Spring has sprung (in some parts of the world, anyway!) and that means heavy meals are falling out of favor. Instead, light dinner ideas are taking over. The kinds of meals you can enjoy with a crisp glass of wine or with a light spring breeze rippling through your home. Or which fills the void after a long, lazy lunch where you’re peckish but not ready to demolish an entire meal. Bliss!
Don’t lose your grocery list with a free Samsung Food Account
So what should you be eating? We have suggestions for everything, from refreshing salads to hands-free meals which don’t require you sweating over the stove. All we can say is that every meal on here totally deserves a spot on your list of light dinners. Save them to Whisk and add them to your meal planner!
Light Dinner Ideas for Spring and Summer – Our Favorite Recipes
When the weather heats up, slaving away over hot stoves and trying to stomach heavy dishes like lamb shanks is out of the question. Comfort takes a different form in spring and summer! Instead, try one of these light dinner ideas which will leave you feeling satisfied and full without feeling heavy or weighed down.
Light Salads for Dinner
When you think of light dinner ideas, salads is probably top of the list. We’re here to tell you that doesn’t mean some sad, soggy lettuce and a boring tomato. Instead, you can have a salad which is fresh and filling, packed with different textures, and with a vibrant dressing which keeps you coming back for more. Committing to one salad dinner a week during the hotter months can help you to think outside the box, up your veggie intake (which is key for vitamins and minerals), and give you much-needed variety.
Try one of these
Broccoli and Bacon Salad
Get in those green veg with broccoli salad. It’s healthy, loaded with flavor and topped with a creamy mayonnaise yogurt dressing to amp up those flavors.
The Best Cobb Salad
Cobb salad really does have everything you need to make something filling and tasty. Protein for satiety pairs with creamy blue cheese and avocado, crunchy romaine and red onion, and tomatoes finish it off.
Chickpea Salad
Filling salad doesn’t have to involve meat or heavy saturated fats. This is a truly light and simple salad which still hits all the right boxes: protein, a zingy dressing, and plenty of micronutrients. Air fry the chickpeas for added crunch!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Black beans, a lime crema dressing, and feta make this a party in your mouth. Seriously, we are NOT going to settle for boring salads any more. Not after this.
Quick Light Dinners
Don’t want to spend hours cooking? Us neither! Even the most enthusiastic foodies need time to do other things, especially on busy days and nights. Luckily, these recipes are all quick to prepare and cook and will have you sitting down to dinner quicker than you know it.
Firecracker Bang Bang Salmon Bites
No need to pop to the local place for sushi when you can make bang bang salmon bites in under 30 minutes. Perfect as an appetizer, part of a spread, or just by themselves!
Rotini Caesar Salad
A good Caesar salad dressing can take a meal from meh to next-level amazing. No more bland pasta dishes!
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl
This poke bowl uses tuna and quinoa, but you could swap it out for whatever you like. Tofu and greens, chicken and brown rice, whatever! It’s quick to come together and will satisfy all your fancy food cravings without any heaviness.
Healthy Light Dinners
If you’re looking to lose weight, want to improve how you feel, or just overindulged a bit more than you’d like already then you might be looking for light dinner ideas which are healthy, low in overall calories, and packed full of the good stuff: vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A few nights of these sorts of meals can often leave you feeling healthier, happier, and more energetic if you’ve been a bit sluggish or generally ‘meh.’
Plan ahead and say goodbye to meal time madness
In that case, one of these meals might be just the ticket.
Grilled Lime Cilantro Shrimp
Seafood and light dinners are a match made in heaven. And the same goes for citrus. So citrus seafood? Well, it’s a winner!
Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
Stuffed bell peppers get a makeover with plenty of cheese and veggies. Perfect for a vegetarian-friendly summer dish.
Fresh Spring Rolls and Peanut Dipping Sauce
Vietnamese and Thai flavors abound in this light and crunchy take on a spring roll. Served with a healthy, creamy peanut dipping sauce to round off the vegetables and fish sauce, it’s the perfect way to eat a
Spinach Ricotta Quiche
Spinach is always top of the healthy eating list and ricotta is one of the healthier cheeses, but you could always sub in some fat-free cottage cheese too if you wanted to up the protein and lower the calories. Serve with a crisp green salad and enjoy!
