High Protein, Low-Calorie Recipes

Hanger steak is inherently tender and has great flavor. Here it's grilled and paired with a side of stuffed squash blossoms that are baked rather than getting the more typical battered-and-fried treatment.

This basic braised pork shoulder recipe is a great foundation for all sorts of meals. Try it in our creamy cavatelli pasta (see Associated Recipes), stuffed into a sandwich with provolone and peppers or on top of a pizza.

Mayonnaise adds great tang and texture to this easy pasta recipe--who knew? Black garlic, which is fermented, offers a sweeter, more mellow flavor than fresh. Find it at well-stocked supermarkets or substitute cloves of roasted garlic.

In this grilled chicken recipe from Charlie Foster, executive chef at Woods Hill Table and Adelita in Massachusetts, bone-in breasts are served with the chef's take on Southern dirty rice with chicken livers. Foster believes in the nose-to-tail ethos so he uses as much of each animal as he can. Serve the chicken and rice with grilled wild mushrooms and greens. The dirty rice would also be wonderful with baked or roasted chicken or with turkey.

Corn, tomato and basil scream summer, but simplicity makes this easy dinner recipe perfect for the season. Serve the grilled skirt steak and relish with salad greens for a quick and healthy dinner you'll want to make over and over.

This quick shrimp boil recipe packs all the fun of a beach-party meal into an easy weeknight dinner. Chicken sausage cuts calories and the leek adds extra veggies.

Typically, panzanella is made with tomatoes and dressing-soaked bread cubes. Here, the salad goes sweet and savory but keeps the same look with ripe watermelon. Spring for your favorite bread--it has a starring role in this dish. Serving the salad with grilled pork tenderloin makes a healthy dinner that's simple enough for weeknights.

This healthy chicken salad, bursting with fresh herbs and zesty spices, is based on a salad served at the restaurant Kismet in Los Angeles. Chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson opened the restaurant with amazing California produce in mind. "People often tell us how delicious the food is, but also how good they feel after eating it, which is definitely what we aim to do," says Kramer. Chili crisp is a savory condiment with bite that's made of a mix of chile oil and crispy seasonings, including dried chile, Sichuan peppercorn and onion. Find it in Asian markets or simply substitute chile oil.

Grilled eggplant and sausage are paired with chopped fresh tomatoes and served over creamy polenta in this easy summer dinner. Swap the polenta for whole-wheat pasta for a faster meal.

Don't skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won't protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep--in case you need more selling points for this recipe.

Squash noodles elbow out some of the starchy ones to give this cool sesame noodle salad a veggie boost. This easy healthy recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, so it's great for weeknight dinners. Pack up any leftovers for lunch.

Three ingredients you probably already have on hand--curry powder, yogurt and lemon juice--meld into a mouthwatering sauce that transforms simple grilled salmon. This healthy and easy dinner recipe comes together in just 20 minutes.

A quick mint, lime and rum marinade does double duty as a sauce for these easy grilled chicken kebabs. Using agave cuts the sugars in this recipe by half compared to granulated sugar. Plus, we love the added south-of-the-border flavor. Grill some vegetables and corn on the cob along with the kebabs and you have a healthy weeknight dinner that's special enough to serve to company.

This amped-up burger recipe swaps out beef for ground pork: it gives you similar nutrition (protein, iron, zinc) but has a milder flavor to allow this recipe's bold Asian flavors to sing.

Use an array of colorful tomatoes to make this healthy shrimp salad pop. Cooking the shrimp with fresh herbs and garlic infuses them with flavor without coming off too strong for a light dinner salad that's perfect for summer entertaining.

In Cuba, lechon asado (roast pork) is marinated in mojo, a citrus-herb sauce. In this Instant-Pot pork recipe, the pressure cooker infuses similar flavor into pork shoulder. No pressure cooker? Braise the meat in a large pot in a 300 degrees F oven for 4 to 5 hours.

This healthy grilled fish dish is made for easy summertime entertaining. The peperonata can be made in advance and reheated while you grill the fish.

Yogurt makes a fine substitute for cream in the sauce for this easy pasta recipe. Just warm the yogurt (do not boil) and add some pasta-cooking water to thin it out. Lemon and fresh basil brighten up the whole-wheat pasta and complement the shrimp in this quick dinner recipe.

Here's a pro tip from chef Rick Bayless, who shared this skirt steak taco recipe: puree a can of chipotles in adobo sauce and keep it in your fridge. Adobo is a vinegary tomato sauce, so along with the chipotles (smoked jalapeños), it becomes an all-purpose marinade that's spicy, smoky and salty, all in one. In this recipe you brush it on the steak before grilling but Bayless also does the same move on eggplant, chicken and fish. And having the sauce on hand means you're ready to whip up this easy grilled dinner at a moment's notice.

Need a new chicken dinner idea? Try this grilled chicken and vegetable dish from chef Rick Bayless. Grilling the chicken and summer vegetables is a no-brainer, but in colder months, you may wish to move indoors and roast the chicken, along with some root vegetables. Whatever the weather, it's worth seeking out piloncillo for the beer glaze. This unrefined sugar used in Mexican cooking is made from evaporated cane juice. Its complex caramelized flavor balances any bitterness in the beer. Look for it in Latin markets and online.