ramen is a fulfilling meal ready in just under 30 minutes!

Beef broth, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic come together to give this quick dish plenty of flavor without the need for a ramen seasoning packet. In addition, each serving comes with 5g of fiber thanks to the broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms. Eating enough fiber every day helps you feel fuller for longer, improves gut health, and prevents constipation. 

This recipe also lends itself well to a variety of vegetables. Want to save even more time? Try adding a 20 oz bag of your favorite frozen stir-fry vegetable mix to reduce prep time further!  

Avocado Tuna Salad

If you want an extra quick and nourishing meal, try our Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwiches. This recipe meets all 5 food groups in one hand-held, tasty sandwich! 

Using smashed avocados creates a creamy base for your dressing while also adding healthy fats to keep you full and satisfied. Meanwhile, yogurt is used as a substitute for mayonnaise to reduce saturated fats to support heart health. While adding apples to your tuna salad might be something new to you, just think of how adding grapes to a chicken salad adds a satisfying pop of sweetness. Apples do the same in this easy, 10-minute lunch recipe!

This recipe can easily be doubled to prep for lunches for the week for multiple family members or can be used as a dip with crackers for a healthy afterschool snack. Get kids involved in this recipe by having an adult do all the chopping while kids can help by mixing the dressing and combining all salad ingredients.

Green Chile Migas

Our Green Chile Migas recipe is full of color and flavor and provides every food group in one quick meal! It can be made in four simple steps that take a total of 15 minutes, making it a perfect meal when in a crunch for time or tired from a long day’s work. 

The tomatoes in this recipe are an excellent source of vitamin C which can improve immunity and promote iron absorption. The sweetness of the tomatoes balances the heat of the green chiles giving the perfect balance to the dish.  

Save any extra tortilla chips and salsa as a healthy snack for another day.  This recipe works well with all different types of cheeses, making it a great way to use up whatever kinds you have leftovers of. Try it with a fiesta blend, Colby jack, mozzarella, or a combination of all!

Margherita Chicken Pasta

Looking for a way to add some greens to your day? This creamy Margherita Chicken Pasta dish sneaks in four cups of spinach without the need for a salad!  

This 25-minute meal is one of our most popular 1 for 1 recipes. Choose Homemade 1 for 1 recipes that are low in sodium, with at least 1mg or less of sodium for every 1 calorie, making it a great heart-healthy diet option. Other ingredients that make this recipe heart-healthy is the whole-wheat pasta, which provides 5g more fiber than regular pasta. Whole-wheat pasta is available in many different shapes and often at the same price as regular.  

If you’ve made Choose Homemade recipes before, you’ll know that we love swapping heavy cream for non-fat Greek yogurt. Using non-fat Greek yogurt makes this dish creamy without adding extra fat. Be sure to let your pasta cool down a bit in the pan before adding the yogurt to prevent curdling! 

Summary

Making high-quality and nutritious meals in 30 minutes or less is possible for everyone. Whether you are a parent on the go or a full-time student, using these recipes will help you save precious time while still getting to enjoy tasty meals. For more meals ready in under 30 minutes, simply use the time filter on choosehomemade.org or look for the 30-minute recipe badge!