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  4. Our 20 Most Popular Diabetes-Friendly Dinners of 2021

Our 20 Most Popular Diabetes-Friendly Dinners of 2021

Leah Goggins headshot
Leah Goggins Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD December 13, 2021
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli

We kept it simple in 2021 with one-pot meals and easy soups. These recipes, which focus on complex carbs, like whole grains, and are lower in saturated fat and sodium, were the diabetes-friendly dinners people clicked on most this year. It's no surprise that recipes like our Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli and Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew kept folks coming back for more all year long.

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Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan
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This one-pan pasta that combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal is garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta" and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love.

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Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli

Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
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The vibrant combo of cheese, cilantro, chili, and lime--inspired by Mexican street corn--makes this salmon sheet-pan dinner burst with flavor.

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One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake

One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake
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In this chicken and asparagus recipe, we use one baking sheet to whip up dinner quickly, veggies included. Pounding the chicken thin helps it cook quickly alongside the carrots and potatoes, with asparagus rounding out the meal. This is one quick dinner recipe you'll be returning to again and again.

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Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup

overhead shot of vegetable soup in a black cast iron pot
Credit: Carson Downing
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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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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach

One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach
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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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Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew

Slow-Cooker Chicken White Bean Stew
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This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.

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Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew

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This satisfying stew comes together in a snap. Mashed chickpeas add body to the broth, and tomato paste adds a savory note without piling on the sodium. To simplify the prep, look for chopped fresh onion and shredded carrot or a soup starter mix in the produce section.

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Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Credit: Jamie Vespa
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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 shallots and the actual tomatoes help to add delicious flavor to the creamy sauce. Served with perfectly cooked salmon, you really can't go wrong with this easy 20-minute weeknight meal. This recipe is a variation on our insanely popular Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce recipe by Carolyn Malcoun.

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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
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This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood.

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Chickpea Curry (Chhole)

chickpea curry (chhole)
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Made with convenient canned beans, this quick and healthy Indian recipe is an authentic chickpea curry that you can make in minutes. If you want an additional vegetable, stir in some roasted cauliflower florets. Serve with brown basmati rice or warm naan.

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Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale
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This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup.

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Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
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These vegan sweet potato-black bean burgers spiced with curry powder are easy to make. Blending the mixture with your hands gives you a soft, uniform texture then the outside gets crispy by cooking in a cast-iron pan. To make this recipe gluten-free too, use gluten-free oats and serve the patty in a lettuce wrap, omitting the bun.

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Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta

Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta
Credit: Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Sammy Mila
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You'll only have to dirty one pot in this easy pasta recipe that cooks chicken and vegetables right along with the noodles. Plus, by using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta, the starch that usually gets drained off with your pasta water stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.

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Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

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This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.

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Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips

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The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.

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Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
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Got leftover cooked chicken or turkey? Cook up a pot of soup! This recipe is a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread.

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
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One sheet pan is all you'll need to whip up these zesty chicken fajitas. They're quick and easy to make and cleanup is even faster!

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Skillet Steak with Mushroom Sauce

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This steak, broccoli rabe and pea dinner is a one-skillet meal that will be on your table in just 25 minutes! The pan drippings combine with mushroom, broth and grainy mustard to make a thick and delicious sauce.

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Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls

Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls
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These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls

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Skip the tortillas in favor of this warm fajita salad, which features a nutritious medley of chicken with roasted kale, bell peppers and black beans. The chicken, beans and vegetables are all cooked on the same pan, so this healthy dinner is easy to make and the cleanup is easy too.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 20 Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan
    2 of 20 Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
    3 of 20 One-Pan Chicken & Asparagus Bake
    4 of 20 Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup
    5 of 20 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach
    6 of 20 Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew
    7 of 20 Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew
    8 of 20 Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
    9 of 20 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
    10 of 20 Chickpea Curry (Chhole)
    11 of 20 Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale
    12 of 20 Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers
    13 of 20 Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta
    14 of 20 Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese
    15 of 20 Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips
    16 of 20 Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
    17 of 20 Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
    18 of 20 Skillet Steak with Mushroom Sauce
    19 of 20 Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls
    20 of 20 Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls

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    Our 20 Most Popular Diabetes-Friendly Dinners of 2021
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