High-Fiber Dinner Recipes

This fresh and bright cold shrimp pasta salad features classic shrimp scampi flavors. Lemon and Dijon mustard brighten the dressing, and asparagus adds a nice crunch. Farfalle pasta works well with this dish, but any medium pasta shape will work.

This simplified take on minestrone uses canned beans and tomatoes and packaged broth, meaning you can always keep the ingredients for this easy soup on hand.

This aromatic cauliflower rice bowl comes together in minutes and is a simple meal for one. Using frozen riced cauliflower instead of rice keeps the carbs in check--and makes for quicker prep.

This crab pasta salad, chock-full of crunchy bites and fresh crab and smothered in a tangy sauce, is perfect for a summer potluck or picnic. It's worth seeking out good-quality crabmeat from the fish counter for this recipe to really let the flavor shine.

A tangy, balsamic dressing and nutty Parmesan cheese combine to coat tender roasted vegetables and chickpeas in this springy vegetarian dinner. To keep it vegetarian, serve it over quinoa or, for meat-eaters, serve with roasted chicken or pan-seared fish.

This loaded spaghetti squash recipe has all the fixings of a classic baked potato, but with a fraction of the carbs. The pasta-like spaghetti squash is combined with Cheddar cheese, bacon and scallions that melt together in the oven. Top with sour cream and garnish with more scallions and bacon and you have a delicious low-carb side dish ready to go.

Transform steak into a nutritious meal by serving it atop this lively Southwest-inspired salad recipe. If you make the dressing when you marinate the steak, this meal comes together quickly.

If you want proof that school gardens help create sophisticated and adventurous eaters, look no further. Just say "arugula-lemon pesto" to yourself and marvel that the origin of this pasta salad recipe is a cookbook that is an offshoot of school garden programs in Vermont.

These parsnip chips have only 4 ingredients and couldn't be easier to make. They're best when the parsnips are sliced thinly and evenly, so if you have a mandoline this would be the perfect time to get it out. Recipe adapted from VT Feed.

The kids participating in the California Farm to School Network who inspired this salad knew that they could make kale more tender and appealing to fellow students by massaging it first to break down tough cells in the plant. You probably won't find crumbled Cheddar at your market, but all you have to do is buy the cheese as a brick and then slice before breaking it into little chunks.

The folks who promote California strawberries sponsored a national cook-off for kids and challenged them to come up with a quick creative recipe. A 12-year-old from Maryland took the prize for this grain salad, which the cook-off judge, a former MasterChef Junior winner himself, proclaimed easy, healthy and, of course most important, delicious.

These incredibly easy-to-make cake bars get a touch of sparkle and crunch from a sprinkle of turbinado sugar over the top. If you use frozen berries, thaw and pat them dry before topping the batter with them.

Black beans, black rice and black sesame seeds all contain anthocyanins, potent antioxidant compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation. So "forbidden" rice isn't just striking, it's also a serious nutrition upgrade. Simmering it in coconut milk adds rich aroma and flavor.

This gorgeous salad, packed with vitamin C, will help keep you and your friends healthy during the winter months. Hot chili oil brings the heat in the dressing, while toasted sesame oil adds a nutty note. Creamy avocado and cooling mint balance out the flavors.

This kitchen-sink of a vegetarian dish was most likely invented in Egypt in the mid-1800s when Cairo was a major multicultural trade port, which could explain the similarities to Italian spaghetti as well as the Indian rice-and-lentil comfort food khichdi. Three toppings--a spicy tomato sauce (shatta), crispy onions and a garlicky vinegar (dakka)--are added to the koshari before serving, but in Cairo most people like them in separate bowls so they can season their bites one at a time. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

Use red, yellow or even brown lentils to make this iconic and super-simple Middle Eastern soup. Skip green or black lentils, which won't soften enough to puree smoothly. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

The Arabic word taameya translates to "tasty little bits." This version, made with fava beans, which are plentiful in the Nile delta, is thought by some to be the original falafel. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

Two Cypriot specialties--good olive oil and fresh lemons--lend sunny flavor to this simple bean dish, served as a side in Cyprus. Chard adds a hearty touch. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt, or nondairy yogurt to keep it vegan, for a meatless meal.

This risotto-like combo of rice and peas is made with a very cool technique that infuses the dish with one of the great tastes of spring.

On Crete, this pilaf is often made with xynohondros, or cracked wheat simmered in soured goat's milk. A sprinkling of feta pays homage to that flavor.