Getting the right nutrients in your meals is key to maintaining a healthy diet—and it’s easier than you think. One way to achieve this is by following the balanced plate method—a nutritionist-approved approach to building a plate by filling half with veggies, one-quarter protein, and one-quarter starch—to ensure your meal is both nutritious and satisfying. The balanced plate guideline can be applied to any meal or even snack time. But if you don’t know where to start, check out our guide to building a balanced plate and try these quick, easy, and delicious recipes to get you started.
Chicken Satay Bowls
These satisfying bowls contain broccoli slaw for veggies, edamame and chicken for protein, and rice for a satiating starch. Leftover rotisserie chicken and pre-cooked rice are key for super-fast meal preparation, helping this bowl come together in just 10 minutes. Plus, a drizzle of store-bought Thai peanut and honey dressing tops it off with an irresistible sweet and salty flavor with minimal effort.
Get the recipe: Chicken Satay Bowls
Teriyaki Air Fryer Salmon Bites with Bok Choy and Rice
This balanced plate is made up of Bok choy for veggies, salmon for protein, and a base of rice for starch. The air fryer comes to the rescue to help get this meal on the table in just 15 minutes while working double time to achieve crisp salmon bites and ultra-tender veggies. Pre-cooked rice takes minutes in the microwave to complete the bowl in record time.
Get the recipe: Teriyaki Air Fryer Salmon Bites with Bok Choy and Rice
Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken with Veggies
All you need is a sheet pan for this easy dinner recipe, which features green beans for veggies, chicken for protein, and sweet potato for starch. The simple combination of lemon pepper seasonings and garlic powder gives the juicy chicken thighs great flavor while roasting brings out the natural sweetness of green beans and sweet potatoes.
Get the recipe: Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken with Veggies
Spicy Air Fryer Crispy Tofu Bowl
Vegetarian meals can make a balanced plate too! Simple microwaved broccoli is the veggie star while tofu brings protein and rice acts as the starch to soak up all the savory, spicy sauce. The trick to getting extra golden-brown tofu is to lightly toss it in cornstarch and crisp it in the air fryer.
Get the recipe: Spicy Air Fryer Crispy Tofu Bowl
Miso-Honey Salmon with Roasted Green Beans and Gnocchi
Gnocchi shines as the starch in this one-pan meal where green beans and salmon quickly roast together. The miso-honey marinade gives the salmon a sweet and savory flavor your whole family will love. Bonus: shortcuts like frozen green beans and shelf-stable gnocchi help you get dinner on the table faster.
Get the recipe: Miso-Honey Salmon with Roasted Green Beans and Gnocchi
Sweet Potatoes and Creamed Spinach with Steak
Who says a fancy steak dinner can’t be balanced? Frozen spinach gets the classic American steakhouse treatment with a simple cream cheese sauce, while grilled steak slices and baked sweet potato wedges balance out the nutrients and flavor. This makes a memorable and easy birthday or anniversary dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potatoes and Creamed Spinach with Steak
Sheet Pan Fish Fillets with Smashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Use whatever fish is available and fits your budget (tilapia, cod, halibut, salmon, or haddock are great choices). Pair your protein with green beans for veggies and boiled, smashed, and baked potatoes for an ultra-crispy starch. This recipe’s versatility makes it great for using up extra fish filets from a larger pack or leftover veggies from earlier in the week.
Get the recipe: Sheet Pan Fish Fillets with Smashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Fajita Steak Salad
Yes, you can create a balanced meal in a salad bowl and this is a delicious place to start. Pan-grilled peppers and onions plus lettuce and avocados create a colorful veggie base. Taco-seasoned pan-grilled steak and tortilla chips add protein and starch. A homemade avocado-cilantro dressing ties it all together. Put some beers and sodas on ice, make this salad, and you’ve got an instant party.
Get the recipe: Fajita Steak Salad
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Sandwiches aren’t just starch and protein as this vegetarian twist on a tuna salad sandwich proves. It takes just 10 minutes to whip up the filling of chickpeas, dill pickles, celery, onion, herbs, and mayo and layer it with lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread. Keep a bowl of the filling in your fridge for wow-worthy lunches all week long.
Get the recipe: Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Chicken Hummus Bowl
This Greek-inspired chicken hummus quinoa bowl is packed with veggies and comes together in just 15 minutes. Pile your bowl high with a delicious Greek salad of tomatoes, red onion, and cucumbers for veggies, chicken and hummus for protein, and quinoa and pita bread for starch. Shortcuts like precooked quinoa, store-bought hummus, and shredded rotisserie chicken help make this bowl extra quick and easy to assemble.
Get the recipe: Chicken Hummus Bowl
Quick Bibimbap Rice Bowl
This Korean-inspired bowl is ready in 20 minutes and makes a terrific lunch or dinner. A base of pre-cooked rice is topped with veggies like spinach, bean sprouts, and cucumber plus beef and eggs for protein. Shortcuts like pre-cooked rice and microwavable bagged spinach speed up the recipe, while spicy Korean chili sauce amps up the flavor.
Get the recipe: Quick Bibimbap Rice Bowl
Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs
If you think meatless meals are light on protein, these vegetarian meatballs will change your mind. This dish is the ultimate combination of two Italian-American favorites: spaghetti with meatballs and eggplant parmesan. Eggplant and squash noodles (instead of pasta) bring the veggies, while cannellini beans, eggs, parmesan, and mozzarella provide plenty of protein. This saucy, cheesy, satisfying vegetarian dish is sure to earn a spot in your kid-approved dinner rotation. While there are breadcrumbs in the meatballs for starch, a little garlic bread on the side wouldn’t go amiss.
Get the recipe: Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs
Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs with Rice, Tomatoes, and Broccoli
This creamy, spicy Thai recipe is ready in just 25 minutes. Each bowl has broccoli and tomatoes for veggies, juicy turkey meatballs for protein, and rice for starch. Store-bought frozen meatballs and flavor-packed curry paste make this recipe extra speedy and are smart shortcut ingredients to keep on hand for busy weeknight meals.
Get the recipe: Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs with Rice, Tomatoes, and Broccoli
Sweet Potato Nachos with Ground Turkey
This veggie-heavy twist on nachos is irresistible. Baked sweet potato slices (instead of tortilla chips) are topped with a genius turkey chili made of seasoned ground turkey and refried beans, drizzled in melted cheese, and then piled high with lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Nachos with Ground Turkey
Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Broccoli
Sweet and savory maple mustard sauce tops off juicy pork tenderloin in this kid-friendly sheet pan dinner. Red potatoes get a satisfyingly crispy parmesan coating for a family-friendly starch, while broccoli roasts alongside to balance out the meal. Delicious flavors, satisfying textures, and balanced nutrition come together to make this recipe a family dinner winner.
Get the recipe: Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes and Broccoli
