23 Easy, Low-Fat Dinners
Quick and dinner ideas
Prepare a simple and satisfying meals with these healthy, quick dinner ideas. We'll show you how to make everything from pasta and pizza to burgers and burritos, all with less than 15 grams of fat.
Fusilli Michelangelo With Roasted Chicken
This recipe is packed with fiber, protein, and a healthy dose of iron, but it contains only 3 grams of saturated fat. That's a claim not too many pasta dishes can make.
Ingredients: Sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar, whole-wheat fusilli, mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, basil, tomato sauce, Parmesan, rotisserie chicken, arugula, pine nuts
Calories: 428
Try this recipe: Fusilli Michelangelo With Roasted Chicken
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Grilled Bison Kebabs Over Minted Peas
The hearty bison and rich Greek dressing in this dish will wow your taste buds for less than 300 calories! And peas are a great source of fiber and vitamin C.
Ingredients: Greek yogurt, mint, feta cheese, garlic, lemons, parsley, cilantro, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, salt, ground bison, olive oil cooking spray, red onion, frozen peas
Calories: 231
Try this recipe: Grilled Bison Kebabs Over Minted Peas
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Light Nachos
Baked tortilla chips, low-fat beans, and reduced-fat cheese create a lighter nacho with 25 fewer grams of fat than traditional recipes.
Ingredients: Shredded chicken breast, yellow corn tortilla chips, low-fat refried beans, tomatoes, scallions, reduced-fat Mexican cheese
Calories: 215 (approximate)
Try this recipe: Light Nachos
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Pepperoni Pizza
Lighten up your pie by using low-fat cheese and turkey pepperoni. The result is a meal that has half the fat of traditional pizzas and is equally delicious. Plus the recipe sneaks in some cremini mushrooms for an extra serving of veggies.
Ingredients: Cooking spray, cremini mushrooms, basic pizza dough, olive oil, pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, turkey pepperoni
Calories: 346
Try this recipe: Pepperoni Pizza
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Lemon-Olive Grilled Chicken
Lemon and olives flavor this Mediterranean dish—not oil and butter—so you get a delicious tangy flavor without the fat. The whole-wheat couscous adds some heart-healthy fiber and rounds out this meal.
Ingredients: Chicken breast, lemon, honey mustard, low-sodium chicken broth, whole-wheat couscous, pimiento-stuffed olives, kalamata olives, fresh basil, olive oil, pepper
Calories: 318
Try this recipe: Lemon-Olive Grilled Chicken
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Shrimp à la Grecque
Get lean protein, cancer-fighting tomatoes, and rich feta cheese in one flavor-packed recipe. Though feta adds tangy flavor, it has less fat per serving than other cheeses, so you can savor the dish guilt-free.
Ingredients: Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, dry white wine, fresh flat-leaf parsley, marjoram, salt, black pepper, large shrimp, feta cheese
Calories: 286
Try this recipe: Shrimp à la Grecque
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Teriyaki Chicken and Soba Noodles
This dish gets its flavor from a mixture of heart-healthy oils, herbs, and fresh ginger. The mushrooms provide iron and some umami, a Japanese word used to describe savory flavor, and the soba noodles are made of buckwheat, a fiber-rich grain thought to have cardiovascular benefits.
Ingredients: Chicken breasts, low-sodium teriyaki sauce, low-sodium chicken broth, ginger, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, scallions, soba noodles, sesame oil, fresh basil, cilantro, radishes
Calories: 348
Try this recipe: Teriyaki Chicken and Soba Noodles
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Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Use leftover roasted veggies in this simple baked pasta dish. Even though it contains three types of cheese, using low-fat varieties keeps the total fat to just 12 grams per serving.
Ingredients: Part-skim ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, egg whites, garlic, fresh basil, marinara sauce, no-boil lasagna noodles, roasted vegetables, part-skim mozzarella
Calories: 391
Try this recipe: Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
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Melon and Steak With Smoked Paprika Dressing
Cantaloupe provides a cool and sweet contrast to the grilled steak. Plus it packs in plenty of vitamins A and C. The lean sirloin steak is flavored by lime juice, honey, red pepper, and paprika dressing.
Ingredients: Sirloin steak, salt, black pepper, red onion, limes, honey, olive oil, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, cantaloupe, fresh cilantro, fresh mint
Calories: 181
Try this recipe: Melon and Steak With Smoked Paprika Dressing
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Roast Dijon Chicken and Vegetables
Perfect for cooler weather, this dish uses Dijon mustard to add a kick to the roasted chicken. Sweet potatoes, carrots, and other seasonal veggies are low in fat and offer fall flavors.
Ingredients: Dijon mustard, dried thyme, chicken breasts, salt, cooking spray, sweet potatoes, baby carrots, Vidalia onion, olive oil, black pepper, fresh parsley
Calories: 284
Try this recipe: Roast Dijon Chicken and Vegetables
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Pan-Seared Scallops With Southwestern Rice Salad
Get a Tex-Mex flavor in this simple seafood recipe. Black beans and brown rice provide diet-friendly fiber, while cilantro, lime juice, and chili powder add authentic Southwestern seasoning to this low-fat dinner.
Ingredients: Brown rice, lime, olive oil, chili powder, salt, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, fresh cilantro, dry scallops
Calories: 420
Try this recipe: Pan-Seared Scallops With Southwestern Rice Salad
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Madonna's Favorite Burrito
Here's a vegan recipe that packs delicious fresh veggies and lentils into a tasty burrito. You'll get fiber, protein, and a little bit of heart-healthy fat from the avocado.
Ingredients: Green lentils, sesame oil, carrots, green beans, sea salt, tortillas, tofu mayonnaise, salad greens, sauerkraut, avocado
Calories: 220
Try this recipe: Madonna's Favorite Burrito
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Adobo-Lime Chicken Tacos
Go spicy with this chili-flavored taco recipe. Sour cream makes a rich coating for the chicken and provides a perfect complement for the pickled slaw. And without any cheese in them, these tacos weigh in at less than 7 grams of fat.
Ingredients: Chicken breast, cilantro, light sour cream, limes, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, packaged broccoli slaw mix, rice vinegar, radishes, taco shells, salsa verde
Calories: 248
Try this recipe: Adobo-Lime Chicken Tacos
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Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Apricot-Barley Pilaf
Tossing the barley into the pan after your pork is done roasting means that this dish doesn't waste a drop of savory flavor from the apricot jam and soy sauce. The sweet and sour combo weighs in at just 1.5 grams of saturated fat but provides plenty of protein and filling fiber.
Ingredients: Pork tenderloin, olive oil, salt, black pepper, apricot jam, low-sodium soy sauce, pecans, celery, carrots, onion, quick-cooking barley, dried apricots, fresh parsley
Calories: 400
Try this recipe: Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Apricot-Barley Pilaf
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Fresh Corn With Avocado, Scallions, and Spiced Scallops
Scallops are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (a heart-healthy fat) and make a tasty addition to seasonal corn and avocados.
Ingredients: Avocado, limes, sea scallops, salt, pepper, cumin, olive oil, frozen corn, scallions, dry white wine
Calories: 375
Try this recipe: Fresh Corn With Avocado, Scallions, and Spiced Scallops
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Couscous Tabbouleh
This vegetarian recipe gets its flavor from parsley, mint, and a heart-healthy dose of olive oil. It's also great served with our light falafel dish.
Ingredients: Whole-wheat couscous, salt, grape or cherry tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, black pepper, cucumber, red onion, fresh flat-leaf parsley, fresh mint, lemons
Calories: 170
Try this recipe: Couscous Tabbouleh
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Libido-Boosting Stir-Fry
The zinc in the lean beef gives you a boost of testosterone (not fat), which is key to a healthy female libido. But more important, this low-fat and filling meal brings all your favorite Japanese flavors into one dish.
Ingredients: Skirt steak, garlic, limes, olive oil, bell peppers, onion, asparagus, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown rice, fresh cilantro, cashews
Calories: 318
Try this recipe: Libido-Boosting Stir-Fry
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Chipotle Meat Loaf
By using turkey instead of ground beef, this recipe boasts one-third of the fat of traditional meatloaf recipes. The addition of the chipotles, cumin, and cilantro gives the dish a slightly smoky and moderately spicy flavor.
Ingredients: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, onion, cilantro, regular oats, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, fresh parsley, salt, ground cumin, oregano, basil, black pepper, garlic, egg whites, ground turkey, cooking spray, tomato sauce, ketchup, hot sauce
Calories: 239
Try this recipe: Chipotle Meat Loaf
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Hoisin-Glazed Tenderloin
Use hoisin, a salty and sweet Chinese dipping sauce, to make the barbecue-like beef dish. Beef tenderloin is a lean red meat that's relatively low in saturated fat. Serve with a green salad or roasted veggies for a complete meal.
Ingredients: Green onions, hoisin sauce, fresh ginger, crushed red pepper, garlic, beef tenderloin steaks, salt, cooking spray
Calories: 219
Try this recipe: Hoisin-Glazed Tenderloin
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Blackened Salmon With Broccoli Rabe and Raisins
Though salmon is a fatty fish, it contains heart-helping omega-3 fatty acids. Cajun seasoning spices up this dish, and broccoli rabe is low in calories and rich in vitamin C.
Ingredients: Skinless salmon fillets, Cajun seasoning, broccoli rabe, olive oil, shallots, kosher salt, golden raisins, lemon
Calories: 378
Try this recipe: Blackened Salmon With Broccoli Rabe and Raisins
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Chicken Burgers With Guacamole, Cheddar, and Charred Tomatoes
Cheeseburgers are low in fat? In this recipe they are! Ground chicken is leaner than beef, and reduced-fat cheese teams up with guacamole to provide rich flavor for less fat.
Ingredients: Ground chicken, fresh cilantro, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, cooking spray, tomatoes, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, sandwich buns, tomatoes, guacamole
Calories: 322
Try this recipe: Chicken Burgers With Guacamole, Cheddar, and Charred Tomatoes
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Chicken Chili With White Beans and Chipotles
By mixing beans with chicken, this recipe gives you plenty of filling protein but also keeps the fat content low. Cilantro and cumin add a savory seasoning to round out this meal in a bowl.
Ingredients: Olive oil, onion, cumin, Great Northern beans, less-sodium chicken broth, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chicken breast, cilantro
Calories: 431
Try this recipe: Chicken Chili With White Beans and Chipotles
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Blueberry Oat Pancakes With Maple Yogurt
Have breakfast for dinner with these hearty pancakes. Because this dish takes some time to prepare, make it in the evenings when you are not in a rush. Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt give a creamy texture to the rolled oats while still keeping the fat to just 12 grams per serving.
Ingredients: Rolled oats, cottage cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, blueberries, cooking spray, Greek-style low-fat yogurt, maple syrup
Calories: 410
Try this recipe: Blueberry Oat Pancakes With Maple Yogurt