20 Veggie-Loaded 30-Minute Meals {dairy-free, gluten free}

Only have 30 minutes to make dinner? I feel ya! Grab one of these easy peasy veggie-loaded meals that you can make in 30 minutes (or less!) and get dinner on the table while keeping your health and sanity intact!

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When people ask me why I started The Natural Nurturer, my answer is always the same:

To show people they can do it.

And by “it”, I mean this whole healthy living thing. Even if you work crazy hours. Even if you have a busy household that has you moving in all directions all hours of the day. Even if you have never cooked a meal a day in your life….you can do it. I promise.

You just need a few really great EASY recipes in your back pocket for those extra hectic days and a sense of determination.

You see, I started The Natural Nurturer after a season of hard and change when I learned that, yes, I could do it despite all the curve balls life had thrown at me.

I was a new mom and my husband, Ken, has just deployed for an 8 month tour overseas. We had moved to San Diego less than a year before, so we were still building our community and support system. And with our families over 3000 miles away, I felt pretty alone with caring for our new daughter and our home. Oh, and I was working full-time as a teacher too.

I didn’t have a lot of time. Or a lot of money (preschool teacher + military salary is not the makings of a millionaire). But I did have a sense of determination to keep myself healthy and start Alice out on real nourishing food as she grew.

So, I did it. I found healthy hacks, great recipes and tips and tricks that I still use today. And when I got through my season of hard, I kept on going and decided I wanted to show other people that they too could lead a healthy, real food life in this busy modern world. And so I started The Natural Nurturer to share all I had learned and inspire people to see that they could do it too.

And while a “can do” attitude is vital in a healthy living journey, so are some really great and easy recipes that help you serve up the good stuff (like veggies!) in a delicious way. Here are some of my favorite quick and easy favorites that the whole family loves and I pull out on our extra busy nights!

30-Minute Carrot Ginger Tuna Bites 
Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, dairy-free

30-Minute Veggie-Loaded Tomato Sauce
Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, dairy-free, vegan/vegetarian

 20-Minute Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice
Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, dairy-free 

One-Sheet Roasted Garlic Salmon & Broccoli

Whole30, Paleo, dairy-free, gluten free

30-Minute Chicken Piccata Stir-Fry
Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, dairy-free

30-minute Sausage & Veggie Soup
gluten free, dairy-free

One-Pot Curry Lentil Soup

dairy-free, gluten free, vegan option

One-pan Chicken Bruschetta Zoodles from Real Food Whole Life

dairy-free, gluten free, Paleo

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry

Paleo, Whole30, dairy-free, vegetarian option

Greek Chicken Salad

Whole30, Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free

Instant Pot Salsa & Spinach Shredded Chicken

Paleo, Whole30, dairy-free, gluten free

Easy Peasy Sheet-Pan Lemon Chicken & Broccoli

Whole30, Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free

Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Hamburger Soup

Whole30, Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free

Honey Mustard Chicken Stir-fry from Real Food Whole Life

gluten free, dairy-free, paleo

Glorious Green Veggie Chicken Burgers

Whole30, gluten free, Paleo, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken & Veggies 

Whole30, Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free

Butternut Squash Mac & "Cheese"

dairy-free, gluten free, vegan/vegetarian

Veggie-Loaded Spring Chicken Salad

Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free, Whole30

Sweet Potato & Salmon Poppers 

Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free, Whole30


Veggie-Loaded Smashed Chickpea Salad

gluten free, dairy-free, vegan/vegetarian