15+ Favorite Light and Fresh 30-Minute Meals

byTasty foods recipes •January 08, 2026

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If you’re looking to get back on track (in many different ways!) after the holidays, here is a list of my favorite lighter, fresher, healthier meals that can be on the table in 30-minutes or less.

Because these recipes are so simple, all of these recipes make excellent dinners and/or lunches. Plan ahead to meal prep in advance the recipes you like so you can have easy lunch options during the week.

This might be my favorite recipe roundup to date. Scrolling through these recipes makes me very excited and very hungry!

15+ Light and Fresh 30-Minute Meals

1

Top down view of ground turkey, green beans, rice and naan bread in white bowl.

Thai-Style Ground Turkey and Green Beans {20-Minute Meal}

This can be on the table in even less than 30 minutes! It is delicious served with a fried egg on top, too.

2

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Simple Orange Chicken with Broccoli

This is an older recipe but one we make all the time. It is simple, quick and delicious!

3

Top down view of a white bowl with flatbread, white rice, and shrimp in a curry sauce.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

Easily one of my most favorite recipes ever! Bonus: lots of readers report they have made it with chicken with good results.

4

Three halves of crispy chicken wraps stacked on wooden board with cherry tomatoes.

Crispy Chicken Enchilada Wraps

These wraps are cooked on a griddle for a crispy outside (rather than being fried in oil) and they are easily customizable to ingredients you have on hand.

5

Three tacos of flour tortillas filled with cooked lentils, sour cream, cheese and tomatoes.

Instant Pot Lentil Tacos

Ok, this recipe might take just a teensy bit over the 30 minute mark letting the pressure release from the Instant Pot…but I hope you'll forgive me for including it in this roundup (these tacos are so good and so healthy and should not be missed!).

6

Top down view of chicken and zucchini in cream sauce over white rice.

Coconut Lime Chicken and Zucchini

Check out the comments on this recipe – most people are AMAZED at just how delicious this meal is! So yummy!

7

Turkey wrap in spinach tortilla stacked on two other wraps.

Turkey Avocado Veggie Wraps

These wraps make an excellent lighter dinner – and they are perfect for lunches, too.

8

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Skillet Cilantro and Lime Fish Tacos

These quick and simple fish tacos are exceptionally delicious!

9

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Chicken and Mango {Or Pineapple} Basil Stir Fry

This is one of my favorite stir fry recipes! The flavors are so fresh and so tasty. FYI: Pineapple can be subbed for the mango.

10

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Cheesy Chicken, Kale and Sweet Potato Skillet Meal

This is a must-make! The sweet potato with the chicken and kale is so good, and it's such an easy skillet meal.

11

Ground turkey, cabbage, naan in white bowl drizzled with sweet and sour sauce.

Quick and Easy Egg Roll Skillet Meal {30-Minute Meal}

This is one of my family's all-time favorites! We make it monthly (at least). It is quick and easy and loaded with protein.

12

Twisting ramen noodles on fork with beef and broccoli on white plate.

Easy One Pot Beef and Broccoli Ramen Noodles

To make this meal even easier, sub ground beef for the steak pieces (I do that 99% of the time!).

13

Skillet with chicken, zucchini, parmesan and wooden spoon.

Skillet Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Zucchini

If zucchini is hard to find, sub in broccoli or another veggie of choice. The flavors of this one are simple and so tasty.

14

naan bread in white bowl with rice, chicken, broccoli and brown sauce

Quick and Easy Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

This recipe makes use of cooked chicken – so pick up a rotisserie chicken and put this meal on the menu! It's fantastic.

15

Top down view of a white bowl filled with diced chicken, diced avocado, chunks of fresh corn, and bacon bits.

Avocado Chicken Salad

This recipe is a year-round favorite, and it is so yummy with some of the optional add-ins (like bacon!).

16

Teriyaki sheet pan dinner loaded with vegetables.

Teriyaki Chicken + Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner

Sheet pan dinners are a lifesaver! Serve this collection of chicken + veggies on its own or over rice.

17

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken + Veggies

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

Another sheet pan favorite! If you love balsamic flavors, you'll love this one.

18

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The Best Ground Beef Taco Meat

This taco meat is delicious and can be served with salads, on tacos, or in wraps or quesadillas!

19

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Yum Yum Rice Bowls with Knockoff Yumm Sauce Recipe

Fresh and yummy, these veggies bowls are so good – especially because everyone can customize their own.

20

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20-Minute Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

Another meal that can come together in even less than 30 minutes…and the veggies are super adaptable to what you have on hand.

21

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Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I've loved these wraps for over a decade and I don't see that ever changing. The are so easy and the flavor is incredible!

22

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Thai Chicken Crunch Wraps

I could eat these crunchy, flavorful wraps every single day. They make a delicious lighter dinner and are great for lunches.

23

A white plate with three shredded chicken tacos topped with cheese in flour tortillas and a lime wedge next to the tacos.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

A great weeknight meal – these chicken tacos have a few unique ingredients that provide the most delicious flavor.

24

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White Bean and Tuna Salad

The older pictures on this recipe don't do it justice – this tuna + white bean situation has been a lunch staple for me for almost two decades. Make it up in advance and eat it for days!

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