30-Day Low-Carb, High-Protein Dinner Plan

cast iron skillet with steak

Enjoy a nutritious dinner every day this month with these delicious recipes. With no more than 14 grams of carbohydrates and at least 15 grams of protein per serving, these evening meals are satisfying and light choices that can help you meet your nutritional goals. Recipes like our Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli and Air-Fryer Stuffed Chiles with Pork are filling and flavor-packed main dishes you'll be making for months to come.

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Grilled Bone-In Pork Chops

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Juicy grilled pork chops with a tiny bit of sweetness and a faint hint of spiciness make for an excellent dinner main that pairs with practically any side. A simple brine imparts flavor, but mostly keeps the pork chops from drying out; just don't marinate the meat for any longer than 4 hours or it'll soften the texture.

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Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli

Cheesy Portobello Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli
Jacob Fox

Adding nutty Gruyère atop the chicken at the very end and popping it under the broiler takes this dish from delicious to heavenly. If you can't find Gruyère, Jarlsberg or Emmentaler cheese makes a good substitute.

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Air-Fryer Stuffed Chiles with Pork

a recipe photo of the Air-Fryer Pork Chile Rellenos
Photographer: Brie Passano, Food Stylist: Greg Luna

These hearty stuffed chiles are packed with a savory filling made from pork, zucchini and black beans. Once stuffed, the chiles are delicate, so use caution when transferring to the air-fryer basket. A crumble of cotija cheese finishes these chiles for a satisfying main dish.

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Skillet Balsamic Chicken Thighs

Skillet Balsamic Chicken Thighs
Photography / Jacob Fox, Styling / Sammy Mila

Chicken thighs get cooked in a slightly sweet-tart sauce thanks to a combination of balsamic vinegar, honey and chicken broth. Serve over rice or whole grains.

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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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Chicken & Bok Choy Soup with Ginger & Mushrooms

Chicken & Bok Choy Soup with Ginger & Mushrooms
Photographer: Dera Burreson, Food stylist: Josh Hake

This healthy and nourishing chicken and vegetable soup is the perfect winter meal.

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Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops

recipe photo of Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin

These cream of mushroom pork chops are comforting and easy to make. Cream of mushroom soup is a great base for a quick and foolproof sauce; dry sherry adds depth of flavor. Shiitake mushrooms add more rich and earthy flavors to the dish, making this perfect for a weeknight or for company.

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Air-Fryer Buffalo Chicken-Stuffed Tomatoes

a recipe photo of the Air-Fryer Buffalo Chicken-Stuffed Tomatoes
Photographer: Brie Passano, Food Stylist: Greg Luna

We took all the flavors and ingredients of Buffalo wings—spicy hot sauce, tangy blue cheese and shredded chicken—and stuffed them into a tomato for a filling main dish. Serve these tomatoes with celery sticks and carrot sticks.

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Beef Stir-Fry with Baby Bok Choy & Ginger

Chinese Ginger Beef Stir-Fry with Baby Bok Choy

All the ingredients for this easy beef stir-fry recipe are cooked in one wok (or skillet), so not only is the meal-prep fast for this healthy dinner, cleanup is quick too. Look for Lee Kum Kee Premium oyster-flavored sauce in the Asian-foods aisle of your grocery store. It has the most concentrated oyster flavor.

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Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta

Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta Frittata
Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat

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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Best Oven-Baked Salmon

a recipe photo of the Baked Salmon
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

Lemon, fennel and dill impart delicious flavor in this easy baked salmon recipe. Baking the lemon slices releases the juices and essential oils from the rind. Serve with fingerling potatoes and asparagus, or enjoy with a simple salad.

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Instant Pot Garlic & Rosemary Roast Pork Loin

Instant Pot Garlic & Rosemary Roast Pork Loin
Julia Estrada

It's remarkable that a pork roast can be so good so quickly! The gravy is rich and flavorful and the meat is moist and perfectly cooked—using an Instant Pot is a game changer for this pork loin recipe.

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Tomato & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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This recipe is a lighter spin on the typical cheese-stuffed chicken breast, featuring feta, tomato and Greek-inspired flavors. Look for similarly sized chicken breasts so they'll cook at the same rate. Roast some potatoes while the chicken is in the oven to serve as a side dish.

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Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles
Diana Chistruga

Enjoy classic shrimp scampi lightened up with zucchini noodles in place of pasta. The tomatoes add some sweetness and color, while the cheese contributes nuttiness and richness.

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Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken

This easy-to-assemble combination of citrus, fresh herbs and pepper comes together quickly, uses very few dishes and leaves you time to prepare a side dish while the chicken cooks in the oven. This easy sheet-pan dinner feels like a fancy French chicken dish, but you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.

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One-Pot Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta

One-Pot Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta
Jason Donnelly

Thanks to quick-cooking shrimp, this one-pot meal comes together in record time. Tomatoes add a burst of color and acidity, while chopped basil brings freshness. Serve over pasta or whole grains.

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Cauliflower & Kale Frittata

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Inspired by traditional Spanish tortillas made with potatoes, this healthy frittata recipe swaps potatoes for low-carb cauliflower. Serve it along with kale (or your favorite greens) for brunch or an easy breakfast-for-dinner.

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Slow-Cooker Herb & Mushroom Braised Beef

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With its comforting flavors contributed by savory meat, mushrooms, onions, carrots and fresh herbs, this slow-cooker braised beef is a wonderful supper on cold-weather days. Consider freezing it into portions for busy weeknight meals. You could also shred the meat and serve it on sandwiches.

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Salmon Piccata

salmon picatta
Ali Redmond

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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Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens

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For a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we've replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch.

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Crispy Baked Catfish

a recipe photo of Crispy Baked Catfish with sauce and lemon beside it
Alexandra Shytsman

This baked catfish has a crispy cornmeal coating with a hint of spice from Cajun seasoning, while the interior stays flaky and moist. Serve with tartar sauce, lemon wedges or your favorite hot sauce and a green salad on the side.

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Lemon-Garlic Dump Chicken Thighs with Broccoli

Lemon-Garlic Dump Chicken Thighs with Broccoli
Brie Passano

This fuss-free dinner is as easy as dumping chicken thighs, veggies and sauce in a baking dish! As the chicken cooks it adds flavor to the sauce that thickens while it cooks and softens the vegetables.

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Rosemary-&-Garlic-Basted Sirloin Steak

cast iron skillet with steak

Master the perfectly seared sirloin steak with this easy method, while playing with fresh herbs to enhance the flavor. The key to success: letting the meat come to room temperature before adding it to the pan to ensure it cooks evenly. Rosemary and garlic give it an irresistible herby finish. For the best results, let the steak rest before serving.

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Honey Walnut Shrimp

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Walnuts are given a brown sugar coating that pairs nicely with sweet and savory shrimp in our version of this popular restaurant dish. Serve the shrimp with rice and steamed veggies to make it a full, healthy meal. This ultra-quick dinner recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite.

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Grilled Chicken with Red Pepper-Pecan Romesco Sauce

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Many variations of the Catalonian roasted tomato sauce, romesco sauce, add roasted red peppers for a little sweetness. Here, we scorch the peppers and tomato on the grill alongside the chicken to keep things simple.

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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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Chicken Cutlets with Artichokes & Lemon-Dill Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Artichokes & Lemon-Dill Sauce

You won't want to let a drop of this creamy lemon sauce go to waste. Serve with rice pilaf or roasted potatoes to soak it all up.

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Pork, Mushroom & Cabbage Soup

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A little dry sherry adds nice flavor to this comforting cabbage soup. Mushrooms and pork help bulk up the soup for a satisfying meal.

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Speedy Crab Cakes

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Shallow-fry these easy crab cakes on the stovetop to get the perfect crisp crust without the greasy mess of deep-frying. Serve these cakes with Citrus-Arugula Salad (see associated recipe).

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Chicken Kurma (Traditional Chicken Curry)

Chicken Kurma (Traditional Chicken Curry)

Naseema Kashefi prepares this richly flavored chicken curry on the milder side for New Arrival Supper Club events in Los Angeles. Add more serrano if you like it hot.

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