Looking for healthy family dinner ideas that go beyond another plain salad? Think chicken and pepper trays, loaded sweet potatoes and salmon bowls with colorful toppings.
These pictures give you plenty of starting points for dinner, including pasta, tacos and a veggie-packed pizza.
You can keep things simple or put out toppings for everyone to choose. Use these as meal inspiration rather than complete recipes, then adjust the ingredients and portions to suit your family.
Family dinner ideas worth saving
chicken and pepper fajita tray
We’re starting off strong with this colorful chicken and pepper tray. I love the red and yellow strips mixed through the browned chicken and onions.
The lime wedges and scattered cilantro make it look even more inviting.
For your own dinner, put tortillas and a bowl of salsa on the table so everyone can build their own.
meatballs over ribbon pasta
Don’t want tomato sauce with your pasta tonight? This bowl gives you another direction, with wide noodles, browned meatballs and a big lemon slice on top.
Read also: 20 Vegetarian Meal Prep Ideas With Colorful Bowls, Pasta and More
I’d serve a green salad alongside it. Keep the little sprinkle of chopped herbs if you like this simple finish.
salmon bowls with colorful toppings
These salmon bowls may just be two of my favorites here. I love the cucumber, shredded carrot and avocado around the salmon chunks in the top bowl.
The lower bowl brings in pink onion slices, black sesame seeds and lime.
Pick the combination you like rather than feeling you need every topping from both.
black bean and mango tacos
How pretty are these tacos? The yellow mango pieces look so good beside the black beans and avocado slices.
Shredded cabbage fills the spaces between them, with a pale orange sauce drizzled over the top.
Read also: 20 Build Your Own Family Dinner Ideas With Plenty of Toppings
Try serving the sliced green peppers separately if your family likes different levels of heat.
chicken and vegetable stir-fry
If you love lots of vegetables in one dish, this one is for you. Broccoli, carrots and red and green peppers surround the chicken pieces, with sauce collecting between them.
You could serve your version over brown rice or noodles. There’s no need to pick just one vegetable when this mix looks so good together.
chili with all the toppings
I am all for this chili topping situation. Shredded cheese, diced red and green peppers, cilantro and a white dollop sit over the chunky bean-filled base.
Put your toppings in small bowls if you’d rather let everyone finish their own portion. Plain yogurt would be one option for that creamy finishing touch.
golden strips and sweet potato wedges
Want a dinner with something to dip? These golden breaded strips and orange sweet potato wedges come with a little bowl of red sauce.
I especially love the browned edges and scattered green herbs.
Read also: 20 New Year’s Day Dinner Ideas From Black-Eyed Peas to Glazed Ham
For a similar plate, try breaded chicken with sweet potato wedges and add cucumber sticks on the side.
veggie-loaded pizza
I am obsessed with all the toppings on this pizza. There are artichoke pieces, peppers, red onion, dark olives and leafy greens over the melted cheese.
The basil leaves are such a pretty finishing touch.
If you want to try this idea without quite so much going on, choose three of your favorite vegetables first.
saucy lentil sandwiches
Who says a bun needs a burger? This one is piled with saucy lentils and a generous layer of slaw.
The purple cabbage and carrot strips are my favorite little details.
Keep a fork nearby for the filling that spills out. This is definitely not a tiny, neatly tucked sandwich!
shrimp tacos with cabbage
These shrimp tacos look so inviting. Browned shrimp sit over shredded cabbage and a green spread, with pale sauce and crumbled white cheese on top.
I’d keep the lime wedges on the side, just like this. A little chopped cilantro finishes the plate without needing another topping.
loaded chicken burrito bowl
If you like a little bit of everything, save this chicken burrito bowl. The rice is topped with chicken, black beans, corn, mashed avocado and chopped tomato salsa.
I love how the toppings sit in their own little sections. You can follow the same arrangement or serve everything separately for a build-your-own dinner.
chicken pitas with cucumber
Looking for something you can pick up instead of eat from a bowl? These pitas are filled with chicken slices, cucumber, tomato and rings of red onion.
The white herb-speckled sauce runs along the bottom.
For your own version, try a yogurt-and-cucumber sauce with the same vegetable combination.
black bean stuffed sweet potatoes
I love this way of turning a sweet potato into the center of dinner. The split potatoes hold black beans, corn, tomato and chunky avocado, with a white topping and chopped herbs.
Keep some of the filling in a bowl on the table so you can add more as you eat.
glazed salmon and broccoli
This is another pretty salmon idea, but it’s a little different from the bowls above. Whole fillets sit on the tray with a glossy reddish-brown glaze, surrounded by broccoli, carrot pieces and onion.
Try a teriyaki-style recipe if you want to take your dinner in this direction. I’d serve rice alongside the fish and vegetables.
burgers with chunky avocado
That chunky avocado topping is my favorite part of these burgers. Thick tomato slices and red onion rings sit above the cheese-covered patties, with orange fries alongside.
You could use turkey or bean patties for your own version. Keep the tomato and avocado if you want the same generously stacked look.
vegetable soup with pasta shells
If you’re looking for a dinner to ladle into bowls, go with a vegetable soup like this one. Small pasta shells, white beans, green beans and leafy cabbage fill the reddish broth.
The little bowl of grated cheese on the side is a nice touch. Let everyone add their own sprinkle.
penne with sausage and greens
Pasta night doesn’t have to mean the same sauce every time. This penne is mixed with browned sausage slices, wilted greens and tomato pieces in a creamy-looking sauce.
For a vegetable-heavy variation, I’d add extra spinach or serve roasted broccoli alongside it.
cauliflower rice with egg and peas
How colorful is this bowl? Little cauliflower pieces are mixed with peas, carrots and yellow pieces of egg.
The chopped green onion on top keeps the finish simple.
If you’d like a more substantial bowl, try mixing cooked rice into your cauliflower version rather than using cauliflower alone.
chicken with potatoes and green beans
Don’t want lots of toppings or a bowl full of mixed ingredients? No problem!
This plate keeps the chicken, golden potato pieces and green beans in separate sections.
I love the chopped herbs over the chicken and potatoes. Serve lemon wedges alongside your version for anyone who wants a squeeze.
vegetable pasta bake
Last but definitely not least, we have this vegetable-filled pasta bake. The scooped-out corner shows the pasta layers beneath a browned cheesy top, with colorful diced vegetables scattered throughout.
Read also: 20 One Dish Dinners With Cheesy Bakes, Chicken and Colorful Veggies
I’d bring the dish to the table with a simple green salad. There’s plenty going on in the bake already.