21 Healthy Low-Carb Dinners That Support Healthy Aging
Enjoy one of these delicious low-carb dinners tonight. These recipes have no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving and are packed with crucial nutrients like fiber, protein and calcium, which are important as you get older. Recipes like Spinach & Mushroom Quiche and Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce are healthy and satisfying.
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Spinach & Mushroom Quiche
This healthy vegetarian quiche recipe is as simple as it gets. It's a quiche without the fussy crust! It's filled with sweet wild mushrooms and savory Gruyère cheese. Enjoy it for breakfast or brunch, or serve it with a light salad for lunch.
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Spanakopita Stuffed Peppers
These stuffed bell peppers have a filling inspired by the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, but you don't have to worry about working with phyllo, so they're great for an easy vegetarian dinner.
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Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice
Cut down on carbs and amp up your veggie servings with this healthy cauliflower fried rice with shrimp, broccoli, bell peppers and garlic. Everything is cooked in one wok or skillet, but in stages, so each element keeps its integrity in the finished dish instead of being all mushed together--it may seem fussy, but it's worth it and actually quite easy. Resist the urge to stir the cauliflower rice right away; letting it cook undisturbed for a few minutes allows it to brown and develop sweet, nutty flavors. This better-than-takeout healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it's perfect for busy weeknights.
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Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Though a chicken cutlet may be a chicken breast cut in half, this recipe shows how to make chicken cutlets with double the deliciousness. A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty for this healthy dinner recipe. The flavorful oil they're packed in is used to sauté the chicken, and the tomatoes go into the cream sauce.
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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach
Shrimp, spinach and garlic brown and cook quickly for a simple one-pot weeknight dinner. A fast pan sauce gets life from zesty lemon juice, warm crushed red pepper and herby parsley. Serve with a slice of whole-wheat baguette to swipe up every last drop of sauce.
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20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce
Serve these quick chicken cutlets with creamy pesto sauce over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite.
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Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce
Looking for a recipe to help you eat more heart-healthy fish and veggies? Add this salmon and asparagus dinner to your rotation. Not only is it healthy and delicious, this sheet-pan dinner is also easy to make and a breeze to clean up.
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Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers
Here's an easy chicken recipe you'll definitely want to add to your dinner repertoire. A quick marinade tenderizes the chicken and infuses flavor in this healthy version of a take-out favorite. Adding a little oil to finish the marinade coats the chicken and helps keep it from sticking to the pan.
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Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.
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Cauliflower & Kale Frittata
Inspired by traditional Spanish tortillas made with potatoes, this healthy frittata recipe swaps potatoes for low-carb cauliflower. Serve it along with kale (or your favorite greens) for brunch or an easy breakfast-for-dinner.
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Shrimp Scampi Zoodles
Classic garlicky shrimp scampi gets a low-carb makeover in this easy dinner recipe. Zucchini noodles, also known as "zoodles," are a healthier alternative to traditional pasta--they mimic the texture of pasta while taking on the flavor of whatever sauce you serve them with. Make sure you salt and drain the zoodles, otherwise your final dish will be soupy and the flavor will be diluted.
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Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms
Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
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Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
Mounding a classic Philly cheesesteak mixture in a colorful bell pepper and melting cheese on top is an easy way to skip the bread and cut the carbs.
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Homemade Chicken Tenders with Everything Bagel Seasoning over Salad
Using everything bagel spice is a quick way to season and add extra crunch to breadcrumbs for chicken tenders. If you can't find any premixed, make your own by combining equal parts dried minced onion and garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt and ground pepper (see Associated Recipes). This healthy chicken recipe tops a simple salad for an easy dinner that's ready in 25 minutes.
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"Egg in a Hole" Peppers with Avocado Salsa
Colorful bell pepper rings stand in for bread in this healthy version of egg in a hole. Cook an egg inside the peppers and top with a vibrant avocado salsa for a cheerful breakfast.
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Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans
This easy lemon-garlic chicken recipe calls for cutlets, which cook in less than 10 minutes! Can't find them? Make your own from chicken breasts. Place each breast on a cutting board and, with your knife parallel to the board, slice into the skinny side of the chicken breast in a single smooth motion. The side of green beans is cooked right in the same pan as the chicken, so this 20-minute easy, healthy dinner is not just a snap to prepare--the cleanup is a cinch too.
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Taco-Stuffed Zucchini
These stuffed zucchini boats are filled with all your favorite taco ingredients like seasoned meat, cheese and avocado. They're perfect for a a low-carb alternative on taco night or a great kid-friendly way to sneak in more vegetables.
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Zucchini Noodles with Pesto & Chicken
This healthy summer dinner subs zoodles for pasta to help use up your zucchini bounty--as well as slash calories and carbs. Once the spiralized zucchini has time to soak up the herby pesto sauce, this chicken and pesto pasta makes particularly good leftovers.
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Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata
This vegetable-studded frittata recipe is one of the quickest meals you can make. Make it for breakfast, or serve for lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and a slice of olive oil-drizzled crusty baguette.
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Tinola (Filipino Ginger-Garlic Chicken Soup)
Tinola, a comforting chicken soup seasoned with plenty of ginger and garlic, has countless variations throughout the Philippines. The soup calls for malunggay leaves (aka moringa), which can be found fresh or frozen at Asian markets. Bok choy is a good substitute. Feel free to increase the amounts of garlic and fish sauce for an even more flavorful soup. Serve this easy and healthy chicken soup on its own or with jasmine rice, quinoa or wild rice.
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Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice"
Get an extra serving of vegetables and cut back on carbs by replacing rice with riced cauliflower in this healthy chicken fried rice recipe.