21 Easy Three-Step Dinner Recipes for Weight Loss

One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

These easy dinners were made to help you meet your nutritional goals. Each serving of these recipes has 575 calories or less and offers at least 6 grams of fiber to help you feel more full and stay satisfied for longer, which can be helpful for weight loss if that is your goal. Plus, they come together in just three steps or less to help save you time in the kitchen. Dishes like our One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta and Chicken Tinga Tostadas are nutritious, flavorful and easy to make for a healthy evening meal.

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One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

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This one-pot pasta with tangy tomato-basil sauce is a simple, fast and easy weeknight dinner. All of your ingredients go into one pot, and with a bit of stirring and about 25 minutes of cook time, you'll have a healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.

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Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

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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.

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Brown Rice Shrimp Bowl with Tomatoes & Avocado

Brown Rice Shrimp Bowl with Tomatoes & Avocado

This quick and easy bowl pairs brown rice with cooked shrimp, tossed in a ginger-soy-sesame sauce, to create a flavorful dish in no time. Topping with tomatoes and avocado adds color and nutrients. Use leftover brown rice or pick up a package of pre-cooked brown rice from the grocery store to keep this meal no-cook.

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One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta

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A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe.

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Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Chicken Tinga Tostadas
Jacob Fox

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.

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Spinach Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives

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Store-bought spinach ravioli and a handful of basic pantry items are all you need to get a healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Ingredients like oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and toasty pine nuts help to build big flavor fast. If you can't find frozen artichokes, swap in a 15-ounce can (just be sure to drain and rinse them well).

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Garlic-Anchovy Pasta with Broccolini

Garlic-Anchovy Pasta with Broccolini
Jacob Fox

Here, we sprinkle the final pasta dish with crumbled goat cheese for nice tangy bites throughout. But if you prefer a creamy sauce, stir the cheese into the pasta in Step 3 along with the reserved cooking water.

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Broccolini, Chicken Sausage & Orzo Skillet

a bowl with orzo pasta, chicken sausage and broccolini

We love this quick skillet meal for busy evenings. The sausage and orzo simmer together in chicken broth, resulting in a creamy, risotto-like dish in under 30 minutes.

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Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!

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Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos

Roasted Vegetable & Black Bean Tacos

These hearty vegan tacos are quick and easy to make, perfect for busy weeknights. They are so tasty no one will miss the meat or dairy.

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Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad
Greg DuPree

Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

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Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale

Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale
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.

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Vegetarian Chili with Salad Beans

Vegetarian Chili with Salad Beans
Johnny Autry

This quick vegetarian chili relies on pantry ingredients like canned beans and canned tomato soup to create a fast and flavorful meal. Top with your favorite garnishes, such as jalapeños and avocado.

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Southwest Chopped Salad with Tomatillo Dressing

Southwest Chopped Salad with Tomatillo Dressing
Leigh Beisch

Jicama is the crunchy, sweet tuberous root of a legume native to Central America. If you love it in this salad, try including sticks of it with your next crudités spread.

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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Fish Tacos with Preserved Grapefruit Salsa

Fish Tacos with Preserved Grapefruit Salsa
Leigh Beisch

Tart preserved grapefruit and fresh grapefruit segments combine with avocado to make a complex salsa that pairs nicely with fish.

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White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi

White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Jacob Fox

Sun-dried tomatoes are the star of this recipe—providing texture and umami. Combined with the spinach, they make this dish a great source of vitamins C and K.

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Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

vegan chickpea coconut 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.

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Red Beans and Rice with Chicken

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Fiber-rich red beans, whole-grain brown rice and skillet-cooked chicken breast are ready in just 20 minutes.

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Fish Taco Wraps

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These quick-and-easy fish tacos are full of chili-crusted halibut, crunchy cabbage and fruity salsa. Using prepared salsa and coleslaw mix means this recipe is on the table in just 20 minutes.

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Waldorf Salad with Chicken & Rutabaga

Waldorf Salad with Chicken & Rutabaga
Leigh Beisch

A cross between turnip and cabbage, rutabagas have purple-tinged yellow skin and yellow, slightly sweet flesh. Adding this veg along with chicken to this classic side transforms it into a hearty dinner salad.

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