Our Top 50 Diet Recipes for Summer

August 27, 2019
From Summer Vegetable Tian to Bacon & Mango Sliders, our healthy, low-calorie recipes for summer are delicious ways to celebrate the warm days. Our healthy recipes for grilling, chilled soup recipes, healthy desserts with fruit and more diet recipes for summer are healthy, delicious dishes to share at potlucks, BBQs and cookouts.
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Summer Vegetable Tian

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This pretty vegan layered casserole is so simple to make. Its only seasonings are salt and garlic-infused olive oil, which you make by sizzling a clove of garlic in olive oil for about a minute. This dish is lovely warm or room temperature. Serve with crusty bread as a vegetarian entree or alongside roasted meats as a side dish--don't forget a glass of chilled rosé.

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Cauliflower Fried Rice with Steak

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You could argue that fried rice is really all about the "add-ins," so why not skip the grain itself and save some calories with cauliflower while you're at it? If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, swap sliced mushrooms for the steak. Either way, you don't have to be on a low-carb diet to love this 30-minute dinner.

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Simple Grilled Salmon & Vegetables

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Grilled salmon and veggies make for a colorful and balanced seafood dinner that's ready in just minutes. The grill turns the salmon flaky and moist while tenderizing the crispy pepper and onion pieces. Round out the meal with brown rice or quinoa.

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Cantaloupe & Cucumber Salad with Fresh Za'atar

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This juicy melon salad is seasoned with fresh oregano and thyme, sumac spice and toasted sesame seeds for a bright summertime take on the Middle Eastern spice blend za'atar.

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Goat Cheese & Fresh Herb Omelet

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The secret to this easy omelet recipe is choosing a really great goat cheese. Luckily most supermarkets have great chevre--Vermont Creamery and Laura Chenel are straightforward varieties you're likely to find. If you've got access to funky local options, bust them out for this quick breakfast recipe. Aside from the goat cheese, eggs and herbs, you need just a few pantry ingredients and 20 minutes for one of the best omelets you can make.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

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For this fast salad recipe, we top summer's ripest tomatoes with a bold tomato-based dressing for good measure. Serve as a light lunch with whole-grain toast or pair with grilled steak and chicken for dinner.

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Bourbon Chicken Skewers

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The deliciously thick, barbeque-based sauce on these chicken and zucchini skewers is flavored with bourbon and soy. Ready in just 35 minutes, this southern-inspired recipe is perfect served with brown rice and a side salad.

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Fresh-Squeezed Pink Lemonade Ice Pops

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These pink lemonade popsicles will keep you cool all summer long.

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Crunchy Chicken & Mango Salad

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This Asian-inspired dinner salad has terrific crunch, thanks to sugar snap peas and napa cabbage. Give the dressing a kick of heat by adding a bit of sambal oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce that you can find in most large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

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Bacon & Mango Tango Sliders

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With a touch of sweet from the mango, savory from the bacon, plus a creamy avocado spread, this healthy slider recipe with takes burgers to a whole new level. Double the avocado mayo and use it for your next BLT.

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Easy Tomato Gazpacho

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Many gazpacho recipes are thickened with bread, but this one uses just vegetables, making it a gluten-free refresher for a hot summer day. The key to any flavorful gazpacho is giving it time to rest. The flavors meld and become cohesive when the soup is allowed to sit a bit before serving.

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Poppy Seed Oat Waffles with Citrus Syrup

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Who says you always need maple syrup on your waffles? These nutritious and satisfying poppy seed waffles--made with fiber-filled oats--are served with a fruity citrus syrup that cooks up in no time at all.

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Grilled Summer Vegetables with Shallot-Herb Vinaigrette

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Enjoy the summer's vegetable bounty with this easy grilled vegetable recipe. Pile any leftovers on crusty baguette with melted fontina or mozzarella for lunch the next day.

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Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Watercress Pesto

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Not all pestos are made with basil--this version calls for a mixture of watercress and mint, and uses almonds instead of pine nuts. It tastes delicious served with grilled flat iron steaks.

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Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cannellini Beans & Anchovies

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This simple but delicious five-ingredient salad highlights a number of elements beloved in the Occitanie region of France--white beans, olive oil, zucchini and anchovies. Use your best olive oil here, as it's essential to the flavor. You'll need a sharp vegetable peeler to make the zucchini ribbons. Serve as a side dish next to roast chicken or grilled steak, or double the salad and enjoy as an entree with a warm baguette.

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Thai Wit-Glazed Grilled Chicken

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This chicken's sticky, citrusy glaze is a flavor-packed combo of Belgian wit beer, coriander and orange--plus it gets a Thai-inspired spin from lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Use a bottle from your favorite brewery or opt for easy-to-find Blue Moon Belgian White (and have a few extra bottles on hand to drink with it!).

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Strawberry-Banana FroYo Cup

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Bananas and Greek yogurt make this strawberry topped dessert creamy and delicious.

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Chipotle Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Apricot Salsa

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Your grill does double duty in this meal! Grilled apricots take center stage in a zesty salsa which tastes delicious with the chipotle flavored grilled pork chops.

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Melon-Mango Ice Cream

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This homemade ice cream is a tropical pleaser. Still part of a diabetic meal plan, it's made with fat-free half-and-half and buttermilk instead of whipping cream.

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Lobster Niçoise Salad

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Steamed lobster is a luxurious swap for tuna in this otherwise-classic, veggie-loaded Niçoise salad. In a pinch--or if you don't want to deal with a giant pot of boiling water on a steamy summer day--many supermarkets have freshly picked lobster meat at their seafood counter or in the freezer case. Serve with a warm baguette for lunch or dinner.

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Easy Salmon Cakes

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If you are trying to boost your intake of omega-3s, try this simple favorite. It is a great way to use convenient canned (or leftover) salmon. The tangy dill sauce provides a tart balance.

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Honeydew Smoothie Bowl

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Blending frozen melon with just enough liquid yields an almost ice cream-like texture. Make this a traditional, pourable smoothie by adding a touch more liquid before whizzing everything together. It's a cool way to start off a hot and humid day.

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Peach Caprese Skewers

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Fresh peaches liven up a classic caprese salad in this super-fast snack. Make this recipe for one or make a bunch for a party appetizer.

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Chicago-Style Carrot Dogs

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Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or none of the above, these plant-based "dogs" are magically delicious--period. This recipe makes these vegan hot dogs Chicago-style, but feel free to doctor them up any way you like. Break with convention and add shredded cabbage, sprouts and cilantro, for example.

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Grilled Dijon Scallops and Squash

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A simple honey-mustard dressing seasons both the squash and scallops in this quick-and-easy grilled recipe, ready in just 25 minutes.

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Caribbean Bowls

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This tropical dish is made complete with Jamaican Jerk Seasoning. Pork, rice, and beans combine with pineapple and red onion in a delicious honey-lime vinaigrette.

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Iced Coconut Latte Pops

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When you don't have time to make ice coffee, grab a latte popsicle from the freezer and keep your cool.

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Pretzel-Pistachio-Crusted Tofu Salad

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Pretzels and Pistachios create a crispy crust for tofu, perfect to top this fresh salad.

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Grilled Peaches with Honey-Balsamic Syrup

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Grilling fruit caramelizes the natural sugars and concentrates the flavors. Served with a balsamic syrup and crushed gingersnaps, this warm, 20-minute peach dessert recipe offers an incredible combination of flavor and texture in each bite.

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Sweet Corn Polenta with Bell Pepper & Tomato Salad

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Serve this simple vegetarian side dish warm or room temperature alongside grilled meats and a stacked summer salad. A flash under the broiler leaves these slices of corn-studded polenta golden on the outside and soft on the inside; an herby, smoky tomato-pepper salad acts like a salsa to be spooned over the top.

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Avocado Toast with Burrata

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Burrata (cream-filled fresh mozzarella cheese) takes this avocado toast recipe to the next level for a decadent, yet weekday-friendly breakfast.

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Shrimp and Mango Adobado Salad with Grilled Corn-Avocado Salsa

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This recipe is a reinvention of a classic dish. Remember when salsa was made only with tomatoes? This lively corn-red-onion-avocado-pepper salsa goes with grilled shrimp and mangoes, which are briefly immersed in a snappy grapefruit-lime juice marinade.

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Corn Risotto with Tomatoes & Spinach

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Corn and tomatoes make this risotto taste like summer itself, but you can stir in almost any vegetables that your family likes. Make this simple entree vegetarian by swapping in vegetable broth or "no-chicken" broth for the chicken broth.

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Ginger Chicken Kabobs