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    • 20 Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinners Ready in 3 Steps or Less

       If you're looking for low-carb, high-protein dinners that don't require cooking for hours, these recipes got you covered. These dinner options are ready to serve in 3 steps or less so you can meet your nutrition goals easily. Each recipe l meets our nutrition parameters, with less than 14 grams of carbs and more than 15 grams of protein, without wasting on flavor. Recipes like 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce and Cheesy Ground Beef Cauliflower Casserole are delicious options for you to get a healthy meal on your table in no time.  Read More
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  6. 30 Low-Calorie Dinners You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less

30 Low-Calorie Dinners You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less

Leah Goggins headshot
Leah Goggins Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD May 01, 2022
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce

These light and simple meals are perfect for any night of the week. Whip one of these recipes up in just 20 minutes for a quick dinner that's packed with flavor. Whether you're in the mood for some pantry pasta, a fish dinner or a veggie-filled salad, there's something you'll love in this mix of easy meals. Recipes like our Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta and Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce have less than 575 calories in each serving, so you can hit your nutrition goals.

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Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta

Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta Frittata
Credit: Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat
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Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

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Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach

Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach
Credit: Jacob Fox
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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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Pork Schnitzel with Creamy Dill Sauce

Pork Schnitzel with Creamy Dill Sauce
Credit: Jacob Fox
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Pounding pork chops before breading and pan-frying is the signature method to getting crisp yet tender German schnitzel. Using an air fryer works well too and cuts back on calories.

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White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi

White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Credit: Jacob Fox
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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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Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce

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This crispy cod recipe shows you how to make golden fish that's not deep-fried, to put a healthy twist on a classic. Pat it dry and dredge it with a bit of flour before sautéing in a hot pan.

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Spinach, Lima Bean & Crispy Pancetta Pasta

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We opt for fresh spinach pasta here--it cooks quickly and adds a pop of color. Cooking lima beans in pancetta drippings infuses them with flavor.

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Cheesy Mushroom, Leek & Prosciutto Toasts

Cheesy Mushroom, Leek & Prosciutto Toasts
Credit: Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat
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Salty Kalamata olives and prosciutto add a hit of flavor to the sautéed mushrooms and leeks that top these toasts. Gooey mozzarella holds it all together.

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Seared Scallops with Green Goddess Slaw

Seared Scallops with Green Goddess Slaw
Credit: Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat
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Avocado, yogurt and buttermilk lend creaminess to the herbaceous dressing coating this salad.

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Easy Chicken Tinga Rice Bowls

Chicken Tinga Rice Bowls
Credit: Jacob Fox
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Leftover chicken tinga, pinto beans and bell peppers combine to make a hearty, flavorful rice bowl. Finish with your favorite toppings like avocado and lime wedges.

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Cheesesteak Salad

Cheesesteak Salad
Credit: Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ali Ramee / Christine Keely
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Inspired by the Philly cheesesteak, this salad features the flavors of the East Coast classic without the hoagie roll. Adding Worcestershire sauce and the steak drippings to the dressing gives it even more umami.

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Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans

Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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For a steak that's deliciously tender, flavorful and not too fatty, we reach for strip (also known as New York strip or shell steak). It has less than half the saturated fat of a rib-eye but is more tender than leaner sirloin. Here, we cook green beans in the same pan used to sear the spiced steak. All those delicious drippings add richness to the beans—plus there's one less pan to wash!

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Grilled Shrimp Tostadas

Grilled Shrimp Tostadas 
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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Grilling gives these shrimp tostadas a boost of smoky flavor. Skewering the shrimp prevents them from falling through the grates while getting even char on each side. If you have a grill basket, you can throw them in that instead; just make sure to get them into a single layer so they don't steam.

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Scallops & Spring Vegetables with Olive-Caper Pan Sauce

Scallops & Spring Vegetables with Olive-Caper Pan Sauce
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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This quick-cooking scallop dish can be on the table in just 20 minutes. Packed with vegetables, protein and a flavorful sauce, it makes a great weeknight main for two. Petite carrots are harvested before they reach full maturity, making them thin and quick cooking. Snatch some up from the farmers' market early in the season.

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Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado

Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado
Credit: Eva Kolenko
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This tofu-topped watercress salad is a fresh, plant-based meal perfect for when you want something hearty but are looking to cut down on the meat. The mango and avocado add tangy flavor and creamy texture to bring the salad together.

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Crispy Smoked Tofu & Coleslaw Wraps

Crispy Smoked Tofu & Coleslaw Wraps
Credit: Johnny & Charlotte Autry
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Tossing the smoked tofu in cornstarch then pan-frying makes it super-crispy. Drizzle with hot honey or your favorite hot sauce to spice it up a little.

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Crispy Fish Taco Bowls

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The adobo sauce in a can of chipotles lends earthy heat to the crema that tops these bowls. Don't toss out the unused peppers! Freeze them in an airtight container and pull them out to add to sauces, marinades or chili.

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Salmon Caesar Salad

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This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.

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Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad

Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad
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Consider making a double batch of this easy pasta salad--it's delicious the next day. The orzo will absorb the dressing as it sits, so add a little more olive oil and lemon juice if you'd like.

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Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing

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This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week.

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Old Bay Salmon with Lemony Mashed Peas

salmon on a plate with lemon wedges
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Cooking butter until it browns adds a toasty, nutty flavor to this easy skillet salmon recipe. Here it gives Old Bay-rubbed salmon a chef-worthy finish--not bad for 20 minutes!

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BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous

BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous
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In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff.

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Cauliflower Tikka Masala with Chickpeas

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In this vegetarian riff on a popular Indian dish, we swap in cauliflower and chickpeas for the chicken in tikka masala. The cauliflower's nooks and crannies are particularly good at soaking up all the intense flavors of the sauce. Serve over rice for an easy healthy dinner that's ready in just 20 minutes.

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Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing

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We've replaced chicken with shrimp in this delicious and easy spin on the classic Cobb salad. This satisfying salad takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for weeknight dinners, but it's elegant enough to serve to guests.

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Skillet Ravioli Lasagna

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This easy inside-out ravioli lasagna is the ultimate weeknight comfort food--no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called "pearls") in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store.

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Beefless Vegan Tacos

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Take taco night in a new direction with these healthy vegan tacos. We've swapped crumbled tofu for the ground beef, without sacrificing any of the savory seasonings you expect in a taco. You can also use the filling in burritos, bowls, taco salads and to top nachos.

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White Bean-Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi

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Turn lower-carb cauliflower gnocchi into a complete and satisfying meal with this riff on classic brown butter and sage gnocchi. We added beans to amp up the fiber and protein for a fast and healthy dinner.

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Loaded Black Bean Nacho Soup

Loaded Black Bean Nacho Soup
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Jazz up a can of black bean soup with your favorite nacho toppings, such as cheese, avocado and fresh tomatoes. A bit of smoked paprika adds a bold flavor kick, but you can swap in any warm spices you prefer, such as cumin or chili powder. Look for a soup that contains no more than 450 mg sodium per serving.

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Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

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Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.

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Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

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To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.

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Quick Shrimp Puttanesca

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Because refrigerated fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, this Italian pasta dish will be on the table lickety-split! Puttanesca, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, gets a makeover with 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.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 30 Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta
    2 of 30 Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach
    3 of 30 Pork Schnitzel with Creamy Dill Sauce
    4 of 30 White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
    5 of 30 Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce
    6 of 30 Spinach, Lima Bean & Crispy Pancetta Pasta
    7 of 30 Cheesy Mushroom, Leek & Prosciutto Toasts
    8 of 30 Seared Scallops with Green Goddess Slaw
    9 of 30 Easy Chicken Tinga Rice Bowls
    10 of 30 Cheesesteak Salad
    11 of 30 Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans
    12 of 30 Grilled Shrimp Tostadas
    13 of 30 Scallops & Spring Vegetables with Olive-Caper Pan Sauce
    14 of 30 Tofu & Watercress Salad with Mango & Avocado
    15 of 30 Crispy Smoked Tofu & Coleslaw Wraps
    16 of 30 Crispy Fish Taco Bowls
    17 of 30 Salmon Caesar Salad
    18 of 30 Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad
    19 of 30 Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing
    20 of 30 Old Bay Salmon with Lemony Mashed Peas
    21 of 30 BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous
    22 of 30 Cauliflower Tikka Masala with Chickpeas
    23 of 30 Shrimp Cobb Salad with Dijon Dressing
    24 of 30 Skillet Ravioli Lasagna
    25 of 30 Beefless Vegan Tacos
    26 of 30 White Bean-Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi
    27 of 30 Loaded Black Bean Nacho Soup
    28 of 30 Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara
    29 of 30 Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry
    30 of 30 Quick Shrimp Puttanesca

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    30 Low-Calorie Dinners You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less
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