15 Healthy Winter Dinner Recipes for January

January can feel long, cold and dark, especially after the indulgence of the festive season. To help you beat the winter blues, we’ve gathered 15 cosy and comforting dinner recipes, each one brimming with nourishing ingredients. These dishes are perfect for warming you up, lifting your spirits and making the most of winter produce – just what you need to get out of the post-Christmas funk and into a healthier routine.

Find more nutritious recipes in our collection of healthy dinner recipes, healthy soup recipes and heart-healthy recipes.

This hearty and wholesome gnocchi dish is full of vegetables like spinach, white beans, tomatoes and red onion. It’s low in fat, plus it can be on the table in just 30 minutes, making it an easy weeknight win. Serve in bowls sprinkled with the parmesan, fresh parsley and a little black pepper to finish.

Try our comforting vegan one-pot which counts for three of your five-a-day. This iron-rich, low-fat and low-calorie recipe is perfect for a chilly January evening. Any leftovers can be frozen too, perfect for batch-cooking on a budget.

Use two storecupboard staples, canned sardines and dried pasta, in this weeknight dinner which takes just 30 minutes to make. This low-calorie dish spotlights plenty of budget-friendly, accessible ingredients, helping you stretch your meals further.

Recreate your favourite takeaway with this wholesome, easy chicken curry. Serve with fluffy rice for a simple, healthy family meal that just so happens to be high in protein and low in fat. With almost 700 ratings and a 5-star average, this is one of the most popular curry recipes on the Good Food website.

Serve this light and creamy chickpea curry with a half-quinoa, half-rice mixture for more fibre and protein. Try it tonight for a simple vegetarian dinner that’s healthy, low in fat and low in calories. It’s also great for those following a gluten-free diet.

Check out our quick and healthy spaghetti dish with king prawns and a harissa dressing. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s ideal for a speedy midweek meal. It’s also high in fibre and dairy-free.

Rustle up a satisfying meat-free curry made with butter beans and antioxidant-rich aubergine. This hearty dish is packed full of nutritional benefits and is also low in fat.

Can’t choose between Sicilian alla norma and spicy arrabbiata from Rome? Put them together for a healthy Italian-inspired dish everyone will love. Watch this vegetarian dish become a family favourite in no time.

Try this comforting one-pan beef stew for an easy dinner that delivers all your five-a-day in one dish. Lean red meat is a valuable source of protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins, but we also have a vegan version of this recipe with squash, if you’re looking for a meat-free option.

Make this lighter take on the classic tikka masala, featuring a spicy, rich sauce that’s family-friendly and gluten-free. It’s a guaranteed crowdpleaser, and any leftovers can be frozen. Win-win!

Looking for a fun and healthy Friday night meal for the family? This high-fibre dish from Dr Chintal Patel ticks all the boxes. Serve the tortilla bowls and fillings separately on table so everyone can choose their own combinations.

Try this simple one-pot with cod fillet, chickpeas, ginger and spices. This healthy, low-calorie meal is packed with iron and is easy to prepare too, perfect for a hassle-free midweek meal. After removing from the oven, scatter over the lemon zest and coriander, then serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over.

This fragrant dish sees noodles combined with chicken, beansprouts and cabbage, spiced with fiery ginger and red chilli. Ready in just half an hour, it’s a light yet warming option that’s ideal for busy evenings.

Root vegetables and lentils come together in this warming, lightly spiced casserole. The potatoes soak up all the delicious flavours, making this an ideal vegetarian supper for four. Top with yogurt and the rest of the coriander then serve with naan bread, if you like.

Keep mealtimes interesting with this hearty Cajun-inspired rice pot, packed with spicy Spanish sausage, sweet peppers and tomatoes. This easy, one-pan dish is both filling and full of flavour. It also happens to be our highest-rated dinner recipe on the Good Food site to date.