50 Healthy Side Dishes to Add a Pop of Color to Your Dinner Plate
Bring a boatload of nutrients to your table with these veggie-packed recipes!
As you plan your weekly menu of healthy dinner ideas for you and your family, creating a well-balanced plate is key. A satisfying main course is, of course, an essential component (healthy chicken recipes and healthy ground beef recipes come to mind), but the sides are what make it unforgettable. Luckily, you don't have to suffer through bland and boring bites to get all your vitamins and minerals in. With these healthy side dishes, you'll be able to serve a meal that's both nutritious and flavorful.
From colorful vegetable side dishes to creative new salad recipes, this list has so many healthy ideas that'll liven up your family meals. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with a simple platter of steamed vegetables, grilling or roasting your vegetables will make loading up on nutrients a lot more fun. Think: broccoli, eggplant, asparagus, or cauliflower that'll turn crispy and golden, whether you heat them up on the stove or out on the patio.
Looking for something a little quicker to prepare? Try easy recipes like couscous salad, broccoli slaw, or garlic green beans that take less than 15 minutes to make. We've also included plenty of healthy air-fryer recipes, such as air-fryer sweet potato fries and onion rings that pair perfectly with a juicy turkey burger. No matter what you choose, these healthy side dishes will bring so much color, freshness, and nutrients to your dinner plate. To top it off, why not treat yourself to a healthy dessert?
Discover more healthy, tasty ideas:
Green Goddess Salad
You’ll definitely get your greens in with a bowl of this green goddess salad! The bright base of snap peas, green onions, cucumbers, and green cabbage is tossed in a creamy, tangy dressing (which also features a handful of hidden veggies!).
Get the Green Goddess Salad recipe.
Grilled Broccoli
You can never go wrong with grilled broccoli, especially when it’s seasoned with a garlicky-balsamic marinade and finished off with a squeeze of lemon! What's more, you can prep this healthy side dish up to five days in advance!
Get the Grilled Broccoli recipe.
Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries
Whether they appear on your holiday table or Sunday dinner plate, these balsamic-glazed sprouts with chewy dried cranberries make the prettiest side dish! Ree Drummond loves serving them with baked ham, roasted turkey, or beef tenderloin.
Get Ree's Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries recipe.
Mushroom Salad
Made with cremini mushrooms, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and roasted red peppers, this healthy side dish is bursting with color, vitamins, and minerals! Not to mention, the honey-balsamic dressing is so good, you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful!
Get the Mushroom Salad recipe.
Winter Citrus Salad with Feta
One of the tastiest ways to upgrade lettuce is mixing in flavor-packed toppings like pistachios, oranges, dates, and feta and dousing it in a nutty, tangy dressing. For optimal freshness, prepare this healthy side dish during the winter season!
Get Ree's Winter Citrus Salad with Feta recipe.
Braised Cabbage Wedges
As you’d expect, cabbage is the star of this healthy side dish. But with smoky bacon, tangy tomato paste, and spicy chipotle adobe, you can hardly tell you're eating a vegetable! This sizzling side works well with a roast chicken or pork chops.
Get the Braised Cabbage Wedges recipe.
Fajita Vegetables
Sizzling, smoky, and spicy, these 30-minute fajita veggies are undeniably delicious, whether you eat them solo or rolled up in a tortilla. Just coat bell peppers and onions in a zesty seasoning mix and grill them until charred.
Get Ree's Fajita Vegetables recipe.
Broccoli Caesar Salad
Make your veggies even more exciting by swapping traditional romaine for grilled broccoli in this revamped Caesar salad. This healthy side dish has the same creaminess and cheesiness as the classic, but with an added, super-satisfying crunch!
Get the Broccoli Caesar Salad recipe.
Grilled Tomatoes
Grilled tomatoes are a summer-barbecue staple, and Ree's recipe features simple spices, fresh herbs, and a juicy, smoky-sweet flavor that's utterly divine. Eat them fresh off the grill, add them to pasta dishes, or pair them with crusty bread.
Get Ree's Grilled Tomatoes recipe.
Asparagus Salad
Pretty much anything tastes better with sizzling bacon and shaved parmesan—and asparagus is no exception! Inside this healthy side dish, you'll also find toasted walnuts and crisp radishes for an alluring crunch.
Get the Asparagus Salad recipe.
Baby Kale Salad with Acorn Squash
Salads don't have to be boring! There's so much goodness that goes into this one, including creamy goat cheese, cranberries, and pepitas!
Get Ree's Baby Kale Salad with Acorn Squash recipe.
Green Beans Almondine
This tasty side dish can be made entirely on the stovetop—in just 30 minutes! The classic green beans get extra flavor when tossed with butter, lemon, shallots, garlic, and crunchy toasted almonds.
Get the Green Beans Almondine recipe.
Roasted Carrots with Honey Herb Butter
Pretty much everything tastes better when coated in homemade honey herb butter, and that includes carrots! A dash of vinegar and plenty of fresh herbs balance out the flavor for a savory-sweet taste.
Sautéed Green Beans with Pomegranates
These aren't just any ol' green beans—they're tangy and sweet and savory and crunchy all at the same time! Mixed in with the pomegranate seeds, you'll also find shallots, ginger, and pistachios.
Get Ree's Sautéed Green Beans with Pomegranates recipe.
Ultimate Winter Salad
Gussy up those greens with apples, pecans, goat cheese, butternut squash, and pomegranate seeds. It's a colorful salad that's a feast for your eyes and your stomach!
Get the Ultimate Winter Salad recipe.
Cabbage Salad
You can make this salad ahead of time and it will stay fresh and crunchy for days! Along with cabbage, you'll add toasted pecans, tart green apples, and peppery arugula, then toss it all in a tangy vinaigrette.
Get the Cabbage Salad recipe.
Air Fryer Snap Peas
Add some crispy texture to your veggies while maintaining their nutritional value when you pull out the air fryer. Sweet snap peas are a great example! And don't forget a sprinkle of parmesan.
Get Ree's Air Fryer Snap Peas recipe.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Roasted until crisp and golden before basted with a sweet-tart balsamic glaze, these sprouts will make a scrumptious addition to many of your healthy meals.
Get the Caramelized Brussels Sprouts recipe.
Roasted Delicata Squash
Subtly sweet delicata is as fun to eat as it is to look at, with its delicate, scalloped shape. With a nice, crispy coating of parmesan, it will surely become a family favorite.
Get the Roasted Delicata Squash recipe.
Slow Cooker Green Beans
Green beans can sometimes be a little boring. But if you cook them low and slow with tomatoes and bacon, they become way more flavorful. Bonus: they can be made two days in advance!
Get the Slow Cooker Green Beans recipe.
12 Delicious Ways to Use Up a Bag of Cornmeal
14 Easy Recipes You Can Make With a Can of Corn
15 Eggplant Recipes That Are Anything But Boring
10 Air Fryer Sides That Go With Anything You Grill
