30 Day High-Protein Dinner Plan for Weight Loss
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Not only are these recipes packed with flavor, but they are also well-balanced and nutritious to help you reach your healthy eating goals this month. Each of these dinners contains ingredients like lean protein, whole grains and legumes which help them meet our high-protein nutritional parameters. With at least 15 grams of protein per serving, they can help keep you feeling full and satisfied all evening. If weight loss is a goal for you, these recipes are under 575 calories and contain 6 grams of fiber or more per serving for something that's light yet nourishing. Recipes like our Crispy Oven-Fried Fish Tacos and One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta are delicious dishes to help you meet your goals.
Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens
In this healthy salmon dinner, you'll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen's current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls
Skip the tortillas in favor of this warm fajita salad, which features a nutritious medley of chicken with roasted kale, bell peppers and black beans. The chicken, beans and vegetables are all cooked on the same pan, so this healthy dinner is easy to make and the cleanup is easy too.
Kale, Sausage & Pepper Pasta
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.
Crispy Oven-Fried Fish Tacos
Fish tacos make a satisfying meal the entire family will love. Many restaurant versions are deep-fried, but our technique includes coating the fish in a seasoned whole-grain breading and spritzing it lightly with cooking spray before baking on a rack until golden brown. The result is a crispy exterior with moist and flaky fish inside.
Spicy Shrimp, Vegetable & Couscous Bowls
We like the chewy bite and large size of pearl couscous (sometimes labeled Israeli couscous) for the base of these bowls.
Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo
Sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese pack a flavorful punch along with the tantalizing aroma of fresh marjoram in this rustic Italian-inspired dish. Serve with sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccolini.
One-Pot Lentils & Rice with Spinach
This hearty vegan dish gets its earthy flavor from cumin and brown rice. If you can handle extra heat, try doubling the crushed red pepper for a bigger punch of flavor.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Inspired by stuffed peppers, this soup is ready faster and with fewer dishes too! Have fun with the toppings—we top it with onion, Cheddar cheese and tortilla chips here, but salsa, sour cream and corn would also make stellar additions.
Sheet-Pan Roasted Salmon & Vegetables
This dish is packed with flavor and fits perfectly into a Mediterranean diet.
One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta
This chicken Parmesan pasta uses the one-pot pasta method to cook your noodles, chicken and sauce all in one skillet for a fast and easy dinner with minimal cleanup.
Salmon Rice Bowl
Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, this salmon rice bowl makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. With healthy ingredients like instant brown rice, salmon and veggies, you'll have a flavorful meal in just 25 minutes.
Slow-Cooker White Bean & Sausage Cassoulet
This slow-cooker cassoulet comes together quickly without fuss. Mashing some of the beans makes the broth creamier, while a topping of toasted panko adds contrasting crunchiness. Serve with a crusty baguette to sop up every last drop of the sauce. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
One sheet pan is all you'll need to whip up this chicken fajita recipe. They're quick and easy to make and cleanup is even faster!
Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls
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.
One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan
This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. If you avoid cheese made with rennet, look for vegetarian Parmesan cheese, which is made without it.
Chicken Nachos
These chicken nachos have crunchy chips topped with hot spiced shredded chicken, beans and melted cheese with cooling chunks of avocado, red onion and cilantro. If you like the heat, add jalapeño slices at the end. These quick nachos work well with shredded chicken breast or rotisserie chicken if you have leftovers around.
Roasted Chicken & Winter Squash over Mixed Greens
This hearty salad comes together with little effort, since the squash and chicken can roast together on the same sheet pan. Prep the dressing and the salad greens while the chicken is roasting.
Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa
Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes.
Chickpea Salad with Broccoli & Golden Milk-Poached Chicken
Poaching chicken in turmeric-infused milk for this healthy salad recipe yields tender results with a golden hue. Bright yellow turmeric has been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine. The early spice's potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, curcumin, shows promise in fighting certain cancers, including breast, pancreatic, colorectal, lung and prostate. (See Tip to learn more about turmeric's health benefits.) Don't toss the cooking liquid: some of it goes into the salad dressing and you can use what remains to cook grains or as a soup base. Make sure to use whole milk and don't go beyond a bare simmer, otherwise it may curdle.
Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Warm Barley Salad
Barley and pistachios give this healthy chicken recipe a double dose of nutty flavor. For an easy change-up, swap in your favorite whole grain, such as brown rice, farro or quinoa.
Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta
Chickpeas add fiber to this blended burger, but the real joy here is the light and fluffy feta sauce that tops the whole shebang.
Piled-High Vegetable Pitas
Fresh, bright flavors come alive in these easy vegetarian pitas. Give yourself enough time to make the roasted vegetables called for in the recipe--or make them a day or two in advance for a healthy meal that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. These pitas would also work well with whatever leftover cooked veggies you have on hand. No need to warm the roasted veggies up; this recipe tastes great chilled or at room temperature.
One-Pot Chicken & Broccoli Pasta
This creamy chicken and broccoli pasta makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. We opt for small shells in this recipe, but any other small pasta, like orecchiette, would work, too.
Tuna Casserole with Orzo, Eggplant & Feta
Tuna casserole is a timeless comfort-food recipe; this one incorporates eggplant, artichoke hearts, oregano, olives and feta cheese for a Greek-inspired flair.
Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans
Loaded with roasted sweet potatoes and shallots, black beans, quinoa, feta and pepitas, this salad makes for a satisfying meatless meal. Not only does massaging the kale tenderize it, it also helps the greens absorb more of the bright dressing.
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.
Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon
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.
Cobb Salad with Herb-Rubbed Chicken
Try this satisfying salad recipe for an updated version of the classic Cobb. Kale, feta and strawberries give this chicken salad a colorful upgrade.
Pizza-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Skip the dough and stuff all of your favorite pizza toppings into spaghetti squash boats for a fun and healthy dinner that'll please the whole family. We love the combination of mushrooms, bell peppers, pepperoni and mozzarella, but feel free to mix it up with your favorite pizza ingredients. You could throw in a bit of chopped cooked broccoli, for example, or add some olives or chopped artichoke hearts. And of course feel free to omit the pepperoni to make the dish vegetarian. Round out the meal with a simple salad.
Steak Sandwiches
This steak sandwich features savory skirt steak paired with earthy mushrooms and peppery arugula. The bread is slathered with a horseradish-mustard spread with creamy spreadable cheese at its base to pull everything together.
