20 High-Protein Winter Dinners That Help Reduce Inflammation

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Published on January 6, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD

Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes

Make one of these recipes for a dinner that’s both comforting and satisfying. Each serving offers at least 15 grams of protein, from foods like chicken, salmon and tofu, to help you stay full for longer. Plus, in addition to seasonal vegetables like broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes, these ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties that may help fight symptoms of chronic inflammation like digestive issues, joint pain and mental fog. Recipes like our Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes are flavorful meals that can help you feel your best.

01 of 19

Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Got leftover cooked chicken or turkey? Cook up a pot of soup! This low-sodium soup recipe is a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread.

02 of 19

Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes

Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes

Fire-roasted tomatoes add slightly smoky flavor to red lentils. The addition of mashed potatoes gives this an upside-down shepherd's pie feel.

03 of 19

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

04 of 19

Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes

Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes

Tons of spice, corn and bell pepper give this healthy one-pot chicken chili recipe Southwestern flair. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, tortilla chips and a cold beer.

05 of 19

One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli

One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli — Photography: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Greg Luna

Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice.

06 of 19

Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

creamy pasta with mushrooms

The creamy mushroom linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it's quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe but it feels fancy enough for entertaining.

07 of 19

Roast Chicken & Sweet Potato

Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

Healthy chicken and sweet potato recipes are always a delicious and reliable choice for dinner. This low-calorie sheet-pan meal combines chicken thighs and sweet potatoes and cooks up fast in a very hot oven. Serve with a fall salad of mixed greens, sliced apples and blue cheese.

08 of 19

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

a recipe photo of the Crock Pot Make Chicken & Dumplings — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

This crock pot chicken and dumplings recipe uses store-bought biscuits for dumplings that are moist and tender once stirred into the savory mixture of creamy mushrooms, chicken and veggies. Using 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup cuts down on prep time. To give the chicken stew body, we use a flour and butter paste known as a beurre manié—a classic thickening agent for soups, stews and sauces.

09 of 19

Lamb & Beef Balti

Lamb & Beef Balti

Balti, a stew created by Pakistani chefs in Birmingham, England, is named after the metal pot it's cooked in. We found a large skillet works too. Topping with a dollop of yogurt adds a hint of creaminess. Serve with a side of sautéed spinach for a satisfying dinner.

10 of 19

Slow-Cooker Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Soup

a recipe photo of the Slow-Cooker Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Soup — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

This comforting soup is loaded with broccoli and chicken in a creamy, cheesy base and finished off with the classic toppings of bacon and scallions. Frozen onions and rice keep their integrity and texture to the soup, but chopped fresh onions and cooked brown rice (not frozen) can be used in their place.

11 of 19

Salmon with Lemon-Herb Orzo & Broccoli

Salmon with Lemon-Herb Orzo & Broccoli — Jacob Fox

This healthy salmon dish is as balanced as it is delicious. You add broccoli right into the pot along with the pasta during its last minute of cooking to save time here. One less thing to wash too!

12 of 19

5-Ingredient Roasted Lemon Chicken & Vegetables

a recipe photo of the Roasted Lemon Chicken & Vegetables — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

This lemony baked chicken thigh recipe has only 5 ingredients and comes with a side of veggies that roast alongside the chicken for a complete weeknight dinner. Bone-in skinless chicken breast cut in half can be used instead of the thighs, if you prefer.

13 of 19

Winter Chicken Parmesan

a photo of the Chicken Parmesan — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

Warm up to this chicken Parmesan with a winter twist featuring butternut squash! Each cutlet is slathered in butternut squash pasta sauce with the traditional ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese melted on top. If you can’t find butternut squash pasta sauce, marinara is an easy swap. For an extra serving of veggies, the chicken is topped with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms and kale. You can swap out the mushrooms and kale for other cold-weather favorites like Brussels sprouts, cabbage or even broccoli.

14 of 19

Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema

Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema — Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat

Crumbled tofu spiced up with Cajun seasoning is layered onto these tostadas with a juicy mango slaw. A dollop of sour cream zhuzhed up with beet and lime adds even more flavor. Look for precooked beets in the produce department of your grocery store.

15 of 19

Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Casserole

a recipe photo of the Loaded Broccoli Chicken Casserole — Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley

This delightfully creamy broccoli and chicken casserole is a satisfying dinner that is sure to please a crowd. To keep prep simple, look for bags of pre-cut broccoli florets. If you like a little spice, swap out the Monterey Jack cheese for pepper Jack instead.

16 of 19

30-Minute Mini Meatloaves with Whipped Cauliflower & Green Beans

30-Minute mini meatloaves with whipped cauliflower and green beans — Ali Redmond

Comfort food but make it fast! This recipe incorporates a number of pantry ingredients and shortcuts like frozen cauliflower and steam-in-the-bag green beans to cut way down on prep time. Baking the meatloaf in a muffin tin reduces cook time by more than half and makes portion control easy.

17 of 19

Charro Beans with Chorizo & Kale Slaw

Charro Beans — Ellen Silverman

This dish gets its name from the Mexican cowboys (charros) who cooked these soupy beans over campfires as they traveled the open range. The kale slaw is a bright foil for this earthy dish. Enjoy a bowl as is or scoop it up with warm tortillas. Look for Mexican-style chorizo near other sausage in well-stocked supermarkets or Latin American markets.

18 of 19

Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup

Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup

This Japanese-style udon soup recipe uses several Asian ingredients that are available at most grocery stores, including udon noodles, mirin (cooking wine), miso, and sesame oil. All will keep for months in the pantry or fridge.

19 of 19

Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Broccoli

Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Broccoli

This sweet and savory baked honey-garlic chicken thigh recipe comes with a side of veggies that cook on the same sheet pan as the chicken for the perfect weeknight dinner.

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