19 Easy Dinners for Weight Loss You'll Want to Make Forever
We've pulled together some easy weight loss meals to make getting dinner on the table simpler on those busy nights. These are no-fuss, headache-free recipes that use fewer ingredients and fewer steps for delicious, weeknight-friendly dinners. Each recipe has fewer than 575 calories and at least 6 grams of fiber per serving, so you can meet your weight loss nutrition goals and still have a flavorful, filling meal tonight. Recipes like our Toaster-Oven Tostadas and White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi are simple but tasty dishes you'll return to again and again.
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Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and pack in containers with lids to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab & go lunches all week long.
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Toaster-Oven Tostadas
Would you believe us if we said you can have restaurant-style tostadas at home in just 15 minutes? It's no problem! Simply layer black beans and Cheddar onto corn tortillas and toast in the toaster oven.
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White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Sun-dried tomatoes are the star of this recipe—providing texture and umami. Combined with the spinach, they make this dish a great source of vitamins C and K.
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Two-Cheese Fusilli with Marinated Tomatoes
In this healthy vegetarian pasta recipe, using the tastiest possible ingredients is key. That's why we opt for the richer flavor of whole-milk ricotta over part-skim. Pair with a big green salad and a bottle of chilled rosé for a summer meal on the deck.
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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
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Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup
A big bowl of this veggie-packed minestrone will leave you satisfied for hours without consuming a lot of calories, which is helpful when trying to lose weight. Plus it's an easy way to boost your vegetable servings for the day—something all of us could benefit from. Top with a dollop of pesto before devouring this delicious vegetable soup and consider serving with a hunk of toasted whole-wheat bread to help round out the meal.
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Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Casseroles make perfect meal-prep dinners—this enchilada version is so easy to prep ahead. The whole casserole can be built and left to hang out in the refrigerator for up to three days. Then all you have to do is bake it off on a busy night and you have a healthy dinner on the table in a jiff. The quick homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe is great when you don't have any of the canned sauce on hand—just season crushed tomatoes with spices and salt for an instant enchilada sauce.
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Meal-Prep Roasted Vegetable Bowls with Pesto
Your co-workers will be jealous when you pull out this healthy lunch of roasted veggies and brown rice. Put together 4 lunches when you have time and you will have packable lunches (or ready-to-eat dinners) for several days—just grab a container on your way out the door in the morning.
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Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing
Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!
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Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl
This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.
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Baked Spinach & Feta Pasta
Feta softens in the oven before it's combined with spinach and pasta, with the pasta cooking right in the baking dish. Enjoy this one-pan dish on its own as a vegetarian main or serve with sautéed chicken breast for a boost of protein.
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Pressure-Cooker Grain Bowl
Whip up this healthy vegetarian grain bowl with ease in your Instant Pot. Pressure-cooking the sweet potato is faster and yields the perfect texture. A drizzle of homemade spicy dressing takes this easy dinner to the next level.
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Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous & Almonds
Smoky almonds, meaty eggplant and whole-grain couscous with herbs make this meal plenty satisfying. Harissa gives the creamy sauce a little kick.
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Baked Fish Tacos with Avocado
Instead of deep-frying, the fish fillets in this quick-and-easy 5-ingredient recipe are coated with a flavorful seasoning blend and baked. Several varieties of flaky white fish can be used for these tacos. When you go to the market to purchase fish, the best strategy is to be flexible and choose the variety that looks freshest that day.
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Chicken & Sweet Potato Grill Packets with Peppers & Onions
Cook your whole meal in a packet on the grill with this easy veggie-loaded recipe. The Mexican-inspired seasoning makes the chicken and veggies taste great served with warm tortillas and your favorite taco toppings for a healthy dinner.
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Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach
Simmer eggs in a rich tomatoey cream sauce studded with chickpeas and silky spinach for a super-fast vegetarian dinner. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Be sure to use heavy cream; a lower-fat option might curdle when mixed with acidic tomatoes.
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Sausage, Pepper & Potato Packets
Make a complete meal in one foil packet with this easy recipe full of seasoned sausage, peppers and potatoes. This easy dinner is great for grilling at home or prepping ahead and taking along on a camping trip to cook over the coals.
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3-Ingredient Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Has with Chicken Sausage
Apple-flavored chicken sausage adds flavor and protein in this quick dinner hash that uses a bag of shaved Brussels sprouts as its hearty, high-fiber base. Steaming the cubed sweet potatoes in the microwave cuts way down on total cook time.
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Quick Shrimp Puttanesca
Because refrigerated fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, this Italian-inspired pasta dish will be on the table lickety-split! Puttanesca, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, gets shrimp for extra protein and artichoke hearts to boost the vegetable servings (and the fiber!). If you can't find frozen artichoke hearts, sub in drained canned artichoke hearts.