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  6. Low-Calorie Dinners with Whole Grains

Low-Calorie Dinners with Whole Grains

August 27, 2019
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Add more whole grains to your diet with these delicious quinoa recipes, barley recipes, bulgur recipes and more whole-grain dinner recipes. Whole grains provide a healthy boost of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients and are also rich in carbohydrates, the body's main fuel supply. Best of all, these recipes are packed with flavor but are still low in calories. Enjoy one of these low-calorie dinners with whole grains tonight!

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Smoked Turkey, Kale & Rice Bake

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This hearty one-skillet dinner is loaded with celery, kale, tomatoes and quick-cooking brown rice. It's easy to make the recipe vegetarian by substituting smoked tofu for the turkey.

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Bulgur & Lentils

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Caramelized onions add deep flavor to this fast take on the Middle Eastern dish mjadra, a simple vegetarian recipe featuring bulgur and lentils. Serve with a salad of chopped parsley, tomato and cucumber tossed with a lemon vinaigrette.

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Creamy Hamburger Noodle Casserole

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The EatingWell Test Kitchen takes lean ground beef and combines it with whole-grain bulgur, egg noodles and a creamy tomato sauce in a baked casserole topped with Cheddar. With less fat and calories than the original skillet meal, this dish is sure to become a new family favorite.

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Vegetarian Quinoa & Squash Casserole

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An aromatic mixture of garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, allspice and cayenne flavors this vegetarian quinoa and squash casserole recipe. Frozen squash is a super-easy topping.

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Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

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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.

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Quick Beef & Barley Soup

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Quick-cooking barley and sirloin help get this beef-and-barley soup on the table in a snap--and it doubles easily. If leftovers get too thick in the fridge, add a little broth when you reheat it. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of malbec.

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Chile-Lime Veggie Noodles

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We love the bright flavor that lime and chile-garlic sauce give to this quick and easy veggie-and-noodle stir-fry. Multicolored peppers make this recipe festive, while the addition of eggs makes it a satisfying vegetarian supper.

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Bean Burgers with Spicy Guacamole

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These bean burgers will even please carnivores. The cornmeal coating gives a pleasant crunch and smoked paprika, cumin, cilantro and guacamole add Southwestern flavor.

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Quinoa & Smoked Tofu Salad

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We took the tangy fresh flavors of tabbouleh and paired them with smoky tofu and quinoa to create a main-dish salad that's perfect served on a bed of greens. This salad is jam-packed with heart-healthy ingredients--whole grains (quinoa), legumes (soy-based tofu) and plenty of vegetables.

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Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

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This zesty Cajun-style pasta is full of lean chicken, peppers and onions. Serve with sautéed green beans.

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Cream of Mushroom & Barley Soup

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This sophisticated take on creamy mushroom soup is rich with earthy porcini mushrooms and has the added goodness of whole-grain barley.

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Neapolitan Meatballs

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A touch of cinnamon distinguishes these delicious tomato-sauced meatballs. Adding whole-grain bulgur allows you to use less meat, resulting in meatballs with less than half the total fat and saturated fat of the original. Plus a vibrant-tasting combination of fresh and canned tomatoes in the sauce helps reduce the sodium by two-thirds. Serve with pasta, polenta or even on a whole-grain roll with a bit of melted part-skim mozzarella for a meatball sub.

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Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables

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Toss a garlicky, Middle Eastern-inspired yogurt sauce with pasta, shrimp, asparagus, peas and red bell pepper for a fresh, satisfying summer meal. Serve with: Slices of cucumber and tomato tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.

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Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili

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This rib-sticking chili offers a hearty mix of wheat berries, beans, peppers and onion. Feel free to add an additional chipotle pepper to crank up the heat in this one-pot meal. Cooked wheat berries will keep for up to 1 month in your freezer and there's no need to thaw them; just stir them directly into the chili.

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Leek & Lemon Linguine

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This simple pasta recipe has bold lemony flavor. It's nice with a salad for a light supper or serve it along with seared fish, shrimp or chicken. Vary it as you please--add a bit of crumbled goat cheese, chopped rinsed capers, shelled edamame or thin strips of yellow bell pepper.

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Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole

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Known as Tuna-Pea Wiggle to some, this family-friendly tuna noodle casserole tends to be made with canned soup and whole milk, which means high fat and sodium. We remedy this by making our own creamy mushroom sauce with nonfat milk thickened with a bit of flour. Look for whole-wheat egg noodles--they have more fiber than regular egg noodles (but this dish will work well and taste great with either).

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Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

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Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce.

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Southwestern Three-Bean & Barley Soup

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Serve this zesty bean and barley soup garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired.

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Broccoli, Ham & Pasta Salad

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A great make-ahead entree, this lightened-up pasta salad is loaded with broccoli and peppers. Smoky ham and sweet raisins give it plenty of punch. Enjoy the leftovers for a fuss-free lunch. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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    1 of 19 Smoked Turkey, Kale & Rice Bake
    2 of 19 Bulgur & Lentils
    3 of 19 Creamy Hamburger Noodle Casserole
    4 of 19 Vegetarian Quinoa & Squash Casserole
    5 of 19 Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms
    6 of 19 Quick Beef & Barley Soup
    7 of 19 Chile-Lime Veggie Noodles
    8 of 19 Bean Burgers with Spicy Guacamole
    9 of 19 Quinoa & Smoked Tofu Salad
    10 of 19 Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
    11 of 19 Cream of Mushroom & Barley Soup
    12 of 19 Neapolitan Meatballs
    13 of 19 Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables
    14 of 19 Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili
    15 of 19 Leek & Lemon Linguine
    16 of 19 Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole
    17 of 19 Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce
    18 of 19 Southwestern Three-Bean & Barley Soup
    19 of 19 Broccoli, Ham & Pasta Salad

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