19 20-Minute Spring Dinners for Weight Loss
All you need is 20 minutes to make one of these seasonal and healthy dinner recipes. These dishes feature delicious spring produce like spinach, peas, carrots and broccoli. They’re also lower in calories and high in fiber and/or protein, which is a key combination that can help if you’re looking to lose weight. Options like our Get Your Greens Wrap and our Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chicken & Fresh Berries are easy meals that can support your health goals while welcoming spring.
Get Your Greens Wrap
This healthy, quick wrap is packed with plenty of green vegetables—cucumber, sprouts and lettuce add crunch, avocado lends creaminess and edamame provides some plant-based protein.
Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chicken & Fresh Berries
This flavorful salad is packed with tender rotisserie chicken, juicy berries and hearty quinoa for a filling and satisfying meal.
One-Skillet Garlicky Salmon & Broccoli
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
This dish combines tender, flaky salmon with crisp, garlicky broccoli and bell pepper, all cooked in one pan for easy prep and cleanup. Packed with lean protein, omega-3s and a generous serving of veggies, this is one recipe you’ll want on repeat!
Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast Sandwiches
Matthew Francis
This dish takes caprese salad ingredients—juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil and balsamic vinegar—and nestles them into a seasoned and cooked chicken breast that can be picked up and eaten like a sandwich.
Skillet Bruschetta Chicken
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Drawing inspiration from the Italian appetizer, we replace the usual toasted bread with protein-packed chicken cutlets. The vibrant and juicy chopped tomato topping remains a constant, complemented by a drizzle of sweet and tangy balsamic glaze.
Cucumber-Chicken Green Goddess Wrap
Cucumber and carrots add color and crunch to this healthy, robust whole-wheat wrap. The green goddess dressing is creamy with cheese and avocado and bright from lemon and herbs.
Cabbage, Tofu & Edamame Salad
Craving crunch? Bite into this salad loaded with crisp red cabbage, edamame, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles. This salad is slightly sweetened with baked tofu, mandarin oranges and sesame vinaigrette.
Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad
Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.
Pickled Beet, Arugula & Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwich
This sandwich gets creamy notes from the goat cheese and sweet and tangy undertones from the pickled beets. Peppery arugula and chopped walnuts add nuttiness and crunch to this easy dish.
Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
The Greek lemon-chicken soup avgolemono is the inspiration for this 20-minute recipe. Eggs and lemon are tempered into the broth to add richness and creaminess.
Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta
If you’ve ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here’s what’s almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
Creamy Pesto Shrimp with Gnocchi & Peas
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Prop stylist: Shell Royster, Food stylist: Emily Hall
This speedy dinner combines shrimp with pillowy gnocchi, pesto and peas in a creamy sauce. For a bit of heat, sprinkle in some crushed red pepper, or garnish with grated Parmesan cheese to enhance the savory flavor.
Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Serve these saucy, ultra-quick chicken cutlets over your favorite pasta. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite.
High-Protein Veggie Sandwich
Ali Redmond
From beans to tofu to tempeh bacon, this high-protein veggie sandwich formula can help mitigate blood sugar spikes and keep you feeling full until your next meal.
Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted veggies, like peppers and cauliflower, pair well with hearty farro in this delicious grain bowl. A boost of protein from the chicken means this dish will be filling and satisfying.
Chopped Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad
This easy salad recipe allows for a wonderful use of leftover cooked chicken. Look for escarole in the produce section near the leafy greens; if you can’t find it, you can use romaine instead.
Creamy Spinach Pasta
This might be one of the creamiest light pasta dishes you’ve ever had! The mascarpone cheese adds a richness to the spinach pasta that’s unexpected—especially in a healthy pasta recipe.
Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna
This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don’t need to massage or cook it to make it tender.
Quinoa Deli Salad
This healthy version of a deli salad combines hearty quinoa and chickpeas with small amounts of ham and mozzarella, so you get all of the flavor without overdoing it on the sodium.
