Low-Fat Dinner Recipes

Find healthy, delicious low-fat dinner recipes including low-fat beef, chicken pizza and pasta. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

White Wine Lemon-Caper Sauce

Rating: 5 stars
1
Got leftover white wine to use up? Lucky for you, using white wine for cooking can ramp up the flavor of your dish. Make this mouthwatering lemony sauce that's great for drizzling on roasted chicken, fish, halloumi or tofu. Or, use it as an easy homemade pasta sauce.
By Breana Killeen

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Freezer Pack

Rating: 4.33 stars
5
Prep all of the ingredients for this hearty soup and freeze until you're ready to cook it for a fast meal. All you have to do is pop the frozen ingredients into your multicooker and turn it on. Using a pressure cooker to make this warming pot of chili results in extra-tender chicken that's easy to shred. The addition of chopped zucchini and corn gives each bowl a nutritional boost.
By Joy Howard

Chilled Strawberry-Rhubarb Soup

Rating: 3.8 stars
5
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are whirled together in this chilled soup. Serve it as a starter for an early-summer supper.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken & Sweet Potato Grill Packets with Peppers & Onions

Rating: 5 stars
4
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.
By Joy Howard

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts

Rating: 4.6 stars
3
Here's an easy main dish that's sure to set you on your own quest for the best syrup. Start the chicken breasts marinating on a Saturday afternoon for a quick meal later in the day, just about the time you come in from raking the last of the winter leaves off the garden.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mojito Blueberry & Watermelon Salad

Rating: 5 stars
3
Inspired by the classic mojito cocktail, this festive and healthy fruit salad gets zing from rum, lime and mint. The optional piment d'Espelette--a sweet, spicy ground pepper from the Basque region of France--adds a hint of heat that's a nice contrast to the sweet fruit. Look for this spice at specialty stores, well-stocked markets or online. You could also swap in chile-lime seasoning blend (such as Tajín) for a similar subtle kick or omit the spice altogether. Feel free to skip the rum if you prefer an alcohol-free salad. With or without the rum, this salad has summertime backyard BBQ written all over it.
By Carolyn Casner

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Rating: 5 stars
1
A winter classic, this crock pot version of minestrone is heavy on the vegetables and light on the pasta, keeping carbs in check while providing plenty of flavor.
By Laura Walsh

Shrimp Scampi

Rating: 5 stars
1
Shrimp scampi is a favorite dish at many Italian restaurants but our version takes just 20 minutes to prepare, so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner at home. Large shrimp are cooked with garlic and then served over linguine pasta with a buttery-wine sauce--it's so good your family may think you ordered takeout!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Easy Steamed Zucchini

This foolproof way to cook zucchini is also the easiest and fastest. Just steam it on the stovetop for a few minutes and you have a healthy vegetable side dish to add to dinner. Toss with a little pesto for extra flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Balsamic-Dijon Chicken

Rating: 4.75 stars
4
Experiment with various flavored mustards to add a different spin to this simple marinade recipe. It's low in fat and carbs because it's oil- and sugar-free.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Sautéed Peppers & Onions

This simple technique of cooking onions and peppers is a useful way to get your veggie servings in. They're quite versatile--use these peppers and onions on a burger or sausage sandwich, stuff them into quesadillas or layer them into casseroles.
By Katie Webster

BBQ Carrot Dogs

Rating: 4.38 stars
8
Shock everyone with this recipe for veggie dogs that actually taste like hot dogs. They're an amazing (and healthy!) vegan alternative to traditional meat hot dogs. Serve in whole-wheat hot dog buns and top with all your favorite toppings, such as sauerkraut, relish, ketchup and mustard, for the ultimate barbecue meal.
By Carolyn Casner
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Inspiration and Ideas

Honey-Soy-Ginger Glaze

Honey-Soy-Ginger Glaze
Keep this super-simple, versatile glaze on hand and you will be able to elevate any type of grilled or roasted meat, poultry, seafood or vegetable to company fare. Wait until the food has 5 to 10 minutes left to cook before brushing with the glaze. Then turn often, brushing with glaze, to create a glossy crust.
Seasoned Cod

Seasoned Cod
Sprinkle with seasonings, broil a few minutes, and the succulent fish is ready to serve. It's a dinner that's ready in under 20 minutes.
Marinated Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

Marinated Grilled Vegetable Kebabs
Broccoli and Cauliflower Sauté

Broccoli and Cauliflower Sauté
Soft Green Beans

Soft Green Beans
Rating: Unrated
2
Steamed Butternut Squash

Steamed Butternut Squash
Rating: Unrated
1

Sautéed Butternut Squash

Sautéeing butternut squash in olive oil quickly yields perfectly cooked results and slighly caramelizes the squash for extra flavor. This recipe makes a delicious vegetable side dish to pair with roasted meats.

All Low-Fat Dinner Recipes

Smoky Shrimp, Corn & Pea One-Pot Pasta

Rating: 3.25 stars
3
Make your sauce and pasta all at once with this fast weeknight pasta dinner recipe. By using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta--no colanders here--the starch that cooks off into your pasta water, which you usually drain away, stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.
By Breana Killeen

Paprika-Herb Rubbed Chicken

Rating: 4.67 stars
2
A simple combination of herbes de Provence, paprika, salt and pepper makes a flavorful rub for chicken, or try it with steak or tofu.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Rating: 3.67 stars
3
Grab your crock pot for this delicious and easy slow-cooker vegetarian chili with beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, bell peppers and sweet potatoes. The recipe requires just 20 minutes of active time: after a bit of chopping, you just dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the work. Adding a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro just before serving brightens up the flavors. Top it with some shredded cheese, if you'd like, or serve it as-is to keep it vegan. Either way, this healthy chili is sure to become a go-to when you want a satisfying and healthy dinner.
By Robby Melvin

Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry with Green Pepper, Pineapple & Bacon

Rating: 4.67 stars
3
This sweet, spicy and super-easy shrimp-and-vegetable stir-fry starts with a very small amount of bacon in the wok, which creates drippings that add tons of smoky flavor to the vegetables and shrimp that go in next. Keep the salt in check by using reduced-sodium tamari sauce. To complete this easy healthy dinner, add cooked brown rice.
By Breana Killeen

Stuffed Mini Peppers

This fun side-dish is easy to make and wonderfully compliments any main dish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Sure, it's convenient to purchase ready-made tomato sauce at the grocery store, but one look at the label will show you that many brands are high in sodium and added sugars. This easy made-from-scratch tomato sauce uses fresh ingredients and has no added sugar. Make a double batch and store portions for up to 3 months in your freezer. Talk about convenience!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Shrimp and Scallop Vegetable Stir-Fry

Rating: 3 stars
1
This seafood stir-fry is bursting with flavor and it's ready in 30 minutes!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Chicken Tostadas with Black Bean Salsa

Here's a low calorie Tex-Mex one-dish recipe. It has chicken, beans, salad and a tortilla all stacked up on one plate.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

New Potato Salad

This low-carb potato salad recipe, ideal for potlucks, is perfect for diabetic meal plans. With just 3 grams of fat, this summer classic makes a great addition to burgers, chicken, and other grilled favorites.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Shrimp Seasoning

Making homemade shrimp seasoning blend is easy and lets you control exactly what's inside. Use it in place of the packaged seasoning blends to bring zesty flavor to shrimp as well as chicken, beef and more.
By Robin Bashinsky

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cream Sauce

This easy, creamy sauce is bound to become a favorite. Roasting the garlic brings out its inherent sweetness for a rich, flavorful sauce that's healthy too. Toss with pasta or use as a pizza sauce.
By Pam Lolley

Shepherd's Pie

This lower-fat version of the classic hamburger casserole is made with ground turkey, more vegetables, and fewer potatoes than the traditional version.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Sautéed Zucchini

This super-simple method for sautéed zucchini makes an easy and healthy vegetable side dish. Add garlic, pesto or even Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Chips

Thinly sliced sweet potatoes fry to a crispy crunch in the air fryer. These homemade chips also use much less oil, which cuts down on calories and fat. They're a naturally sweet side for sandwiches, burgers, wraps and more.
By Sarah Epperson

Easy Whole-Wheat Couscous

Feel free to double this recipe to suit your needs. To add more flavor, swap reduced-sodium broth in for the water.
By Katie Webster

Lemon-Roasted Mixed Vegetables

Tossing these roasted vegetables with lemon zest gives them a bright, fresh flavor. Serve them along with roasted chicken or add them to sandwiches and grain bowls for an easy, healthy dinner or lunch.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Rating: 4.67 stars
2
What could be more satisfying than mashed potatoes? In this garlic mashed potato recipe, the potatoes are flavored with poached garlic, thinned with chicken stock and enriched with a small amount of sour cream. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you're cooking for a crowd--say for Thanksgiving dinner.
By Patsy Jamieson

Soup Beans

Rating: 3.5 stars
2
Like poor people everywhere, mountain people in the South thrived for centuries on food that was indigenous, inexpensive and healthful. These days “soup beans” speak instant comfort to anyone who had familial connections from Appalachia, where every garden produced shelling beans that could be eaten fresh or grown to maturity for dry beans. Serve this thick, stew-like soup with cornbread, pickle relish and diced sweet onion.
By Sarah Fritschner

Basic Meatloaf

Rating: 4 stars
4
While meatloaf purists focus on the meat, we like to look at meatloaf as a way to pack extra veggies and whole grains into a meal, as we do in this healthy, classic meatloaf recipe.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Campfire Biscuits on a Stick

Who said warm, buttery biscuits weren't campfire food? Thinly twist dough around a stick or skewer and hold over the fire for deliciously toasty campfire biscuits. Want to take it up a notch? Spread some butter on the cooked biscuits and roll them in cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat or Parmesan cheese for savory snack.
By Carolyn Casner

Homemade Seitan

Rating: 5 stars
1
Seitan, often called "wheat meat," is just that: a dough made of wheat gluten that, when cooked, very closely resembles meat. It's a common meat replacement for vegetarian and vegan diets and it's actually very easy to make at home. Use it to make breaded "chicken" Parmesan, barbecue "chicken" or even "chicken" tenders. Our recipe makes two loaves so you can use one now and freeze the other one for later.
By Carolyn Casner

Best Poached Chicken

Rating: 4 stars
2
This simple poached chicken recipe has crazy-good flavor. The secret? Using bone-in breasts and adding white wine and herbs to the poaching liquid. Be sure that the liquid stays at a bare simmer or your meat will be tough. Strain the leftover poaching liquid and use it as you would low-sodium chicken broth in any recipe for an extra boost of flavor. Serve the poached chicken over a salad or use it to make chicken salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lentil Sloppy Joes

This simple recipe for slow-cooked sloppy joes is perfect for vegetarians as the traditional beef is replaced with heart-healthy lentils.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Cheesy Squash Bake

Here's a terrific way to dress up the last of the season's summer squash. Reduced-fat cheddar cheese gives this side dish recipe plenty of flavor.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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