21 Comforting High-Fiber, Low-Calorie Dinner Recipes

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Published on December 2, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Hearty Minestrone soup

Enjoy a comforting, healthy and delicious meal for dinner tonight. These dinners have at least 6 grams of fiber and no more than 575 calories per serving, so they can help support weight loss, if that is your goal, while helping you meet your nutritional needs. Recipes like our Easy Vegetarian Chili and Lemon-Pepper Linguine with Squash are light yet nutritious dishes you'll want to make again and again, especially for chilly nights.

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Easy Vegetarian Chili

Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.

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Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

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.

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EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

Here we bake breaded eggplant for crispy results with fewer calories to boot. This makeover of the classic eggplant parmesan recipe was originally developed by our Test Kitchen in 1995 and got an update in 2020 for our 30th anniversary issue.

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Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Cuban Cauliflower Rice Bowl

In this riff on a healthy grain bowl recipe, we use cauliflower rice instead of another whole grain like brown rice to cut back on carbs and load up on veggie servings. A simple citrusy drizzle, inspired by Cuban mojo sauce, finishes these vegan rice bowls, perfect for lunch or dinner.

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Cornbread-Topped Chili Casserole

In this healthy casserole recipe--sometimes called tamale pie--the cornbread gets crusty at the edges, thanks to a cast-iron skillet. For the best texture, use yellow cornmeal with a medium grind. Serve with lime wedges for a little extra tang.

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Hearty Minestrone

Hearty Minestrone soup

This version of the Italian classic soup Minestrone is packed with leeks, potatoes, beans, zucchini, spinach and orzo, making it perfect for a hearty lunch or supper on a cold winter's night. To make a vegetarian version use vegetable rather than chicken broth. Top each bowl with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for a zesty burst of flavor.

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Lemon-Pepper Linguine with Squash

Thinly sliced zucchini and summer squash bulk up this easy vegetarian pasta recipe. Saving a bit of the starchy pasta-cooking water to toss with grated cheese, herbs and bright lemon at the end is the secret to a fast, silky no-cook pasta sauce.

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Chili-Topped Sweet Potatoes

Transform ordinary baked potatoes into a full dinner with these chili-topped spuds. In this healthy recipe, we use sweet potatoes for an added nutrient kick. Sprinkle on extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.

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Toaster-Oven Quesadillas

We love finding new ways to use our kitchen tools and appliances. These toaster-oven quesadillas with peppers and avocado are the perfect example of an unexpected toaster-oven hack we had to share.

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Shrimp and Cauliflower Bake

Shrimp and Cauliflower Bake

This quick and easy seafood casserole gets bright flavor from fresh dill and feta cheese.

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Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients--boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Skillet Chili Mac

Poblanos add a kick of heat to this chili mac recipe. If that's not your thing, swap in green bell peppers to tone down the heat in this easy pasta dish, which mashes up mac and cheese and chili into a seriously satisfying skillet dinner.

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Slab Chicken Potpie

Slab fruit pies are all the rage for summer parties, so why not give classic chicken potpie the same treatment and create buzz at a cool-weather gathering as well. Premade pie crusts and frozen veggies make this chicken dinner easy to prepare without sacrificing flavor.

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Spinach-Artichoke-Sausage Cauliflower Gnocchi

Hearty and piquant, this quick cauliflower gnocchi dinner incorporates several healthy convenience ingredients, including turkey sausage and tender artichoke hearts, so dinner is on your table fast.

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Lemon-Herb Salmon with Caponata & Farro

Dig into your farmers' market haul to cook this colorful and healthy Mediterranean diet dinner recipe that's packed with vegetables. Feel free to swap in any vegetables or cook up another whole grain, such as brown rice. Serve with a glass of your favorite red wine.

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Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans

stuffed potatoes with salsa

Taco night meets baked potato night with this simple recipe for loaded baked potatoes with salsa, beans and avocado. This easy, healthy family dinner comes together with just 10 minutes of active time, so you can make it on even the busiest of weeknights. This recipe is just as delicious with sweet potatoes in place of russets.

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Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Mushrooms, carrots and onions are roasted with garlic and fennel seeds in this roast chicken and quinoa salad. Preparing the quinoa with a little less water than is typical makes it cook more quickly and keeps it fluffier' perfect for soaking up the sherry-vinegar dressing in this salad. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.

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Smoky Shrimp, Corn & Pea One-Pot Pasta

Smoky Shrimp, Corn & Pea One-Pot Pasta — Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Sammy Mila

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.

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White Turkey Chili

This healthy white turkey chili recipe is gorgeous, with flecks of green from zucchini, oregano and green chiles. To keep the saturated fat low, we use one pound of ground turkey and add whole-grain bulgur to boost the volume and fiber in this chili recipe. After all the ingredients are added to the pot, we like to slowly simmer our chili for close to an hour to develop the best flavor, but if you're in a hurry, reduce the liquid by half and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

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White Bean-Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi

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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Tikka Masala Stuffed Peppers

We have swapped the typical filling of ground beef and rice for a more exotic filling made with Indian-spiced chicken and rice in this stuffed bell pepper recipe. The chicken tikka masala used for the filling is quick to make, thanks to the use of a multicooker, like the Instant Pot. Want to make these ahead? Make an double batch of the tikka masala on a meal-prep day and freeze half to use later in this delicious healthy dinner.

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