Father's Day dinner ideas don't have to be fancy or difficult to make, and it's easy to ensure you and your family stay healthy on Father's Day and every day!
When planning Father's Day dinner ideas, there are foods you should choose, and some you should avoid.
Foods to Choose:
- Healthy, protein-rich foods. Grill, bake, or pan-cook protein foods and add your favorite seasonings. Aim to fill about one-fourth of each plate of food with protein-rich choices.
- Non-starchy vegetables. Choose a variety of colorful, non-starchy vegetables when creating Father's Day dinner ideas this year! Aim to fill about half of each plate of food with these nutritious veggies.
- Fiber-rich starches. Fill about one-fourth of each plate of food with fiber-rich starches when planning Father's Day dinner ideas this summer.
- Heart-healthy fats. Cook with olive oil when you have the chance, choose oil-based salad dressings, and add sliced avocados to just about any Father's Day meal!
Foods to Avoid:
- High-fat meats
- Processed meats
- Fried foods
- Sugar-sweetened condiments
- Snack foods
- Refined grains
To make it even easier for you, try the awesome Father's Day dinner ideas we lay out below – recipes and instructions included!
Start the day off right with these amazing Father’s Day breakfast ideas!
Mouth-Watering Father's Day Dinner Ideas
If you're seeking new ideas for delicious and nutritious Father's Day meals this year, consider the following recipes!
Grilled Vegetables
This simple, yet flavorful, grilled vegetables recipe is the perfect addition to any Father's Day dinner idea!
Ingredients
- 1 yellow squash
- 1 zucchini
- 8 ounces of stemmed cremini mushrooms
- 1 small red onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 ear of fresh corn, cut into 1-inch rounds
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pesto, Greek dressing, or tzatziki sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Heat your grill to medium-high heat and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cut the vegetables into bite-sized chunks and thread them onto 4 metal skewers.
- Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
- Grill the skewers for 8 minutes per side or until the veggies turn lightly charred and tender.
- Remove them from the grill, season to taste, and serve with a sauce or dressing of your choice!
Servings: 4
Tuna Stuffed Avocados
This refreshing, satiating Father's Day dinner idea won't disappoint!
Tuna-stuffed avocado recipes are loaded with protein and nutritious fats.
Ingredients
- 4.5 oz can of tuna, drained
- 1/4 cup of diced red bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon of minced jalapeno peppers
- 1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Scoop out some of the avocados from the pitted area to widen it. Place the scooped-out part of the avocado in a mixing bowl and mash it.
Add bell pepper, tuna, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper.
Pour in the lime juice and stir until everything gets mixed well.
Scoop the tuna mixture into the avocado “bowls.”
Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Servings: 2
Greek Salmon
This Greek salmon recipe makes the perfect, flavorful Father's Day dinner idea your entire family will love!
Salmon Ingredients
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 4 salmon fillets, patted dry with paper towels
- Salt and pepper to taste
Topping Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- Juice from 2 lemons
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 cup of cubed feta
- 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of sliced kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup of chopped Persian cucumbers
- 1/4 cup of chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped dill
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season the mixture with pepper and add feta. Toss to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate the mixture for about 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Place the red onion and sliced lemon in the bottom of a large baking dish.
- Add the salmon fillets, skin side down, to the dish.
- Season with salt and pepper and bake until the salmon is opaque and flaky (about 18-20 minutes).
- Add tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, chopped red onion, and dill to the bowl with the feta. Fold gently to combine the ingredients.
- Serve the salmon with lemon and red onion. Top with the feta mixture and enjoy!
Servings: 4
Jerk Chicken Collard Wraps
This jerk chicken collard wrap recipe is loaded with protein, vegetables, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
The best part is that it's simple to make!
Ingredients
- 8 large collard green leaves (about 10 ounces)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Remove the stems of the collards. Lay each collard leaf on a flat surface.
- Locate the thickest part of the stem and use a vegetable peeler to shave the top part to achieve even thickness.
- Fill a large skillet or pan with enough water to coat the bottom.
- Arrange a few leaves at a time in the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle them lightly with salt.
- Heat the skillet to medium-high heat. As soon as steam appears, lower the heat to medium, cover, and steam until the collards are green and tender (about 5 to 6 minutes).
- Use tongs to transfer the leaves to a baking sheet. Cool them completely.
- Arrange a rack in the top of your oven and preheat the broiler.
- Scatter coconut on a baking sheet and broil it until toasted (about 15 to 30 seconds). Transfer it to a medium bowl.
- Coat chicken with 1 tablespoon of jerk seasoning and 1 tablespoon of yogurt.
- Arrange the chicken tenders on a baking sheet. Broil until they become lightly browned and cooked through (about 4 minutes per side).
- Add beans to the bowl with the coconut. Use a fork to mash them lightly.
- Combine cabbage, lime juice, 1/4 cup of yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of jerk seasoning in another bowl.
- Lay a collard leaf on a flat surface.
- Place chicken in the middle.
- Top the chicken with avocado slices and pepper strips.
- Put 1/8th of the coconut and black bean mixture next to the chicken.
- Place 1/8th of the cabbage mixture next to the beans.
- Fold the sides of the collard leaf to roll it up like a burrito.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Serve and enjoy!
Servings: 4 (8 wraps total)
Watermelon Slushies
Try this refreshing Father's Day dinner idea in place of traditional sweet treats this summer season.
Watermelon slushies are simple to prepare and contain just one ingredient!
Ingredients
- 6 cups of chopped, seedless watermelon
Instructions
- The night before your Father's Day feast, puree 6 cups of watermelon in a blender until smooth.
- Pour it into a shallow, airtight container and place it in the freezer until it freezes.
- Let the pureed watermelon thaw slightly.
- Mash it with a fork, spoon it into cups, serve, and enjoy!
Servings: 4
Vegan Lentil Burgers
You can replace traditional burgers with this vegan lentil burgers recipe this Father's Day or any day of the week!
Ingredients
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring the lentils and 1 3/4 cup of broth to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer the lentils until they turn soft and the liquid gets absorbed (about 30 minutes).
- Transfer the beans to a bowl with 1 tablespoon of broth. Mash them with a potato masher and set them aside.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring frequently until softened (about 6 minutes).
- Add spinach, 1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper, garlic, and cumin. Stir the mixture until the spinach gets wilted (about 3 minutes).
- Add the spinach mixture, walnuts, bread crumbs, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the lentils and stir. Cover and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Form the mixture into 6 patties and spray them with cooking spray on each side.
- Grill the patties until grill marks form (about 3 minutes per side).
- Place the lentil patties over buns or greens, top them with your favorite fixings, and enjoy!
Servings: 6
Tuna Burgers
Another fun Father's Day dinner idea you can replace traditional burgers, hot dogs, or brats with is a tuna burger recipe!
Your entire family will adore this protein- and healthy fat-rich Father's Day meal!
Ingredients
- 15 ounces of canned tuna, drained
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus more for cooking
- 3/4 cup of whole-grain bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons of fresh chives, minced
- 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Whole-wheat burger buns for serving
- Toppings of your choice (avocados, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, pickles, etc.)
Instructions
- Combine tuna, olive oil, bread crumbs, chives, parsley, garlic, pepper, salt, paprika, and the egg in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Divide the mixture into 4 portions and form into patties.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the patties in the pan for about 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Serve over whole-wheat buns or leafy greens with the toppings of your choice.
- Enjoy!
Servings: 4
Grilled Scallops with Quinoa
Try a unique Father's Day dinner idea that's nutritious, flavorful, and mouth-watering!
Consider a simple grilled scallops with quinoa recipe this summer season!
Quinoa Ingredients
- 1/2 cups of quinoa
Zest of 1 large orange
- Salt to taste
Scallop Ingredients
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing Ingredients
- Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment Needed
- 12 8-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil 2 cups of water, quinoa, orange zest, and 1 teaspoon salt over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pan and cook the mixture until all of the liquid gets absorbed (about 10-12 minutes).
- Fluff the mixture with a fork, cover the pan, and let it sit for 10-12 minutes more.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Or, preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Spray it with cooking spray.
- Thread 3 scallops onto a skewer. Thread another skewer through the scallops (about 1/2-inch apart) to make flipping the skewers easier.
- Repeat with the remaining scallops and skewers.
- Drizzle the skewers with olive oil. Season them with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
- Grill the scallops until cooked through (2-3 minutes per side).
- In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
- Place quinoa in a large serving bowl. Add the dressing, parsley, and beans. Toss until well-coated.
- Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the grilled scallops on top, serve, and enjoy with your family on Father's Day!
Servings: 4-6
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