Dinners with bright ingredients from citrus and cilantro to avocado and chickpeas are perfect for the summer season. Featuring fiber-packed complex carbs like quinoa and sweet potatoes, these dinner recipes are low in saturated fat and sodium to seamlessly fit into a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Recipes like or Air-Fryer Fish Tacos and Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Bowl are healthy, seasonal and easy to make for dinner tonight.
Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, this tasty bowl makes for a satisfying lunch or dinner. With a handful of healthy ingredients, like instant brown rice, heart-healthy salmon and lots of crunchy veggies, you’ll have a filling and flavorful meal in just 25 minutes. Looking to cut down on carbs? Try swapping in riced cauliflower in place of the brown rice.
This easy dish comes together quickly and is cooked all on one baking sheet. Putting the pan in the oven while it preheats makes it hot enough to lightly sear the chicken and vegetables, adding texture and flavor and also reducing the cook time. Chicken thighs emerge from the oven succulent and coated in the savory sauce (with less salt because of the low-sodium soy sauce) and fragrant from the garlic, ginger and scallions. We recommend serving this with brown rice or whole-wheat noodles.
Precooked farro makes this dish come together in no time. And you can make it in the same bowl you serve it in, minimizing cleanup!
This ultra-quick one-skillet lemon-garlic salmon recipe features plenty of lemony flavors from both zest and juice. Garlic adds a savory note.
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.
This cilantro-lime shrimp bowl has tons of flavor and texture. The cilantro-lime shrimp is tangy and fresh, with brown rice and creamy avocado to balance the flavor. The two-chile cream sauce is easy to make and brings all the flavors of this bowl dinner together.
This quick and simple air-fryer tilapia recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. The tilapia is moist and flaky and gets brightened up with lemon zest and fresh herbs.
Shrimp cooks quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve over whole grains or rice.
For this healthy 30-minute dinner, treat your veggies like pasta and cook until al dente, or just done. If you have a little extra time, double or triple the lemon-tahini dressing and use it to quickly dress a salad or as a sauce for steak or shrimp.
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.
These air-fryer fish tacos get their kick from a crispy breadcrumb coating that’s spiked with chili powder. Avocado crema helps balance the flavors, while shredded cabbage slaw adds crunch. These easy air-fryer fish tacos are finished with fresh tomato, but feel free to add your own favorite toppings to the mix.
Think of this shrimp-and-crab salad as a lightened-up version of a classic seafood salad. It has crunch from celery plus a hint of Old Bay seasoning. Serve it in a lettuce cup or in a bun, or enjoy it on its own.
This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.
This vegan burger recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again. Savory chickpea and zucchini patties are topped with a creamy, herb-flecked tahini ranch sauce, juicy tomato slices and peppery arugula for a satisfying and healthy homemade veggie burger. Serve them on buns or stuff them in pitas. We recommend making extra sauce–it’s a great dip for veggie sticks and, thinned with a little water, it makes a wonderful salad dressing.
Made to be enjoyed any time of the day, this beloved Southern staple becomes a complete meal with seared garlicky mushrooms and runny eggs.
Here’s an easy chicken recipe you’ll definitely want to add to your dinner repertoire. A quick marinade tenderizes the chicken and infuses flavor in this stir fry. Adding a little oil to finish the marinade coats the chicken and helps keep it from sticking to the pan.
Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.
Kohlrabi (a bulbous vegetable related to broccoli and Brussels sprouts but with a milder, sweet flavor) and almonds add crunch to this crowd-pleasing salad. Baked tofu or shrimp can be used instead of the chicken.
These baked crab cakes are brimming with chunks of crabmeat and just enough fillers to hold them together. Not firmly packing the crabmeat helps them stay tender and flaky. They’re perfect for a light, summery lunch.
This gorgeous and healthy summer vegetable salad is loaded with pretty produce, including golden beets, avocado, corn, microgreens and radishes. Chickpeas and edamame add substance, and an herb-filled buttermilk-avocado dressing makes this salad really special. Serve it on its own for a light vegetarian meal or add grilled chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.
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.
A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
This steak, broccolini and pea dinner is a one-skillet meal that will be on your table in just 25 minutes! The pan drippings combine with mushrooms, broth and grainy mustard to make a thick and delicious sauce.
This easy salad recipe allows for a wonderful use of leftover cooked chicken. Look for escarole in the produce section near the leafy greens; if you can’t find it, you can use romaine instead.
You can find farro in most grocery stores, near the rice. If you can’t find farro, you can use wheat berries or brown rice instead; cook according to package directions.
