Healthy Dinner Recipes You Need for The New Year

From heart-warming soups, vibrant salads to pressure cooker meals, here you’ll find healthy dinner recipes that will become your favorites year-round! 

It’s the New Year! Some of us may still be in celebration mode, while many are ready to embark on a healthy reset. After all the eating, drinking, and merrymaking, it’s time to slow down and give our bodies extra care.

At Just One Cookbook, our focus is always on nourishment and sustenance. There won’t be any full-on fasting or plain smoothie diets. Instead, we share tasty foods that make you feel good—think healthy fats, calcium, iron, vitamin D—to help you build a stronger immunity and promote overall health.

Here, we’ve gathered all the delicious, healthy dinner ideas you need for a fresh start in the new year. Since they’re also easy to make, we know they’ll become your favorites even after the detox month has passed. Cheers to vibrant health!

Easy & Healthy Dinner Recipes The Whole Family Will Enjoy

1. Instant Pot Nikujaga

When feeding a family, we seek healthy, well-balanced meals that are also simple to prepare. With thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and potatoes simmered in dashi broth, this Instant Pot Nikujaga is sure to become your all-time favorite dinner to cook for the family.

2. Ochazuke (Japanese Rice Soup with Green Tea)

This simple Japanese rice dish soup is topped with salmon, seaweed, herbs, and submerged in green tea or dashi. You can switch it up with other savory ingredients or greens like spinach for an extra boost of vitamins. It’s light, easy, and so tasty. Ochazuke is particularly comforting when you feel under the weather, but it’s versatile enough to enjoy year-round.

3. Japanese-style Tuna Mushroom Pasta

With pantry staples like canned seafood and a bottle of mentsuyu (Japanese noodle soup base), you can instantly make delicious pasta for a low-lift, healthy weeknight dinner.

4. Miso Butter Salmon

Looking to eat more salmon for those all-important omega-3 fatty acids? Pan-fried in a delicious savory sauce, this quick and easy dinner is done in less than 30 minutes!

5. Japanese Roasted Kabocha Squash

Oven-baked until slightly charred and fork-tender, these roasted kabocha squash slices are not only packed with nutrients but also delicious! They complement many main dishes you can think of!

6. Rice Porridge

For many Asian cultures, rice porridge is the chicken noodle soup for the soul—homey, soothing, and ultra-comforting. You can keep the rice porridge plain or serve it with simple leftovers like salted salmon, nori, hard-boiled egg, kimchi, or a side of pickles. It will keep you nourished and the chill at bay.

7. Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

Finely grated carrot and ginger are both super healthy and full of antioxidants. When combined with miso, they make a flavorful salad dressing that delivers lots of health benefits. Make extra and pack it for your work lunch too.

8. Instant Pot Tonjiru (Pork & Vegetable Miso Soup)

A bowl of warm, hearty soup can boost your energy to face whatever comes your way in the new year. The combination of pork belly and root vegetables provides all the health-promoting nutrients in this flavorful soup. You’ll love that it’s packed with collagen, which is great for the skin.

9. Honey Sesame Shirataki Noodles

Shirataki noodles are gluten-free and low in calories. They make the most refreshing noodle salad topped with powerful veggies and lean protein. 

10. Hot Tofu (Yudofu)

With just tofu and dashi kombu, you can enjoy this warm, protein-rich, and nourishing vegetarian dish at home. If you’d like, bulk it up with vegetables, mushrooms, or other ingredients.

11. Niratama Donburi (Chive & Egg Rice Bowl)

Soft fluffy egg stir fry with Chinese chive served over steamed rice—Niratama Donburi is the easiest way to get your protein, vitamins, and fiber. The chives give the omelette a distinct flavor but feel free to replace it with other leafy greens such as spinach, baby kale, pea shoots, etc. If you prefer low-carb, you can switch the steamed rice with brown rice or cauliflower rice.

12. Vegetable Miso Soup

A simple mix of comfort and nutrition, this vegetable miso soup can improve digestion and boost your mood. It’s delicious as breakfast for something savory in the morning or a light dinner with a side of protein like tofu or salmon.

13. Instant Pot Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice)

All the different colors, flavors, and textures of this one-pot Japanese mixed rice will keep you balanced, full, and happy.

14. Japanese Spinach Salad

If eating more greens is a goal you’d like to achieve this year, you can rely on this Japanese Spinach Salad to make it happen! Using a simple method called Ohitashi to infuse vegetables with umami and subtle flavor, this salad pairs well with any Japanese or Asian dishes and can be served anytime.

15. Zosui (Japanese Rice Soup)

Cooked in a savory dashi broth with vegetables, eggs, and whatever you have on hand, this Japanese rice soup is a nourishing meal that helps refuel your energy. It’s easily customizable and can be done in just 30 minutes!

16. Salmon in Foil

Wild-caught salmon with mushrooms and vegetables cooked in foil is an ideal dish for a healthy weeknight meal, and the best part is how fast you can pull this together.

16. Baked Tonkatsu

Enjoy a guilt-free crispy pork cutlet with this baked version of tonkatsu! I’ll show you the techniques to achieve the perfect crunchy crust and juicy meat inside.

17. Oyakodon (Chicken & Egg Bowl)

This one-bowl meal is a classic in Japanese home cooking. First, you poach the chicken thighs in dashi with sweet onion, then add in the eggs to create a fluffy sauce. It’s wholesome and utterly comforting.

18. Vegetarian Udon

This is a lighten-up noodle soup that can be enjoyed year-round. Feel free to go with your own favorite toppings, but a side of greens and simple proteins like tofu make great options!

19. Onsen Tamago Over Rice (Hot Spring Egg Rice Bowl)

Serve this perfectly poached egg with a creamy, custard-like yolk over steamed rice, then drizzle with soy sauce and scatter chopped green onion. It is fantastically simple and incredibly satisfying! What’s more? It’s great for a hearty breakfast, a light lunch or dinner, or even as a midnight snack!

20. Kakitamajiru (Japanese Egg Drop Soup)

The Japanese version of egg drop soup is the most soothing soup we can imagine for sick days, cold nights, and any other time you need a little extra comfort.

21. Stir Fry Vegetables

Quick and easy stir fry is our ultimate back-pocket recipe for healthy weeknight dinners. For vegetarian or vegan, you can leave out the meat or swap it with shiitake mushrooms or tofu.

22. Vegan Poke Bowl

This vegan poke bowl checks all the marks for a well-rounded recipe on flavors, texture, and nutrition. And thanks to its flexibility, it will give you a headstart toward eating well all year long!

23. Japanese Sweet Potato Rice

A healthy dinner is done when you serve this aromatic Japanese Sweet Potato Rice with a side of soup and salmon.

24. Cold Tuna and Tomato Somen 

When you want to keep things light without sacrificing flavor and substance, this somen noodle with tuna and tomatoes will hit every note. It’s wonderfully simple to put together!

26. Roasted Miso Garlic Cauliflower

I love that you can make a large batch of these roasted cauliflower and reheat them easily to serve with your main dishes.

27. Okinawan Taco Rice

This fusion of Tex-Mex and Japanese cuisines is a family favorite, especially among young children. Here, we have well-seasoned taco ground beef, fresh chopped bell peppers, and lettuce served over warmed rice. I’ve also prepared a simple tomato salsa with chopped onion, cilantro, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice. Go easy on the shredded cheese to make it a lighter meal. Feel free to swap the beef with ground turkey or chicken or crumble tofu!

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Looking for More Healthy and Easy Dinner Ideas?

• 15 Easy Japanese Salad Recipes
• Japanese Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus
• 15 Best & Healthy Side Dishes to Serve with Salmon
• Tofu Pizza
• Slow Cooker Sriracha Chili Wings

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 7, 2020, and has been republished in January 2022.