Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Dinner Recipes 30 Anti-Inflammatory Dinners That Are High in Protein By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Leah Goggins is a digital fellow for EatingWell. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, she is a devotee of old movies, farmers' markets and Ina Garten's tomato sandwich with basil mayo recipe. Leah has a degree in news media and English from The University of Alabama. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 15, 2022 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Jacob Fox Chronic inflammation can drag you down, from upsetting your stomach to making it hard to sleep. The good news is that you can help tamp down inflammation by enjoying lots of healthy fats, fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. These dinners, which boast at least 15 grams of protein per serving, are low in calories and packed with good-for-you ingredients. Lean on dinners like our Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna and Red Lentil Soup with Saffron when you need a delicious, satisfying meal at the end of the day. 01 of 30 Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta View Recipe Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. 02 of 30 Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna View Recipe Greg DuPree Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour. 03 of 30 Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach View Recipe Jacob Fox Gochujang, a Korean red chile paste, and honey give this salmon a little bit of sweetness and a whole lot of spice. 04 of 30 Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale View Recipe Greg DuPree Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying. 05 of 30 Red Lentil Soup with Saffron View Recipe Jacob Fox This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice. 06 of 30 Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots & Broccoli View Recipe In this easy and healthy dinner recipe, sweet and savory baked honey-garlic chicken thighs come with a side of veggies that cook on the same sheet pan as the chicken. The honey-soy-garlic marinade for the chicken does double duty as an irresistible sauce to drizzle over everything. Lining your baking sheet with foil will protect your pan from the sticky honey-soy-garlic sauce, so cleanup will be a breeze too. If you can't find small carrots, cut medium carrots in half lengthwise. 07 of 30 Smothered Black Soybean Burgers View Recipe Photography / Nico Schinco, Food Styling / Frances Boswell, Prop Stylist / Paige Hicks These flavor-packed burgers get tang from kimchi, umami from soy or fish sauce and heat from gochugaru. Topped with caramelized onions and slaw, they're super-satisfying. 08 of 30 Cheesy Marinara Beans View Recipe Photography / Nico Schinco, Food Styling / Frances Boswell, Prop Stylist / Paige Hicks This ooey-gooey dish has baked-pasta vibes but features protein-packed beans instead of noodles. Look for dried corona beans, a larger, creamy white bean, at natural-foods stores or online. Cannellini are a good substitute. Serve with a green salad and toasted baguette. 09 of 30 Roasted Tofu & Broccoli with Peanut-Curry Sauce View Recipe Jacob Fox Pressing the tofu before roasting rids it of some excess moisture for crispy results. If you have the time, let it sit for more than 10 minutes—the longer it's pressed, the better! 10 of 30 Lemony Shrimp, Kale & Potato Salad View Recipe Leigh Beisch Hearty kale and potatoes put a seasonal spin on a Greek-style salad featuring feta, olives and cherry tomatoes. Russet potatoes absorb flavor like a sponge, making them a great choice for salads with flavorful vinaigrettes like this one. 11 of 30 Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad View Recipe Greg DuPree Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad. 12 of 30 Wild Rice Waffles with Chicken Tenders View Recipe Victor Protasio Because these waffles reheat so well, you can skip feeling like a short-order cook—slinging them out one at a time—and prep them all ahead. Paired with chicken tenders you bread in advance and a sweet-and-spicy maple butter, you have a winning brunch, with minimal fuss. 13 of 30 Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta View Recipe Johnny & Charlotte Autry Chickpeas add fiber to this blended burger, but the real joy here is the light and fluffy feta sauce that tops the whole shebang. 14 of 30 Salmon Caesar Salad View Recipe This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too. 15 of 30 Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing View Recipe These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes). 16 of 30 Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa View Recipe Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes. 17 of 30 Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chili View Recipe Sweet potatoes pair wonderfully with this simple chili recipe. Add one more chipotle pepper if you want to spice up this healthy sweet potato recipe. 18 of 30 Turkey, Pesto & Broccoli Pasta View Recipe This easy pasta recipe is a weeknight dinner lifesaver. While shelf-stable pesto will work here, we prefer the fresh flavor and more vibrant color of refrigerated pesto. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your supermarket, near the fresh pasta and marinara sauce. 19 of 30 Chicken Parmesan & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers View Recipe Chicken Parm gets a fun low-carb and gluten-free twist with these cheesy stuffed peppers with chicken and quinoa. Serve with a salad for a healthy dinner that's easy to prep too. 20 of 30 Crispy Lemon-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Roasted Potatoes & Carrots View Recipe Panko breadcrumbs make this healthy lemon-garlic chicken super-crispy on the outside, while a bit of mayonnaise amps up the juiciness of the thighs. And everything--including fingerling potatoes and carrots--cooks on one sheet pan, so this healthy dinner is super-easy to prep and clean up after too. You can swap out the potatoes and carrots for other vegetables, such as broccoli and parsnips, but just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. 21 of 30 Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon View Recipe Wondering what to do with leftover salmon? This is a delicious and easy way to turn it into another weeknight-friendly, quick dinner. Don't forget to reserve some pasta water--its starch thickens the lemon-garlic pasta sauce and makes it silky-smooth. 22 of 30 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta View Recipe 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. 23 of 30 Salt & Vinegar Sheet-Pan Chicken & Brussels Sprouts View Recipe A strong vinegar, like malt or sherry, gives this baked chicken recipe a pucker factor reminiscent of salt-and-vinegar chips. Everything cooks on one pan, making this chicken sheet-pan dinner perfect for weeknights when you want big results for little effort (so, pretty much every weeknight!). 24 of 30 BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous View Recipe In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff. 25 of 30 California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries View Recipe Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes. 26 of 30 Kale, Sausage & Pepper Pasta View Recipe This healthy sausage and kale pasta recipe cooks in one skillet, so there's only one pot to clean! Try it with any greens you have in the fridge, such as chard or spinach. 27 of 30 Ginger-Tahini Oven-Baked Salmon & Vegetables View Recipe The tahini sauce does double duty in this healthy salmon recipe, serving as a glaze for the fish and also as a drizzle for the entire dish at the end of cooking. The green beans are cooked just slightly in this recipe, to still be crisp. If you like your green beans tenderer, look for thinner beans or haricot verts in the grocery store; they'll cook more quickly. This sheet-pan dinner recipe is not only delicious--it also comes together with just 25 minutes of active prep time, and there's only one pan to clean up afterwards! 28 of 30 Salmon Burgers with Quick Pickled Cucumbers View Recipe These healthy salmon burgers call for canned salmon, which makes them an economical and easy dinner. The quick-pickled cucumbers in this recipe are a great introduction to the world of pickling. If you enjoy them, you can make additional batches by following Steps 1 and 2. 29 of 30 Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew View Recipe This satisfying stew comes together in a snap. Mashed chickpeas add body to the broth, and tomato paste adds a savory note without piling on the sodium. To simplify the prep, look for chopped fresh onion and shredded carrot or a soup starter mix in the produce section. 30 of 30 Sheet-Pan Sesame Chicken & Broccoli with Scallion-Ginger Sauce View Recipe In this healthy sheet-pan chicken recipe, meaty bone-in chicken thighs and broccoli florets are tossed with sesame oil and roasted on the same pan for a delicious and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. While the chicken and broccoli cook, whip together the simple scallion-ginger sauce. The sauce would also be wonderful spooned over salmon, tofu or grain bowls; it is easily doubled or tripled! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit