If you’re looking to mix up your routine with some delicious meals while still meeting your nutritional goals, these dinners check all the boxes. From simmering stews to veggie-packed tacos and chunky chilis, these flavorful recipes will have you coming back for more. Each recipe is heart-healthy, thanks to lower levels of saturated fat and sodium. They are also lower in calories and high in protein and/or fiber to support healthy weight loss. Recipes like our Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili and Fish Tacos with Preserved Grapefruit Salsa will be a satisfying meal that will help you meet your health goals.
Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
Jason Donnelly
If you like Buffalo wings, you’ll love the flavors in this warm, hearty chili that comes together easily in the slow cooker. Sour cream helps cut the heat, but you could also use plain strained yogurt.
Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale
Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.
Chicken Stew with Collard Greens & Peanuts
This West African–inspired chicken stew is hearty and has lots of bold, umami flavors. It’s satisfying and packed with many beneficial ingredients—peanut butter and chicken for protein, nutrient-rich collard greens and colorful vegetables.
Fish Tacos with Preserved Grapefruit Salsa
Tart preserved grapefruit and fresh grapefruit segments combine with avocado to make a complex salsa that pairs nicely with fish.
Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas
A crisp, citrusy slaw contrasts nicely with the enchiladas’ creamy squash filling.
Apricot-Glazed Chicken with Quinoa Pilaf
A bitter-tasting compound called saponin coats the outside of quinoa seeds, requiring a quick rinse to remove it. But check the package: some brands come pre-rinsed, saving you a step.
Charro Beans with Chorizo & Kale Slaw
This dish gets its name from the Mexican cowboys (charros) who cooked these soupy beans over campfires as they traveled the open range. The kale slaw is a bright foil for this earthy dish. Enjoy a bowl as is or scoop it up with warm tortillas. Look for Mexican-style chorizo near other sausage in well-stocked supermarkets or Latin American markets.
Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous & Almonds
Smoky almonds, meaty eggplant and whole-grain couscous with herbs make this meal plenty satisfying. Harissa gives the creamy sauce a little kick.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Marsala
This slow-cooker chicken Marsala recipe gets its full flavor from plenty of mushrooms and fragrant shallots. Whole-wheat pasta soaks up the rich sauce. Round it out with a simple green salad for a comforting healthy dinner.
Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa
Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes.
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.
Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish.
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.
Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.
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.
Four-Bean & Pumpkin Chili
This healthy vegetarian chili has a fragrant touch of cinnamon for added flavor. Let diners top it with whatever suits their taste.
Pork Paprikash with Cauliflower “Rice”
Cut carbs and calories by using cauliflower “rice” instead of regular rice in this 30-minute pork paprikash recipe.
Peppery Barbecue-Glazed Shrimp with Vegetables & Orzo
In this healthy BBQ shrimp recipe, shrimp are seasoned with a peppery spice blend and served with zucchini, peppers and whole-grain orzo for a delicious and easy dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes. The shrimp and veggies are cooked in the same skillet, so cleanup is a snap too.
Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta
You’ll only have to dirty one pot in this easy pasta recipe that cooks chicken and vegetables right along with the noodles. Plus, by using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta, the starch that usually gets drained off with your pasta water stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.
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.
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.