23 Healthy Dinners for One

July 24, 2020

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Make a healthy and delicious meal for one with these dinner recipes. These recipes make one serving, so you won’t have to worry about eating the same leftovers day after day. We balance hearty proteins like chicken and seafood with fresh veggies and grains to create a balanced dinner. Recipes like Broccoli Fried Rice and Greek Salmon Salad are healthy, filling and perfect for tonight’s dinner.

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Green Goddess Buddha Bowl

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This healthy grain bowl packs in the greens with peas, asparagus and a creamy yogurt dressing. Tofu adds protein while keeping it vegetarian, but you could also swap in cooked shrimp or chicken for a satisfying dinner or packable lunch ready in just 15 minutes. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2017

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Butternut Squash Soup with Avocado & Chickpeas

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Jazz up a can of soup by adding protein with chickpeas and flavor with curry powder. Stir in a little Greek yogurt to make it creamy. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2018

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Broccoli Fried Rice

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This easy stir-fry is a great healthy dinner for one. Make it your own by choosing between beef and chicken. Vegetarian? Skip the meat altogether, or sub in tofu. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2018

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Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl

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With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal will keeping you feeling full and satisfied for hours. Source: EatingWell.com, November 2017

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Chicken Shawarma with Potatoes

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Cook once; eat thrice: this chicken shawarma recipe makes a satisfying single-serving dinner, plus extra chicken, potatoes, and onions that you can use later in the week. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Spring 2020

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Greek Salmon Salad

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If mixed salads fail to fill you up, try this hearty Greek salmon salad recipe, which calls for bulking up a traditional bed of mixed greens with roasted vegetables and protein-rich salmon. Leftovers make it a breeze to put together this delicious Mediterranean salad. Here we suggest two recipes you could meal-prep ahead of time--Lemon-Roasted Mixed Vegetables and Sweet & Spicy Roasted Salmon--but you can use whatever roasted veggies you have on hand and pick up a precooked salmon fillet from the deli counter at your grocery store. This healthy salad would also be good with chicken. Serve it for an easy dinner or pack it up for lunch. Source: What to Eat with Diabetes 2019

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Chicken Udon Bowl with Zucchini Noodles

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Mix udon and zucchini noodles for a lower-carb noodle bowl that's full of flavor thanks to the finger-licking-good peanut sauce. Using leftover chicken will save you even more time on this quick dinner recipe--you can whip it up in about 10 minutes. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2018

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Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables

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This fridge-clean-out meal is the perfect way to use up whatever vegetables you have on hand. Chop up anything that's been left behind in your veggie drawer for this quick scramble that's the perfect healthy dinner for one. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2018

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Turkey and Couscous

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Turkey and couscous come together beautifully when paired with a vegetable medley. To give this recipe an Indian twist, season the turkey breast with curry powder or an Indian Spice Rub before grilling or roasting, and toss pine nuts into the cooked couscous. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Salmon Sushi Buddha Bowl

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Get all the delicious flavors of sushi without the time-consuming rolling with this quick grain bowl recipe. All you need is 15 minutes to get this healthy dinner on the table or to pack it up for lunch at work. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2017

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Prosciutto & Spinach Grilled Cheese

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Make grilled cheese for one with this quick and easy recipe! This sandwich packs in a healthy dose of veggies plus a delicious flavor boost from sliced prosciutto (Italian ham). Source: EatingWell.com, July 2018

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Beet & Shrimp Winter Salad

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This healthy dinner salad recipe gets its staying power from protein-packed shrimp and fiber-rich barley. With a simple red-wine vinaigrette, this quick salad makes just one serving but is easy to double or triple. Look for precooked beets with other prepared vegetables in the produce department. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2016

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Egg Drop Soup with Instant Noodles, Spinach & Scallions

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Whisking a beaten egg into simmering broth is a quick and easy way to add creaminess and protein to noodle soup mix. Add freshness with a handful of baby spinach at the end. This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 2 and use the whole package of noodles. To cut back on sodium, look for noodle varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2020

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Insalata Caprese Chicken

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A combination of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, pungent basil and a hint of balsamic vinegar is perfection, but even more so with some cooked chicken added in. This dish is quick-and-easy and perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Black Bean-Cauliflower "Rice" Bowl

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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. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Spring 2020

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Thai-Inspired Peanut Shrimp Noodles

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This healthy peanut shrimp noodle recipe comes together in a flash, thanks to cooked shrimp and a handful of crunchy veggies. Look for precooked cocktail shrimp in the seafood section of your grocery store. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Summer 2019

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Lemon Chicken Pasta

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We love the combination of lemon zest and toasted breadcrumbs in this quick and easy pasta recipe for one. This healthy dinner is made with rotisserie chicken and quick-cooking spiralized zucchini and baby zucchini, so you get a complete meal in just 10 minutes. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Summer 2019

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Chicken with Fresh Basil Pesto

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Typical pesto ingredients--basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil--make a tasty and fresh topper for a cooked chicken breast. But in this recipe, no heavy equipment is needed to make the pesto! Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Edamame & Veggie Rice Bowl

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The ingredients in this vegan grain bowl recipe can be prepped ahead for an easy lunch to pack for work. The tangy citrus dressing is a refreshing flavor with the sweet caramel of the roasted sheet-pan veggies. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2017

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Steak Dinner

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Your traditional steak and potato dinner gets a makeover in this recipe by swapping starchy potatoes for whole-grain brown rice. Be wary of your portion size for steak, it should be about the size of a deck of cards. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli

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Lunch on the go doesn't have to be boring or typical. This Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli is quick to prepare and full of flavor. Plus, it's made with whole wheat pasta to keep you satisfied longer. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Salmon and Asparagus

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This quick-and-easy recipe is loaded with bold flavors and combines heart-healthy salmon with roasted or grilled asparagus. We recommend roasting or grilling the salmon and asparagus together to save time. To ramp up the flavor in this dish, use a dab of extra-virgin olive oil, snipped fresh parsley, finely shredded lemon peel, and ground black pepper. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Italian Zucchini-Topped Baked Potato

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Quick-sautéed zuke with herbs and a little cheese adds punch to a plain potato without overdoing it on the fat, sodium and calories. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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