19 Light Dinner Ideas (Quick & Easy Recipes) 2024

ByCheryl Avrich

You’re tired and looking for quick and easy light dinner ideas to end your day on an uncomplicated note. Here you will find a variety of satisfying main dishes all under 500 calories and made in 30 minutes or less.

Check out our simple weeknight meals of pasta, fish & seafood, vegetarian meals, and chicken & meat. Lots to choose from.

Collage of light dinner ideas and recipes.

What to expect

We selected light dinner recipes that are unfussy, require little time for prep, and contain fewer than 500 calories (many much less) excluding extra sides. All can be made in 30 minutes or less for busy weeknights.

Keep in mind that most of our recipes offer shortcuts and substitutes if you need them. We firmly believe in getting from A to B in the quickest way possible and adapting recipes to your taste and what you have on hand.

Also note that every recipe takes longer to make the first time. You will most certainly become more efficient the second and third time around. This is why we all make recipes over and over again 🙂

If I had to choose the ultimate ‘quick and easy’ light dinner ideas…here are my go-to’s:

  1. Vegetable wonton soup (use whatever veggies you have on hand)
  2. Vegetarian fajitas (buy the packaged seasoning)
  3. Pastina soup with veggies (pure comfort Italian chicken noodle soup)
  4. Baked trout with lemon, butter and fresh herbs (a snap to make)
  5. PF Change simplified chicken lettuce wraps (surprised? check it out)

Easy Pasta Recipes

Most of these pasta dishes are vegetarian recipes but can be tweaked with added proteins if you like.

Spicy Ramen Noodles With Chili Crisp (18 Min-One Pot)

Spicy ramen noodles with veggies on plate with chop sticks.
Make these one-pot vibrant spicy ramen noodles with veggies, chili crisp, and a delicious sauce for a quick and easy dinner or side dish. Keep the dish vegetarian or add chicken, meat or shrimp.
18 minutes, 354 calories
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Easy Vegetable Spaghetti in 30 Minutes

vegetable spaghetti on white plate with wine behind plate.
Whip up a nutritious and flavorful vegetable spaghetti with your favorite veggies, capers, lemon, and garlic. This is a meatless meal made with simple ingredients – perfect for an easy summer dinner or any season.
30 minutes, 472 calories
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Easy Pastina Soup With Veggies

bowl of pastina soup on white plate
Pastina soup – an Italian chicken noodle soup – is comfort in a bowl. I like to add veggies to bump up the nutrition, but that's up to you (and what the kids will eat!). Deliciously satisfying. 
30 minutes, 141 calories
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Simple Mediterranean Spaghetti (22 Minutes)

Mediterranean spaghetti in a white bowl on wood table.
This quick and easy Mediterranean spaghetti is bursting with traditional Mediterranean flavors of garlic, olives, lemon, peppers, basil, and tomatoes. A simple weeknight vegetarian meal.
22 minutes, 369 calories
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Fish & Seafood Recipes

Crispy Baked Fish (20 minutes)

panko covered white fish with veggies on black plate.
A buttery golden brown panko crust crowns this crispy baked fish for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. A perfect fish recipe for people who don't like fish. And for those who do too. Choose any mild white fish and a sauce or condiment you like best (we have lots of suggestions).
20 minutes. 395 calories
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Creamy Salmon Pasta

creamy salmon pasta in bowl
Make a delicious one-pot pasta, bake salmon at the same time, add it to the skillet and voilà – healthy, creamy salmon pasta with just a few simple ingredients.
23 minutes, 488 calories.
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Shrimp Piccata

single picatta shrimp on fork.
Lemony, garlicky, buttery shrimp piccata is on the table in no time. Serve over rice or as an appetizer straight from the skillet. A simple, classic and delicious satisfying meal. 
20 minutes, 331 calories.
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Shrimp Roll Recipe (easy, easier, easiest)

3 shrimp salad rolls on white plate sprinkled with parsley
Shrimp may be the poor manu0026#39;s lobster, but this grilled shrimp roll recipe with dressed-up plump juicy morsels of shrimp in a buttery toasted roll feels decadent. Choose from 3 methods – easy, easier, easiest.
28 minutes, 298 calories.
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Coconut Curry Salmon (30 Minutes)

coconut curry salmon on top of rice on black plate.
A quick healthy meal doesnu0026#39;t get any better. Salmon gets an Asian flare in this coconut curry salmon recipe made with coconut milk, tomato sauce and robust seasonings. Spicy with tons of flavor, it makes a simple weeknight or company meal.
30 minutes, 392 calories
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Baked Trout With Lemon, Butter & Herbs

piece of lemon herb baked trout on plate
I love this lemon butter herb baked trout made with just a few simple fresh ingredients. Itu0026#39;s a succulent, easy, melt-in-your-mouth dish.
18 minutes, 461 calories.
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BBQ Shrimp Recipe (Skewered & Grilled)

BBQ shrimp over noodles with snap peas and peaches.
This simple BBQ shrimp recipe delivers big flavors with little effort. Grill up plump, juicy, well-seasoned shrimp for a quick main dish or appetizer.u003cemu003e You can bake the shrimp instead.
20 minutes, 162 calories.
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Vegetarian Meals

Easy Vegetarian Fajitas

4 filled fajitas on cutting board with condiments f
In just a matter of minutes, you can be sitting down to a delicious, satisfying, assemble-your-own vegetarian fajita feast with your favorite toppings. Start with the basics – red bell peppers, onions, fajita seasonings and flour or corn tortillas – then customize from there with black beans, sour cream, avocado and more.
20 minutes, 305 calories.
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Vegetable Wonton Soup

vegetable wonton soup in a pot f
This build-your-own Asian-style vegetable wonton soup is super flavorful and versatile. And leftovers are great the next day. If you like a healthy dinner recipe, quick meal prep and a simple recipe, you’ve landed in the right place. 
22 minutes, 382 calories.
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Butternut Squash Curry (30-Minutes)

squash curry over rice in bowl f
With a few good shortcuts, this healthy butternut squash curry can be on the table quickly for an easy weeknight dinner. Rich, creamy, spicy deliciousness.
30 minutes, 302 calories.
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Easy Eggplant Parmesan

piece of eggplant parmesan on plate
This easy eggplant parmesan recipe has no breading, no frying and no pre-salting (a great way to cut calories). Itu0026#39;s unfussy, healthy and simply delicious.
30 minutes, 400 calories.
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For more vegetarian meals, check out our meatless Monday dinner ideas.

Chicken & Meat Recipes

Juicy Chicken Burger Recipe with Mango Salsa

grilled chicken burger with mango salsa with fries on plate.
This juicy chicken burger recipe with mango salsa is great BBQ or easy weeknight meal. No more dry and tasteless burgers. These are moist and flavorful.
22 minutes, 497 calories.
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Simple Chicken Meatballs with Sauce

meatball stew in skillet with spinach added
This easy chicken meatballs recipe has a lot to brag about. Tender, juicy meatballs, healthy fresh veggies and a delicious light savory sauce. Itu0026#39;s also a great make-ahead meal.
30 minutes, 433 calories.
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Ground Beef Stir Fry (One Pan, 30 Minutes)

stir fry ground beef and vegetables over white rice on plate.
Packed with fresh vegetables and protein in a flavorful savory sauce, this healthy ground beef stir fry can be on the table quickly – all in one pan. Serve over white rice, brown rice or quinoa.
30 minutes, 442 calories.
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PF Chang Lettuce Wrap Recipe (simplified copycat)

pf chang like mixture in lettuce
These popular PF Changu0026#39;s chicken lettuce wraps are a real treat for weeknights or dinner parties. Great flavors, great textures and surprisingly easy to make, especially with our simplified version. A one-pot meal.
20 minutes, 153 calories.
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Simple Chicken Green Bean Stir Fry

chicken and green bean stir fry in skillet with sesame seeds
Chicken and green bean stir fry is all about tender chicken and blistered green beans, wrapped in a bold and delicious homemade stir fry sauce and topped with sesame seeds. Just a simple, easy meal.
25 minutes, 364 calories.
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Tips for getting dinner on the table quickly

1. Plan and shop ahead: I know this one is not always in the cards, but it does save time if you get your ingredients in advance and don’t find yourself wandering around the grocery store trying to figure out what to make 🙂 It’s best to make a list of quick dinner ideas beforehand.

2. Prep ahead: If you have time the night before or in the morning, chop veggies or make a sauce ahead.

3. Use simple or available ingredients: Opt for recipes that have fewer ingredients or can be adapted to your fridge and pantry staples. Almost all our recipes have substitutes and can be tailored to your needs.

4. Double the recipe: Make enough for leftovers so you can have a quick lunch or dinner to accommodate your busy schedule the next day. Meatballs, for example, are easy to freeze and use for another meal. So are rice and quinoa.

5. Use convenience foods: I’m a big fan of this as long as they don’t compromise taste. Some great time-savers are frozen veggies, puff pastry, fresh salad kits, pre-cut vegetables like butternut squash, pre-washed baby spinach (I use this a lot!), frozen rice, rotisserie chicken, and peeled/deveined frozen shrimp.

6. Employ your quicker appliances: Air fryer and instant pot (pressure cooker) recipes can definitely save time in the kitchen. Just be aware that with the instant pot, you have to calculate the extra time it takes for the food to come to pressure and, in some cases, release pressure.

Tips to make recipes lighter

  • Load up on veggies in stews, soups, pasta dishes and stir fries.
  • Bake instead of fry. We’re talking fish, chicken, potatoes, even eggplant parmesan (see recipe above)
  • Swap heavy cream with milk or Greek yogurt in soups, casseroles and sauces.
  • Use lower fat cheese in mac and cheese, pizza, lasagna.
  • Use oats instead of bread crumbs. This is perfect for meatloaf or meatballs.
  • Use quinoa instead of rice. It can even replace bread for a quinoa stuffing.

Check out these delicious light dinner ideas under 400 calories. There is no need to sacrifice flavor and eliminate all your faves.

Hope you found an easy weeknight dinner for tonight!

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