18 High-Fiber, Gluten Free Dinners to Keep You Full Until Bedtime
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Say goodbye to the midnight munchies with these healthy and tasty dinner recipes. Each of these dishes is packed with at least 6 grams of dietary fiber per serving from ingredients like vegetables, legumes and whole grains that help promote healthy weight maintenance, increased bone strength and healthy digestion. Plus, these recipes also meet our gluten-free nutrition parameters, so they are safe for those following a gluten-free diet. Recipes like our Chickpea Curry (Chhole) and our Smoky Collards & Shrimp with Cheesy Grits are flavorful and nutritious ways to end the night.
Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese
This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili recipe comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.
Chhole (Chickpea Curry)
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.
Black Bean-Cauliflower "Rice" Bowl
This aromatic cauliflower rice bowl comes together in minutes and is a simple meal for one. Using frozen riced cauliflower instead of rice reduces the carb content—and makes for quicker prep.
Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry
To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.
Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
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.
Vegetarian Tacos with Zucchini & Corn
These fresh vegetarian tacos with zucchini and corn take advantage of summer's best produce. The chipotle-infused refried beans add a layer of heat. For vegan tacos, skip the queso fresco and add chopped avocado in its place.
Copycat McDonald's Southwest Salad
If you were a fan of the McDonald's Southwest Salad before it left the menu, this copycat recipe brings it all back with a few healthy twists. The creamy dressing keeps saturated fat and calories in check with reduced-fat sour cream combined with salsa to give it its signature spice. We loaded it up with plenty of veggies, but feel free to give it your own spin with chopped avocado or crushed tortilla chips for crunch. (Editor's note: The title of this recipe does not align with EatingWell's practices for naming and attributing recipes but gives proper credit to McDonald's menu, which called this dish "Southwest Salad.")
Smoky Collards & Shrimp with Cheesy Grits
Be sure to slice the collards extra thin; it will help expedite the cooking process and produce the most tender greens.
Chicken Hummus Bowls
The spiced chicken atop these bowls is ready fast with the help of the broiler. Serve with warm whole-wheat pita for scooping up extra hummus at the bottom of the bowl.
Greek Salad with Edamame
Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar.
Goddess Veggie Bowls with Chicken
Dark green lacinato kale contrasts with the warm tones of bell peppers and tomatoes in this healthy green goddess salad recipe.
Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema
Crumbled tofu spiced up with Cajun seasoning is layered onto these tostadas with a juicy mango slaw. A dollop of sour cream zhuzhed up with beet and lime adds even more flavor. Look for precooked beets in the produce department of your grocery store.
Ajiaco Bogotano (Potato Soup with Corn, Chicken & Capers)
Ajiaco celebrates a key crop in the Andes Mountains region, where more than 4,000 potato varieties are grown. There are three types in this soup. Cookbook author and food stylist Mariana Velásquez uses russets to stand in for Sabanera potatoes, which practically dissolve into the broth, giving it body. Yukon Golds and tiny creamer potatoes replace Pastusas and Criollas—the former lends a golden hue and the latter a sweet, almost buttery flavor. Guascas—a fragrant herb also known as galinsoga, gallant soldier or potato weed—imparts a slightly bitter taste unmatched by anything else, Velásquez says. (Look for it dried online or in the few Colombian markets in the U.S.; you can also find it fresh at farmers' markets.) The soup takes her back to her childhood in Bogotá. She remembers one Friday each month being "Ajiaco Day" at her all-girls school. "They would bring the bowls of broth to each of us and then place the avocados, corn, chicken, capers and cream in the center of the table," she says. "It was the most special lunch and we all loved it."
Chicken Tinga Tostadas
These chicken tinga tostadas are topped with cotija cheese for a salty bite, while cilantro adds a pop of flavor and color. We bake the tortillas to ensure a crispy base, while also using less oil than deep-frying.
Smoked Brisket Tacos
Leftover brisket makes terrific tacos. Salty cotija cheese, also called queso añejo, provides a sharp counterpoint to the smoky brisket. Find it near other specialty cheeses or in Mexican grocery stores. To make this recipe kosher, omit the cheese and use vegan yogurt in Step 2.
Tuna Poke
Poke (pronounced poke-ay), a Hawaiian word meaning "to chop" or "to cut," refers to a traditional Hawaiian salad of diced raw fish in a simple, soy-based sauce with punchy seasonings like toasted sesame and chopped scallion greens. These tuna poke bowls feature seasoned brown rice and fresh veggies for a healthy, satisfying meal packed with protein and fiber.
Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing
This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.
Seared Scallops with Green Goddess Slaw
Avocado, yogurt and buttermilk lend creaminess to the herbaceous dressing coating this salad.
