Home cooking is a time-honored way of showing care and appreciation for the people you love.

That’s why cooking a homemade meal is the ideal gesture for special celebrations like Father’s Day where the whole purpose is to demonstrate your feelings for your dad.

From a nutrition perspective, a home-cooked family meal is a healthy choice and makes it easier to stick to your nutrition goals in a number of ways. You can:

• Swap ingredients for healthier alternatives, especially when it comes to oils and fats
• Cut back on the amount of salt or sugar in the dish if that’s an important part of your nutrition needs
• Better control your portions more effectively than with prepared foods, takeout orders, or restaurant meals

To top it off, cooking at home means you’ll avoid the hassle of getting a restaurant reservation on Father’s Day. Skip the crowds, fire up the grill (or grab that mixer), and show Dad how much he means to you.

Top 5 Father’s Day Recipes To Treat Dad to a Healthy Meal

Whether your dad loves a breakfast bright and early on his special day or your family is all about Father’s Day dinner recipes, these delicious meals for Father’s Day are sure to make him smile.

1. Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Pancakes

If you want to surprise your dad with a perfect Father’s Day brunch recipe, these banana oat Greek yogurt pancakes are the perfect choice.

If you want to surprise your dad with a perfect Father’s Day brunch recipe, these banana oat Greek yogurt pancakes are the perfect choice.

Made with egg whites and Greek yogurt, they offer 20 grams of protein for a hearty start to the day.

Combine that with the healthy fiber from whole rolled oats and you have a filling meal that won’t leave Dad feeling hungry later.

It’s flavored with ripe bananas, almond milk, and vanilla extract, so the flavor is rich without being too sweet. Add some sliced oranges on the side for a citrus zing.

Nutritional Info Per Serving

• Calories: 288
• Total fat: 3 g
• Saturated fat: 1 g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 3 mg
• Sodium: 378 mg
• Carbohydrates: 47 g
• Dietary fiber: 6 g
• Sugar: 10 g
• Protein: 20 g

2. Sweet Potato Crust BBQ Chicken Pizza

This thin-crust barbecue chicken pizza is gluten-free, easy to make, and loaded with BBQ flavor.

The crust combines mashed sweet potatoes with almond flour for a flatbread-style base that sets off the tang of the BBQ sauce.

The sweet potatoes boost the nutrition of this meal with plenty of vitamin A, beta carotene, and minerals like potassium and calcium.

You can dress up the chicken with onions and peppers or add your own favorite veggie toppings like mushrooms or sliced tomatoes. 

Nutritional Info per Serving

• Calories: 383
• Total fat: 17 g
• Saturated fat: 1 g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 91 mg
• Sodium: 425 mg
• Carbohydrates: 33 g
• Dietary fiber: 4 g
• Sugar: 8 g
• Protein: 27 g

3. One-Pan Steak With Avocado Butter

What’s a better dinner for Dad than a perfectly cooked steak? This recipe calls for New York strip steaks seared in a cast-iron skillet.

Serve it with green beans and radishes heated in the same pan, then top it all with creamy avocado butter mixed with green onions and lime juice.

Avocados are delicious and packed with vitamins C, A, and K. This mouthwatering meal is high in protein and is sure to get rave reviews from dads everywhere.

Nutritional Info per Serving

• Calories: 279
• Total fat: 15 g
• Saturated fat: 6 g
• Monounsaturated fat: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 77 mg
• Sodium: 509 mg
• Carbohydrates: 11 g
• Dietary fiber: 5 g
• Sugar: 2 g
• Protein: 28 g

Fun fact: Did you know MyFitnessPal has over 2,000 recipes in our database? Find all of these and more in the app!

4. Pina Colada Pops With Chocolate Coconut Shells

If your dad has a sweet tooth, indulge it with this Father’s Day dessert recipe that tastes like a tropical cocktail.

These pina colada pops are made with pineapple and coconut milk, then dipped in a chocolate coconut coating. The rich taste makes it hard to believe that they’re so low in added sugar.

Pineapples are rich in vitamins C and B6 as well as calcium and magnesium, so this is one sweet treat you can feel good about serving.

Nutritional Info per Serving

• Calories: 93
• Total fat: 4 g
• Saturated fat: 3 g
• Monounsaturated fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 6 mg
• Carbohydrates: 9 g
• Dietary fiber: 1 g
• Sugar: 4 g
• Protein: 3 g

5. High-Protein Cinnamon Roll

Nothing says, “I love you, Dad” quite like homemade cinnamon rolls.

This version has all the gooey goodness of classic cinnamon rolls but with ingredients like Greek yogurt to add protein.

You can swap out brown sugar for coconut sugar for a more nutrient-dense sweetener.

Nutritional Info per Serving

• Calories: 165
• Total fat: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 28 g
• Dietary fiber: 1 g
• Sugar: 11 g
• Protein: 5 g

The Bottom Line

For more Father’s Day meal ideas, you can search over 2,000 recipes in the MyFitnessPal app.

You can find classic dishes and new ideas for Father’s Day and every day in the app’s recipe collections — you can even find specialty collections, including vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-sugar recipes. 

Whatever you pick, just know he’ll love that you’re thinking of him. Bon appétit!

Originally published 6/17/2020, Updated on 6/4/2024