Make these easy, diabetes-friendly dinners to support a healthy gut. Each recipe takes only 30 minutes or less to get on the table. Plus, you'll find this collection includes lots of prebiotic foods like garlic, legumes and leeks and fiber-packed ingredients like whole grains to support healthy gut bacteria and regularity. Not to mention, these dinner recipes are made with sodium-conscious ingredients and lower counts of saturated fat to be fit for those eating a diabetes-appropriate eating pattern. Try our Miso-Maple Salmon and Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl for simple and delicious meals that you'll want to make again and again.
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This Fiber-Packed White Bean & Spinach Salad Is Ready in Just 10 Minutes
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In this light and refreshing salad, we season white beans with ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend which features cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and ground black and red pepper. If you prefer a creamier texture, gently mash some of the beans as you stir everything together. The bean salad is served on a bed of lightly dressed spinach that pairs well with the beans, but also grilled chicken or steak kebabs on another night.
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Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
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This flavorful burrito bowl features grilled chicken coated in a spicy chipotle glaze. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier dinner.
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Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls
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These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.
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Chhole (Chickpea Curry)
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This healthy Indian recipe is a flavorful chickpea curry that you can make in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, this dish is a comforting and delicious dinner.
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Super Green Pasta
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Pack in your veggies with this quick and easy green pasta. Plenty of kale and spinach transform into a vibrant green sauce once cooked and blended with basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese for a pesto-like flavor. Enjoy this easy vegetarian pasta as is, or add grilled chicken or white beans for a boost of protein.
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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
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This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables, depending on your mood.
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Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple
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This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.
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Miso-Maple Salmon
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White miso paste packs an umami punch to this healthy salmon recipe. But being the mildest and sweetest variety of the gluten-free fermented paste, it won't overpower this dish. Use any leftover salmon (within 3 days) to make our Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon, Easy Scallion-Salmon Dip or Spicy Salmon Cakes (see Associated Recipes).
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Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew
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This satisfying stew comes together in a snap. Mashed chickpeas add body to the broth, and tomato paste adds a savory note without adding too much sodium in this healthy recipe for weight loss.
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Vegan Black Bean Burgers
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These easy vegan black bean burgers have a healthy dose of fiber thanks to the combination of black beans and quinoa. Cumin and chipotle chile powder give these vegan burgers a Southwestern spin. Using your hands to combine the mixture creates a soft, uniform texture.
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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
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In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
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Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto
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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.
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Classic Sesame Noodles with Chicken
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Sesame noodles become a satisfying meal with lean chicken and tons of veggies in this quick, healthy noodle recipe. Be sure to rinse the spaghetti until it's cold, then give it a good shake in the colander until it's well drained. Are you a spiralizing pro? Swap 5 cups of raw zucchini, carrot or other veggie "noodles" for the cooked pasta.
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Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower
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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.
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Chicken & White Bean Soup
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Once again, rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine.
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Pork & Kimchi Fried Rice
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In this healthy fried rice recipe, zucchini, carrots and kimchi are tossed with Korean gochujang for a delicious one-bowl dinner. If you don't have leftover cooked rice on hand, be sure to thoroughly cool your rice before adding it to the wok--if it's too warm, it creates too much steam and sticks to the wok. To quickly cool warm rice, spread out on a large baking sheet and refrigerate while you prep the rest of your ingredients, about 15 minutes.
