If you’re looking for quick and easy dinners to help meet your nutritional needs, you’ve come to the right place. These delicious recipes take just 20 minutes or less to make. Not to mention, they’re packed with complex carbs, such as whole-grains and legumes, and are lower in saturated fat in sodium, making them a great fit for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern.
Ingredients like salmon, chickpeas and a wide variety of veggies star in these dishes, so they’re well suited for following the Mediterranean diet, which is considered one of the healthiest diets around. You can enjoy delicious dishes like our Kale & Avocado Salad with Blueberries & Edamame and our Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce any night of the week.
One-Skillet Garlicky Salmon & Broccoli
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
This dish combines tender, flaky salmon with crisp, garlicky broccoli and bell pepper, all cooked in one pan for easy prep and cleanup. Packed with lean protein, omega-3s and a generous serving of veggies, this is one recipe you’ll want on repeat!
High-Protein Veggie Sandwich
Ali Redmond
From beans to tofu to tempeh bacon, this high-protein veggie sandwich formula can help mitigate blood sugar spikes and keep you feeling full until your next meal.
Kale & Avocado Salad with Blueberries & Edamame
Bursting with nutrient-rich produce, this California-inspired salad is a delicious and satisfying way to get your vitamins. We love the unique combination of blueberries, edamame, and goat cheese.
Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Food Stylist:Chelsea Zimmer
A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty for this healthy dinner recipe—the flavorful oil they’re packed in is used to sauté the shallots and the actual tomatoes help to add delicious flavor to the creamy sauce. Served with perfectly cooked salmon, you really can’t go wrong with this easy 20-minute weeknight meal.
One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan
This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami, and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles.
Chopped Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad
This easy salad recipe allows for a wonderful use of leftover cooked chicken. Look for escarole in the produce section near the leafy greens; if you can’t find it, you can use romaine instead.
Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This vibrant and wholesome soup helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation.
Chhole (Chickpea Curry)
Andrew Scrivani
This flavorful chickpea curry comes together in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, it makes a comforting and delicious dinner.
Caramelized Broccolini & White Beans
Broccolini takes on a smoky char from the cast-iron pan before it’s combined with white beans and aromatics. A vibrant parsley and hazelnut sauce finishes the dish with a bright and nutty flavor.
Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we use Greek-style yogurt to turn it into a salmon salad that we use to fill avocados. It’s an easy no-cook meal.
Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dressing
A tangy, nutty tahini dressing brings together no-cook ingredients like canned chickpeas and roasted red peppers for these easy meal-prep lettuce wraps. Make these wraps ahead of time for a grab-and-go lunch or dinner. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly.
Sesame Instant Ramen Noodles with Broccoli & Soft-Boiled Egg
Jazz up basic ramen noodles with toasted sesame oil, quick-cooked broccoli and a jammy soft-boiled egg. To cut back on sodium, look for ramen varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet.
Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos
In this mahi-mahi fish taco recipe, chili-coated fish gets a lovely crust from the hot pan. The creaminess of the avocado sauce complements the crisp crunch of the jicama, and it’s all pulled together in 20 minutes.
Hearty Tomato Soup with Beans & Greens
Garlicky kale and creamy white beans elevate simple canned tomato soup into a 10-minute lunch or dinner that really satisfies.
Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and store them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long.
Egg Drop Soup with Instant Noodles, Spinach & Scallions
Whisking a beaten egg into simmering broth is a quick and easy way to add creaminess and protein to noodle soup mix. Add freshness with a handful of baby spinach at the end.
Summer Chicken Parmesan
Skip canned tomatoes and serve these crispy, cheesy chicken cutlets with a fresh tomato-and-zucchini sauté instead. Round out the meal with a simple green salad and garlic-rubbed toasted bread slices.
Fish Taco Wraps
These quick-and-easy fish tacos are full of chili-crusted halibut, crunchy cabbage and fruity salsa. Using prepared salsa and coleslaw mix means this recipe is on the table in just 20 minutes.
Chickpea, Artichoke & Avocado Salad with Apple-Cider Dressing
EatingWell Test Kitchen
This delicious salad provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple-cider vinaigrette.
