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  6. 20 Mediterranean Diet Dinners That Are Diabetes-Friendly and Ready in 20 Minutes

20 Mediterranean Diet Dinners That Are Diabetes-Friendly and Ready in 20 Minutes

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Danielle DeAngelis Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD August 19, 2022
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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salmon picatta
Credit: Ali Redmond

If you're looking for quick and easy dinners to help meet your nutritional needs, you've come to the right place. These delicious recipes take just 20 minutes or less to make. Not to mention, they're packed with complex carbs, such as whole-grains and legumes, and are lower in saturated fat in sodium, making them a great fit for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Ingredients like salmon, chickpeas and a wide variety of veggies star in these dishes, so they're well suited for following the Mediterranean diet, one of the best diets for diabetes to follow. You can enjoy delicious dishes like our Salmon Piccata and Greek Goddess Salad with Chickpeas any night of the week.

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Salmon Piccata

salmon picatta
Credit: Ali Redmond
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Classic piccata is made with pounded chicken breast dredged in flour, sautéed and served with a lemon-caper butter sauce. Our salmon piccata is a riff on that classic, replacing chicken with salmon and cutting back on the butter to keep saturated fat in check without sacrificing flavor. This dish comes together quickly, making it perfect for any weeknight dinner. Pair it with a salad and whole grains to complete the meal.

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Lemon Chicken Pasta

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In this easy lemon chicken pasta recipe, we love the combination of lemon zest and toasted breadcrumbs. This healthy dinner is made with rotisserie chicken, quick-cooking spiralized zucchini and baby zucchini, so you get a complete meal in just 10 minutes.

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Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

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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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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Grilled Blackened Shrimp Tacos

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Give juicy shrimp tacos a Cajun flavor spin with spices and a quick sear on a hot grill. An easy avocado mash adds creaminess to cool off the spicy kick.

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Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry

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This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal. Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. You can find it in flavors like teriyaki and sesame, both of which are delicious here. Or opt for a smoked version, which has the same texture with a more robust flavor. Serve over brown rice.

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Chhole (Chickpea Curry)

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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-Pepper Salmon

skillet lemon pepper salmon
Credit: Ali Redmond
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Simple ingredients like lemon, cracked black pepper and paprika completely awaken this fall-apart-tender salmon with a crispy exterior. Use this salmon to add protein to a grain bowl or salad, or enjoy alongside roasted veggies.

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Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dressing

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A tangy, nutty tahini dressing brings together no-cook ingredients like canned chickpeas and roasted red peppers for these easy meal-prep lettuce wraps. Make these wraps ahead of time for a grab-and-go lunch or dinner. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly.

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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

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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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Chopped Cobb Salad with Chicken

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This healthy chopped salad is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. You can reserve the remaining hard-boiled egg half for a snack.

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Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon

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Wondering what to do with leftover salmon? This is a delicious and easy way to turn it into another weeknight-friendly, quick dinner. Don't forget to reserve some pasta water--its starch thickens the lemon-garlic pasta sauce and makes it silky-smooth.

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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli

One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
Credit: Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Greg Luna
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Shrimp cooks quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve over whole grains or rice.

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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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Salmon Couscous Salad

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This healthy and easy salad is designed to be made with precooked or leftover salmon. To quickly cook salmon, lightly brush with olive oil, then roast in a 450 degrees F oven until the fish is opaque and firm, 8 to 12 minutes.

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Mediterranean Pasta Salad

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You might not think to use hummus as a pasta sauce, but the creamy dip makes the perfect backdrop to the bold flavors of this healthy Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad.

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Salmon-Stuffed Avocados

Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
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Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal.

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Spring Roll Salad

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All the tastes, color and fun of a spring roll without all the work! This healthy salad recipe is bursting with the colors of rainbow from generous amounts of fresh vegetables, shrimp and whole grains all topped with a peanut dressing for the ultimate satisfying salad.

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Winter Greens Bowl

Winter Greens Bowl
Credit: Ali Redmond
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This one-pan meal packs in lots of plant-based protein and flavor thanks to beans and quinoa, while a creamy lemon-garlic dressing completes the dish. 

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Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing

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Prep four days' worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four easy ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, including a veggie-heavy salad mix as a base. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors in this healthy chopped salad to marry. If you can't find a hearty mix, go with broccoli slaw or shredded Brussels sprouts.

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    1 of 20 Salmon Piccata
    2 of 20 Lemon Chicken Pasta
    3 of 20 Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara
    4 of 20 Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
    5 of 20 Grilled Blackened Shrimp Tacos
    6 of 20 Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry
    7 of 20 Chhole (Chickpea Curry)
    8 of 20 Skillet Lemon-Pepper Salmon
    9 of 20 Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dressing
    10 of 20 Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
    11 of 20 Chopped Cobb Salad with Chicken
    12 of 20 Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon
    13 of 20 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
    14 of 20 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
    15 of 20 Salmon Couscous Salad
    16 of 20 Mediterranean Pasta Salad
    17 of 20 Salmon-Stuffed Avocados
    18 of 20 Spring Roll Salad
    19 of 20 Winter Greens Bowl
    20 of 20 Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing

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    20 Mediterranean Diet Dinners That Are Diabetes-Friendly and Ready in 20 Minutes
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