You’ll love making these flavorful dishes to end the weekend. These tasty recipes meet the requirements for low saturated fat, sodium, carbs and calories, so they align with a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Each of these dinners are also high in fiber, protein or a combination of the two, which can help support weight loss if that’s your goal. Recipes like our Lemon-Garlic Clams with Brown Rice Risotto and our Easy Tortellini Soup are satisfying, flavorful and can help you meet your nutritional goals.
Lemon-Garlic Clams with Brown Rice Risotto
Ali Redmond
Littleneck clams are steamed in a white wine and garlic sauce and served over no-stir brown rice risotto that’s baked in the oven and made creamy by adding Parmesan cheese and a little butter. The clams are garlicky and briny, with a pop of heat from red pepper and a bit of acidity from lemon, a perfect contrast to the creamy risotto. This fuss-free dish is perfect for holiday gatherings like Feast of the Seven Fishes but easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
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!
Easy Tortellini Soup
Photographer: Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This nourishing, vibrant soup is on the table quickly, making it the perfect weeknight meal. The broth is delicate and creamy, thanks to the Parmesan rind, while dried basil adds an herbaceous note.
Lemon-Garlic Sheet-Pan Salmon with Potatoes & Green Beans
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Sally McKay, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
This sheet-pan salmon with green beans recipe is a game-changer for weeknight dinners, offering a balanced meal made entirely on one sheet pan. With tender salmon, crispy potatoes and fresh green beans drizzled with lemon, this dinner is not only delicious but also easy to prepare and clean up.
Baghali Pollow with Quinoa (Persian-Style Quinoa and Beans with Chicken)
Ali Redmond
This adaptation of baghali pollow, a traditional Persian layered rice dish, is made with quinoa instead of basmati rice. Plenty of fresh herbs and fragrant spices and a trifecta of protein—quinoa, chicken and beans—ensure the dish is both flavorful and satisfying.
Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils
This earthy bowl of lentils bursting with Middle Eastern flavors is topped with leftover roasted root veggies from a large batch for an easy weeknight dinner. Keep it vegan or add a drizzle of plain yogurt for extra richness.
Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms
Sliced Brussels sprouts and mushrooms cook quickly and cling to the pasta in our fall version of pasta primavera. Look for presliced mushrooms to cut prep time. Serve with a tossed salad.
Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens
In this healthy salmon dinner, you’ll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen’s current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.
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.
Chicken Parmesan Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood, Food Stylist: Sally McKay
This chicken Parmesan soup combines the rich flavors of a traditional chicken Parm—juicy seasoned chicken, tangy marinara sauce and savory Parmesan cheese—with the warmth and comfort of a soup. We love the punchy burst of flavor that Parmesan crisps offer as a garnish, but feel free to add freshly grated Parmesan in their place.
Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This squash lentil salad packs 14 grams of fiber and features plenty of kale, a powerful prebiotic that helps set the stage for a healthy gut. This salad can be assembled in a Mason jar so you can prep it the night before for a healthy, grab-and-go lunch the next day.
Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens
Dipping tofu in buttermilk makes the coating stick for a crispy pan-fried tofu, reminiscent of fried chicken. Spicing up the collards with paprika coats them with smoky flavor while keeping this dish vegetarian. And this quick, easy and healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it’s great for busy weeknights.
Creamy Chicken Florentine Casserole
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower
This creamy chicken Florentine casserole combines tender pieces of chicken, fresh spinach and a rich, creamy sauce, all baked to perfection with a golden, cheesy crust. Whether you’re looking to cozy up on a chilly evening or share a hearty, home-cooked dinner with family, this casserole delivers an experience that feels like a warm hug on a plate.
Chickpea & Potato Curry
This fast Indian-style curry comes together with ingredients you most likely have on hand, like frozen peas and canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Plus, using these spices shows how simple it is to make a curry sauce for an easy vegetarian recipe. Serve with whole-wheat naan to sop it all up.
Creamy White Chili with Sweet Potatoes & White Beans
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Sally McKay, Prop Stylist Hannah Greenwood
A bowl of creamy white chili with sweet potatoes is the perfect comfort food to warm you from the inside out. This hearty plant-based dish blends white beans and the subtle sweetness of sweet potatoes in a rich, flavorful broth. A can of chopped green chiles adds to the warmth. If you like your chili on the mild side, opt for mild green chiles.
Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa
Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes.
Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
The Greek lemon-chicken soup avgolemono is the inspiration for this 20-minute recipe. Eggs and lemon are tempered into the broth to add richness and creaminess.
Veggie Wraps
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
These wraps are packed with veggies, including zucchini, bell pepper and spinach. The vegetables cook quickly in a skillet, so you can pull together this easy lunch in no time. Hummus adds plant-based protein and keeps the wrap from getting dry.
Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe 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.
Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls
These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they’re basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.
