22 Heart-Healthy Dinners That the Whole Family Will Love (2024)

Too much saturated fat and sodium can be hard on the heart—that's why these tasty dinners cut down on ingredients like salt, butter and fatty cuts of meat. But there's still tons of flavor in these recipes, whether it's the spicy kick in a bowl of chili or the bright lemon flavor in a bowl of pasta. Whether it's a sheet-pan meal, a spread of customizable tacos or a pasta dish with lots of veggies, you're sure to find something for your family in this mix of dinners. Plus, each recipe is lower in saturated fat and sodium so you can follow a heart-healthy eating pattern with ease. Recipes like our Easy Fish Tacos with Kiwi Salsa and Baked Beans with Ground Beef are delicious ways to bring everyone together at the end of the day.

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Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans

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For a steak that's deliciously tender, flavorful and not too fatty, we reach for strip (also known as New York strip or shell steak). It has less than half the saturated fat of a rib-eye but is more tender than leaner sirloin. Here, we cook green beans in the same pan used to sear the spiced steak. All those delicious drippings add richness to the beans—plus there's one less pan to wash!

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Easy Fish Tacos with Kiwi Salsa

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These healthy fish tacos can be made with cod or any other firm white fish. A lively kiwi salsa and red cabbage brighten up the colors and flavors of the crispy tacos and complete this easy dinner recipe. The key to perfectly golden, crunchy fish is patience--let your oil get nice and hot before you add in the battered pieces. Dip an instant-read thermometer into the oil to make sure it's up to temp before you get cooking.

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Skillet Chicken Potpie

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A store-bought pie crust, frozen veggies and precooked chicken simplify the prep for this easy potpie. This healthy dinner recipe is comfort food at its best.

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Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

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This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.

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Cauliflower Fajita Skillet

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Thinly sliced cauliflower florets mimic the signature shape of fajita meat in this dish. We cook it in a cast-iron skillet for that tableside sizzle you'd get at a restaurant.

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Salmon with Lemon-Herb Orzo & Broccoli

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This healthy salmon dish is as balanced as it is delicious. You add broccoli right into the pot along with the pasta during its last minute of cooking to save time here. One less thing to wash too!

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Baked Beans with Ground Beef

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Upgrade baked beans from classic side dish to a meaty main meal by adding lean ground beef. The final result, a superfast hearty casserole, is an easy and fast dinner option. Ground turkey or even sausage would work nicely in this dish. Just watch the sodium.

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Easy Sesame Chicken with Green Beans

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Sweet-salty hoisin sauce and nutty sesame team up in this easy meal that's cooked on one baking sheet. Serve this sesame chicken with brown rice and sliced cucumbers, drizzled with sesame oil and rice vinegar.

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Sheet-Pan Harissa Chicken & Vegetables

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This one-pan dinner gets a hit of flavorful heat from harissa, the popular North African chile-and-garlic paste. We use harissa paste from a tube for this recipe. It's got a concentrated chile flavor that makes an excellent spice rub for chicken and adds a subtle punch of heat to a refreshing herbed yogurt sauce.

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Mediterranean Portobello Mushroom Pizzas with Arugula Salad

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Roasted portobello mushrooms stand in for pizza crust in these comforting individual "pizzas." An easy arugula side salad makes a vibrant accompaniment.

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One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake

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In this chicken and asparagus recipe, we use one baking sheet to whip up dinner quickly, veggies included. Pounding the chicken thin helps it cook quickly alongside the carrots and potatoes, with asparagus rounding out the meal. This is one quick dinner recipe you'll be returning to again and again.

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Greek Chicken & Cucumber Pita Sandwiches with Yogurt Sauce

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Cucumbers do double duty in this healthy Greek chicken pita recipe--they're grated to lend a refreshing flavor to the quick cucumber-yogurt sauce and sliced to provide cool crunch tucked into the pita. Serve these Mediterranean sandwiches for a healthy dinner or light lunch.

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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Meal-Prep Chili-Lime Chicken Bowls

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Skip takeout and whip up these equally delicious, and easy-to-make burrito bowls at home. They're great for a fast and easy dinner or as meal-prep lunches to pack for work throughout the week.

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Baked Cavatelli Casserole

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This easy to make, comforting dish will keep you warm on a cold day.

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Baked Fish Tacos with Avocado

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Instead of deep-frying, the fish fillets in this quick-and-easy 5-ingredient recipe are coated with a flavorful seasoning blend and baked. Several varieties of flaky white fish can be used for these tacos. When you go to the market to purchase fish, the best strategy is to be flexible and choose the variety that looks freshest that day.

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Chicken, Potato, and Gravy Bowls

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Tender potatoes and flavorful chicken are topped with a delicious gravy in this meal-in-a bowl.

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas

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These easy Mexican enchiladas are filled with flavorful, shredded slow-cooked shredded chicken. Placed on a bed of fresh lettuce, this delicious recipe is sure to be the hit of any dinner occasion.

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Carne Asada Tacos

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These flank-steak soft tacos are so tasty and easy, they should be in everyone's repertoire. Plus they're made with fresh corn tortillas (not fried) and topped with a quick homemade salsa made with avocado, tomato, onion and a bright squeeze of lime.

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Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

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Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce.

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Three-Bean Chili

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This rib-sticking bean chili is richly flavored with cumin, chili, paprika, oregano and an assortment of peppers. Use whatever beans you have in your pantry.

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Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

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Sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese pack a flavorful punch along with the tantalizing aroma of fresh marjoram in this rustic Italian-inspired dish. Serve with sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccolini.