34 Anti-Inflammatory Dinners for Heart Health
These dinners feature nutrient-dense ingredients like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and beans, which help tame chronic inflammation—other ingredients, like dark leafy greens and salmon, are especially good for inflammation and heart health. Plus, each of these recipes is low in saturated fat and sodium for a meal that will help follow a heart-healthy eating pattern with ease. Recipes like our Flank Steak Tacos with Strawberry Salsa and Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach are so tasty, you'll want to make them regulars at your dinner table.
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Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower "Rice" Tabbouleh
Chicken breasts on the grill have a smoky flavor that's enhanced with an easy spice rub. We chose flat-leaf parsley in this salad because it has a stronger herbal taste than its sometimes-bitter curly counterpart.
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Trapanese Pesto Pasta & Zoodles with Salmon
Trapanese pesto is the Sicilian version of the sauce that uses tomatoes and almonds instead of pine nuts. This savory pesto sauce coats low-carb zucchini noodles and heart-healthy seared salmon to create an absolutely delicious pasta dinner.
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Flank Steak Tacos with Strawberry Salsa
For this easy taco recipe, we've topped skillet-cooked flank steak with a quick fresh salsa that takes advantage of perfectly ripe strawberries. Make the salsa while the steak cooks for a 30-minute dinner the whole family will love.
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Charred Vegetable & Bean Tostadas with Lime Crema
Pile vegetables and black beans onto crisp tostadas and top them off with lime crema for a vegetarian dinner the whole family will love. Charring the vegetables under the broiler infuses them with smoky flavor while cooking them quickly.
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Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach
Gochujang, a Korean red chile paste, and honey give this salmon a little bit of sweetness and a whole lot of spice.
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Cauliflower Fajita Skillet
Thinly sliced cauliflower florets mimic the signature shape of fajita meat in this dish. We cook it in a cast-iron skillet for that tableside sizzle you'd get at a restaurant.
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Salmon with Lemon-Herb Orzo & Broccoli
This healthy salmon dish is as balanced as it is delicious. You add broccoli right into the pot along with the pasta during its last minute of cooking to save time here. One less thing to wash too!
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Pork Chops with Cherry, Watercress & Farro Salad
Most farro sold in stores is pearled, meaning the bran is removed and it therefore has a little less fiber—but it still brings 2 grams per serving to this dish. It cooks quicker than harder-to-find whole farro, so be sure to double-check the cooking time on the package.
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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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Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens
In this healthy salmon dinner, you'll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen's current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.
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Sheet-Pan Harissa Chicken & Vegetables
This one-pan dinner gets a hit of flavorful heat from harissa, the popular North African chile-and-garlic paste. We use harissa paste from a tube for this recipe. It's got a concentrated chile flavor that makes an excellent spice rub for chicken and adds a subtle punch of heat to a refreshing herbed yogurt sauce.
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Sweet Potato-Black Bean Burgers
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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Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa
Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes.
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Winter Kale & Quinoa Salad with Avocado
Precooked quinoa helps keep this healthy salad recipe quick and simple. Loaded with black beans, kale, and avocado, this recipe is as filling as it is nutritious. You can also make the sweet potatoes and dressing ahead.
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Lemon Chicken & Rice
This easy Persian-inspired chicken and rice dish has a beautiful golden color and a wonderful fragrance. If you have saffron in the cupboard, do add that optional pinch; just a little will enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish.
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Vegan Black Bean Burgers
These easy vegan black bean burgers have a healthy dose of fiber thanks to the combination of black beans and quinoa. Cumin and chipotle chile powder give these vegan burgers a Southwestern spin. Using your hands to combine the mixture creates a soft, uniform texture.
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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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Meal-Prep Chili-Lime Chicken Bowls
Skip takeout and whip up these equally delicious, and easy-to-make burrito bowls at home. They're great for a fast and easy dinner or as meal-prep lunches to pack for work throughout the week.
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Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan
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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Crispy Oven-Fried Fish Tacos
Fish tacos make a satisfying meal the entire family will love. Many restaurant versions are deep-fried, but our technique includes coating the fish in a seasoned whole-grain breading and spritzing it lightly with cooking spray before baking on a rack until golden brown. The result is a crispy exterior with moist and flaky fish inside.
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Beef and Swiss Chard Mafalda with Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Sauce
Mafalda pasta has a flat shape with ribbon-like edges. It's a good choice for pasta sauces like this one, made from eggplant and sweet peppers, which are roasted and then blended until smooth. Topped with thinly sliced beef and wilted Swiss chard, this is truly a satisfying meal.
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Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice
This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs. Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don't like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang.
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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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Farfalle with Tuna, Lemon, and Fennel
This warm, flaked tuna and lemon pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes.
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Maple-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Wedges and Brussels Sprouts
This easy sheet-pan recipe brings together many fall favorites into a hearty dinner.
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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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Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta
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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Chicken Fajitas with Red Grapefruit Salsa
This healthy chicken fajita recipe gets a fresh spin with a sweet, tart and spicy grapefruit salsa. If you like, skip the fajitas altogether and serve the salsa on fish, steak or even with a bowl of chips. Adjust the amount of jalapeño to tailor the heat level.
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Fish Tacos with Avocado-Lime Crema
If battering and frying fish sounds messy, frozen fish sticks are your fish taco savior in this healthy dinner recipe. Use them for a quick, kid-friendly dinner or try popcorn shrimp. Serve with your favorite salsa and black beans on the side.
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Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes
Tons of spice, corn and bell pepper give this healthy one-pot chicken chili recipe Southwestern flair. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, tortilla chips and a cold beer.
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Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Thyme Sweet Potatoes
A pork tenderloin is baked with sweet potatoes, onions and apples for a dinner that's quick enough for weeknights but special enough for guests.
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Skillet-Roasted Citrus Salmon with Grilled Vegetables
Grilled salmon fillets, flavored with herbs and orange, are served alongside asparagus and summer squash cooked in foil packets over an open fire.
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Shrimp and Avocado-Cream Pasta
This recipe has a tasty secret: the creamy sauce is made with nutritious avocado! Mix it together with multigrain pasta for a healthy dinner option.
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Baked Eggs with Roasted Vegetables
With 11 grams of protein in each serving, this recipe is great for breakfast. Start preparation the day before and chill overnight for minimal work in the morning.