Fresh-Start, Get-Healthy Dinner Recipes

Low-calorie dinner recipes to help you lose weight and get healthy.Download a Free Low-Calorie Dinner Recipe Cookbook!Watch Video
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Chickpea, Chorizo & Spinach Soup

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Chorizo lends this Mediterranean-inspired spinach soup recipe a smoky paprika flavor, and since the chorizo is sautéed first, much of the fat is drained away. Be sure to buy dry-cured, salami-style Spanish chorizo, not soft, Mexican-style sausage by the same name.

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Kale Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

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Hot roasted potatoes in this healthy kale salad recipe wilt the kale just enough to make it tender. Bacon and blue cheese layer on smoky, salty flavors to stand up to the flavor of the kale. Go for a strong blue cheese--we enjoy the tanginess of Maytag. Serve this salad with steak or chicken.

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Tilapia with Grapefruit-Caper Sauce

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In this healthy, quick tilapia recipe, you'll combine grapefruit, shallot, capers, butter and a touch of honey for a rich, bittersweet sauce. Any grapefruit will work, but vibrant ruby-red grapefruit is the prettiest. Serve with whole-wheat couscous and broccolini.

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Orange & Black Pepper Shrimp Salad

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A blend of bitter Treviso (a long, thin type of radicchio), spicy arugula and sweet romaine lettuce forms the base of this healthy main-course shrimp salad recipe. Pairing the mix of greens with savory shrimp, tart oranges and briny capers brings everything into bright and flavorful balance.

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Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

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This silky-smooth butternut soup gets a hit of spice from chipotle, cloves and cumin. Adapted from Chef Jesús González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta at Rancho La Puerta.

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Chopped Ham & Apple Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing

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This healthy main-course chopped salad recipe pairs bitter escarole and radicchio with sweet apple, smoky ham and crunchy pecans. But the pairing possibilities are limitless--you can also use cooked chicken and tangerines instead of ham and apples or bell pepper in place of the radishes. Serve with pumpernickel bread toasted with extra-sharp Cheddar cheese.

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Tilapia Po'Boy

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Forget deep-fried fish--the tilapia in this healthy po'boy recipe, a classic Cajun sandwich recipe, is coated in cornmeal and cooked in just 2 tablespoons of oil. The result? A healthy, crispy fish sandwich without extra calories. Serve with coleslaw and sweet potato fries.

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Savory Cauliflower Cake

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This healthy, savory cauliflower cake recipe falls somewhere between a quiche and a meatless meatloaf. Garbanzo bean flour adds nutty flavor plus protein to make the cake a satisfying vegetarian main dish recipe. The flavor is best when the cakes is warm or at room temperature, so it's an ideal choice for a buffet.

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Curried Parsnip & Apple Soup

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This creamy parsnip and apple soup recipe has amazing flavor from the combination of curry powder, coriander, cumin and ginger. Be sure to use fresh curry powder when making this soup. Not sure if yours is fresh? Open the jar: the aroma should meet your nose immediately. Serve with flatbread or whole-wheat rolls.

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Mushroom, Squash & Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

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In this healthy main-course chicken salad recipe, dandelion greens and curly chicory pair marvelously with a wildly flavorful mushroom-sesame dressing, roasted chicken thighs and succulent roasted squash. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving so the greens don't get too wilted.

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Mediterranean Cauliflower Pizza

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In this healthy, gluten-free cauliflower “pizza” recipe, shredded cauliflower is mixed with mozzarella and oregano to make a flourless crust that echoes the flavor of a traditional pizza pie. The Meyer lemon, olive and sun-dried tomato topping adds a sophisticated Mediterranean flavor, but feel free to try more traditional pizza toppings, such as marinara sauce and mushrooms--even pepperoni.

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Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

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This crispy prosciutto-wrapped chicken thigh recipe makes a tasty meal when served with steamed green beans and mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce.

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Winter Vegetable Dal

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This southern-Indian-inspired vegetable dal recipe is rich and creamy thanks to light coconut milk and gets exotic flavor from spice-infused coconut oil. Serve with flatbread or naan.

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Quinoa Mushroom Soup

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A bit reminiscent of old-fashioned mushroom-barley soup, this vegetarian quinoa mushroom soup recipe gets a modern update with nutrient-packed quinoa. A mix of fresh mushrooms and dried porcini boosts the savory flavor. Serve with whole-wheat dinner rolls.

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Lamb & White Bean Chili

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In this healthy lamb and white bean chili recipe, the addition of eggplant makes this chili velvety and creamy, while the cinnamon and allspice make the house smell amazing while the chili is cooking. To keep the saturated fat low, we use one pound of ground lamb and add whole-grain bulgur to boost the volume and fiber in this chili recipe. After all the ingredients are added to the pot, we like to slowly simmer our chili for close to an hour to develop the best flavor, but if you're in a hurry, reduce the liquid by half and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

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Chicken Thighs with Couscous & Kale

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One-pot meals, like this all-in-one chicken thigh, kale and Israeli couscous recipe, are perfect for nights when you want to keep cleanup to a minimum. Look for Israeli couscous--small pearl-shaped pasta made from semolina flour--near other Middle Eastern dry goods in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty-foods stores.

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Orange-Sesame Shrimp Salad

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In this healthy Asian-inspired shrimp salad recipe, two types of greens--romaine lettuce and red cabbage--pair beautifully with the avocado and shrimp. Use extra dressing for another salad or as a sauce for baked fish.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chicken

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In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss and chicken salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. Any extra dressing is delicious served over grilled chicken or flaky white fish, such as cod or flounder.

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Quinoa Pilaf with Seared Scallops

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Make whole grains the center of your dinner plate with this citrus-studded quinoa pilaf recipe topped with sweet seared sea scallops. Be sure to buy “dry” sea scallops (scallops that have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP). Scallops treated with STP (“wet” scallops) are higher in sodium, have a mushy texture and do not brown properly.

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Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs

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With this spaghetti squash and meatballs recipe, you can reduce the carbohydrates and increase the vegetable servings by skipping pasta and serving the Italian-seasoned turkey meatballs and quick, homemade marinara sauce over thin strands of cooked spaghetti squash instead. Cooking the squash first in the microwave and then in a skillet to cook off the extra moisture, gives the squash a more spaghetti-like texture.

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Broccoli Rabe & Chicken White Pizza

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The bold flavors of garlic, crushed red pepper and lemon make up for the fact that this white chicken pizza recipe has less sodium than a typical pizza. Not a fan of bitter greens? Opt for broccolini or broccoli instead. To save time, look for prepared whole-wheat pizza dough at your supermarket, fresh or frozen, made without partially hydrogenated oils.

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Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

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Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.

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Chard & Chorizo Frittata

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We love frittata recipes for weeknights because they are the ultimate no-fuss healthy dinners. In this gorgeous, healthy chard and chorizo frittata recipe, we add convenient shredded frozen hash browns to keep it hearty. Finish cooking the eggs under the broiler to turn the top of the frittata a lovely golden brown.

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Oven-Fried Beef Taquitos

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This healthy beef taquitos recipe calls for baking instead of deep-frying, making the taquitos substantially healthier than what you'd get at a restaurant. One order of these little deep-fried, rolled-up tacos at a restaurant can set you back almost 1,000 calories and 60 grams of fat! Don't worry if some of the taquitos crack open while baking--they're still crispy and delicious. Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole and reduced-fat sour cream.

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Cranberry-Rosemary Stuffed Pork Loin

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This cranberry-rosemary stuffed pork tenderloin recipe looks gorgeous with the cranberry- and rosemary-flecked stuffing bursting from the juicy browned pork loin. Don't be scared by the task of double butterflying a pork loin--the process is fairly simple.

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Soy-Marinated Flank Steak with Soba Noodles

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Flank steak takes on savory Asian flavors with this quick steak marinade recipe. We like buckwheat soba noodles for their nutty flavor but any noodle, such as rice noodles or spaghetti, works well too.

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Salmon with Roasted Vegetables & Quinoa

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This healthy salmon recipe has everything you want for a complete meal: omega-3-rich salmon, protein-packed quinoa and lots of vegetables. Drizzled with a maple-lemon dressing, this healthy quinoa dinner also makes a delicious next-day lunch.

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Turkey Taco Lettuce Wrap

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Easy and fun to eat, this gluten-free, healthy turkey lettuce wrap recipe has zesty Tex-Mex flavor. Serve the lettuce wraps with tortilla chips and your favorite salsa.

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Orange-&-Pistachio Crusted Pork Tenderloin

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Sweet orange marmalade and salty pistachios make a delicious crust for lean pork tenderloin in this healthy dinner recipe. Easy to make, this pork recipe is also very versatile. Other jams, such as fig, raspberry or apricot, and other nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts or pecans are great for the crust too.

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Roasted Pepper-&-Cheese Stuffed Chicken

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A simple mixture of roasted red peppers, provolone cheese and oregano makes these healthy stuffed chicken breasts restaurant-worthy. With olive-studded orzo and broccoli, this healthy dinner recipe is an easy and complete meal.

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Shrimp, Ham & Pepper Couscous

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Reminiscent of paella, this one-pan shrimp couscous recipe is flavored with smoky paprika, fennel and garlic. This healthy meal is easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for a dinner party. Diced chicken, scallops or pork could be substituted for the shrimp.

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Indian Saag with Chickpeas

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Paneer, a fresh cheese that tastes like a cross between mozzarella and feta, is a common ingredient in vegetarian Indian recipes. To make this healthy Indian spinach recipe vegan, substitute tofu for the paneer and use “lite” coconut milk instead of yogurt.

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