Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad We pack each of these low-calorie dinners with plenty of summer flavor, from crisp cucumber to juicy corn and tender zucchini. There’s a recipe for every occasion in this mix, whether you’re firing up the grill on the weekend or looking for a quick weeknight […]
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We pack each of these low-calorie dinners with plenty of summer flavor, from crisp cucumber to juicy corn and tender zucchini. There's a recipe for every occasion in this mix, whether you're firing up the grill on the weekend or looking for a quick weeknight meal. Recipes like our Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad and Beef Suya Tacos will bring a little summer flair to your next delicious dinner, all in 500 calories or less.
This riff on pasta salad is best served warm while the gnocchi are nice and tender. Plus, the grilled veggies taste extra-good fresh off the fire in this easy gnocchi recipe.
Fajitas make an excellent weeknight meal. These come together faster than ever, using quick-cooking shrimp and veggies all on one sheet pan so you can focus on family rather than cleanup.
Sweet and mild pimiento peppers add a little zest to this skillet mac and cheese, while zucchini boosts the veggie count. Here we boil the pasta a little less than usual, until just shy of al dente, so it doesn't overcook in the oven.
Suya, grilled skewers of thinly sliced meat spiced with ground peanuts, ginger and chiles, originated with the Hausa and Fulani people in northern Nigeria, but they are now a popular street food, wrapped in newspaper to go, throughout the country. Nigerian American chef Simileoluwa Adebajo, owner of Èkó Kitchen in San Francisco, created this dish one day when she sliced suya hot off the grill and placed them in fresh tortillas made by a friend with a cooking school in Mexico. For the best flavor, Adebajo recommends making your own tortillas, but here we use store-bought for simplicity.
This salad is loaded with colorful produce: fresh mint, snap peas, radishes and oranges. For pretty snap pea slices, cut them into long, thin strips.
Rick Martinez's cookbook, Mi Cocina, explores Mexican regional cooking. This recipe comes from the chapter on Pacífico, where his family is from—a region known for its culinary focus on fish, shrimp and octopus. These buttery shrimp tacos were first created by Eduardo Angulo, the owner of Los Arcos in Mazatlán.
This recipe is super-versatile—just about any green that's hanging out in your crisper can be whirred into the garlicky sauce, and you can swap plums for the peaches and quinoa for the couscous.
We skipped the traditional bun and opted for sweet and tender-crisp grilled peppers instead to cut carbs and boost veggies in this flavor-packed turkey burger. The creamy avocado goddess sauce adds texture and keeps everything in place.
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 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.
Here, we put all the components of a classic shrimp boil into foil packets for cute, individually portioned meals. Be sure to choose extra-large, shell-on shrimp, which stay plump and juicy during the 15 to 20 minutes on the grill.
We give this classic summer soup a protein-packed upgrade by pairing it with skewers of grilled scallops seasoned with citrusy compound butter. Make a little extra to spread on grilled bread to serve alongside.
In place of bacon, this satisfying salad uses store-bought crispy chickpeas for lower saturated fat and less prep time. Using fresh herbs, bright citrus and a creamy base of yogurt and mayonnaise for the dressing gives it a flavorful finish.
At the Bayside Cafe in Morro Bay, California, this classic West Coast salad is made with Dungeness crab caught in the coastal waters. Lump crabmeat is a good substitute.
Because of its semi-firm texture, halloumi is prone to sticking to the grill. Be sure to oil the grill grates well before adding the brined Cypriot cheese.
This one-skillet dinner features the flavors of a summer caprese salad. Fresh tomatoes and basil are combined with chicken and pasta and cooked in a creamy sauce before being topped with a layer of melted mozzarella. A good-quality balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of fresh basil completes the dish.
Casseroles can be for summer too! We packed this one with peak-season vegetables—corn, zucchini and tomatoes—then topped it with crispy tater tots and gooey melted cheese, making it a dinner winner.
Here we make a quick aioli by combining two pantry staples: mayonnaise and roasted red peppers. Stirring a bit of the sauce into the burger mix helps the patties hold together nicely and stay moist.
Tomatoes and briny feta cheese form the base of the sauce that coats the pasta in this easy one-pan meal. Enjoy on its own as a vegetarian dinner or top with grilled chicken for some extra protein.
Grilling gives these shrimp tostadas a boost of smoky flavor. Skewering the shrimp prevents them from falling through the grates while getting even char on each side. If you have a grill basket, you can throw them in that instead; just make sure to get them into a single layer so they don't steam.
In this spin, we coat this blackened chicken with spices common to Cajun cooking, like dried thyme and cayenne pepper. Then, instead of using the traditional method of searing in a cast-iron pan, we take advantage of the warmer weather by grilling outside.
A package of fresh zucchini noodles gets tossed with shelled edamame and store-bought peanut sauce in these 5-minute, no-cook vegetable noodle bowls. Because prepared sauces and dressings are commonly high in sodium, scan the label and opt for those that contain 150 mg sodium or less per tablespoon.
These blackened fish tacos pack a punch. The blackened fish gets plenty of flavor from herbs and spices, the salsa adds some zing and the cabbage provides a nice raw crunch.
Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. "Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal," she says. This recipe was part of a feature story, "The Real Cost of Healthy Food."
This super-fast and healthy smothered chicken tastes best on the deck with a chilled glass of gewürztraminer. The fruity white pairs nicely with the peaches here.
Smoky almonds, meaty eggplant and whole-grain couscous with herbs make this meal plenty satisfying. Harissa gives the creamy sauce a little kick.
This ratatouille dish is perfect for your bounty from the garden or farmers' market. To keep the veggies from burning, watch them carefully while grilling. If necessary, move any that are cooking too quickly to a cooler spot on the grill.
37 High-Protein Dinners You'll Want to Make This Summer
Everything in This Slideshow
Summer Vegetable Gnocchi Salad
This riff on pasta salad is best served warm while the gnocchi are nice and tender. Plus, the grilled veggies taste extra-good fresh off the fire in this easy gnocchi recipe.
Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna
Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour.
Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fajitas
Fajitas make an excellent weeknight meal. These come together faster than ever, using quick-cooking shrimp and veggies all on one sheet pan so you can focus on family rather than cleanup.
Skillet Mac & Cheese with Zucchini & Pimiento
Sweet and mild pimiento peppers add a little zest to this skillet mac and cheese, while zucchini boosts the veggie count. Here we boil the pasta a little less than usual, until just shy of al dente, so it doesn't overcook in the oven.
Beef Suya Tacos
Suya, grilled skewers of thinly sliced meat spiced with ground peanuts, ginger and chiles, originated with the Hausa and Fulani people in northern Nigeria, but they are now a popular street food, wrapped in newspaper to go, throughout the country. Nigerian American chef Simileoluwa Adebajo, owner of Èkó Kitchen in San Francisco, created this dish one day when she sliced suya hot off the grill and placed them in fresh tortillas made by a friend with a cooking school in Mexico. For the best flavor, Adebajo recommends making your own tortillas, but here we use store-bought for simplicity.
Orange-Mint Freekeh Salad with Lima Beans
This salad is loaded with colorful produce: fresh mint, snap peas, radishes and oranges. For pretty snap pea slices, cut them into long, thin strips.
Tacos Gobernador
Rick Martinez's cookbook, Mi Cocina, explores Mexican regional cooking. This recipe comes from the chapter on Pacífico, where his family is from—a region known for its culinary focus on fish, shrimp and octopus. These buttery shrimp tacos were first created by Eduardo Angulo, the owner of Los Arcos in Mazatlán.
Grilled Chicken Thighs with Pickled Peaches & Herbed Couscous
This recipe is super-versatile—just about any green that's hanging out in your crisper can be whirred into the garlicky sauce, and you can swap plums for the peaches and quinoa for the couscous.
Grilled Bell Pepper-Bun Turkey Burgers with Avocado Goddess Sauce
We skipped the traditional bun and opted for sweet and tender-crisp grilled peppers instead to cut carbs and boost veggies in this flavor-packed turkey burger. The creamy avocado goddess sauce adds texture and keeps everything in place.
Salmon Rice Bowl
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.
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.
Grilled Sausage, Peppers & Onions with Herb Vinaigrette
Adding a bright parsley-tarragon vinaigrette brings fresh flair to sausage and peppers. Serve with some crusty bread to sop it all up.
Grilled Shrimp Boil Foil Packets
Here, we put all the components of a classic shrimp boil into foil packets for cute, individually portioned meals. Be sure to choose extra-large, shell-on shrimp, which stay plump and juicy during the 15 to 20 minutes on the grill.
Gazpacho with Scallop Skewers
We give this classic summer soup a protein-packed upgrade by pairing it with skewers of grilled scallops seasoned with citrusy compound butter. Make a little extra to spread on grilled bread to serve alongside.
Chopped Cobb Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
In place of bacon, this satisfying salad uses store-bought crispy chickpeas for lower saturated fat and less prep time. Using fresh herbs, bright citrus and a creamy base of yogurt and mayonnaise for the dressing gives it a flavorful finish.
Crab Louie Salad
At the Bayside Cafe in Morro Bay, California, this classic West Coast salad is made with Dungeness crab caught in the coastal waters. Lump crabmeat is a good substitute.
Grilled Halloumi & Summer Vegetable Tacos
Because of its semi-firm texture, halloumi is prone to sticking to the grill. Be sure to oil the grill grates well before adding the brined Cypriot cheese.
Skillet Caprese Chicken Casserole
This one-skillet dinner features the flavors of a summer caprese salad. Fresh tomatoes and basil are combined with chicken and pasta and cooked in a creamy sauce before being topped with a layer of melted mozzarella. A good-quality balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of fresh basil completes the dish.
Tater Tot Casserole with Beef, Corn & Zucchini
Casseroles can be for summer too! We packed this one with peak-season vegetables—corn, zucchini and tomatoes—then topped it with crispy tater tots and gooey melted cheese, making it a dinner winner.
Salmon Burgers with Quick Pickles & Red Pepper Aioli
Here we make a quick aioli by combining two pantry staples: mayonnaise and roasted red peppers. Stirring a bit of the sauce into the burger mix helps the patties hold together nicely and stay moist.
Baked Tomato & Feta Pasta
Tomatoes and briny feta cheese form the base of the sauce that coats the pasta in this easy one-pan meal. Enjoy on its own as a vegetarian dinner or top with grilled chicken for some extra protein.
Grilled Shrimp Tostadas
Grilling gives these shrimp tostadas a boost of smoky flavor. Skewering the shrimp prevents them from falling through the grates while getting even char on each side. If you have a grill basket, you can throw them in that instead; just make sure to get them into a single layer so they don't steam.
Blackened Chicken with Chopped Salad
In this spin, we coat this blackened chicken with spices common to Cajun cooking, like dried thyme and cayenne pepper. Then, instead of using the traditional method of searing in a cast-iron pan, we take advantage of the warmer weather by grilling outside.
Peanut Zoodles with Edamame
A package of fresh zucchini noodles gets tossed with shelled edamame and store-bought peanut sauce in these 5-minute, no-cook vegetable noodle bowls. Because prepared sauces and dressings are commonly high in sodium, scan the label and opt for those that contain 150 mg sodium or less per tablespoon.
Blackened Fish Tacos
These blackened fish tacos pack a punch. The blackened fish gets plenty of flavor from herbs and spices, the salsa adds some zing and the cabbage provides a nice raw crunch.
Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. "Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal," she says. This recipe was part of a feature story, "The Real Cost of Healthy Food."
Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta
Chickpeas add fiber to this blended burger, but the real joy here is the light and fluffy feta sauce that tops the whole shebang.
Parmesan Eggplant Pasta
This lightened-up version of the classic eggplant pasta dish swaps out some of the cheese and uses protein-rich lentil pasta.
Grilled Peach & Brie Smothered Chicken
This super-fast and healthy smothered chicken tastes best on the deck with a chilled glass of gewürztraminer. The fruity white pairs nicely with the peaches here.
Stuffed Eggplant with Couscous & Almonds
Smoky almonds, meaty eggplant and whole-grain couscous with herbs make this meal plenty satisfying. Harissa gives the creamy sauce a little kick.
Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille
This ratatouille dish is perfect for your bounty from the garden or farmers' market. To keep the veggies from burning, watch them carefully while grilling. If necessary, move any that are cooking too quickly to a cooler spot on the grill.
