Healthy Recipes Health Conditions Diabetes-Appropriate Diabetic Dinner Recipes 23 High-Protein, Diabetes-Friendly Dinners for Summer By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 22, 2023 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: Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman You can't go wrong when using seasonal ingredients like zucchini, spinach and green beans to make a tasty summer dinner. Not only are these in-season recipes low in saturated fat and sodium-conscious for those following a diabetes-friendly eating pattern, but they also have at least 15 grams of protein per serving from ingredients like hearty legumes, lean meats and fish. Recipes like our Salmon Rice Bowl and Creamy Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Skillet Casserole are sure to become staples in your home during the warmer months and beyond. 01 of 23 Salmon Rice Bowl View Recipe Ali Redmond 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. 02 of 23 Air-Fryer Orange Chicken View Recipe Laura Kanya Orange chicken is typically made with fried chicken coated in a sweet, sticky sauce. In this lightened-up version, we skip the oil in favor of an air fryer and make an equally delicious sauce that goes easy on the sugar. Serve with brown rice and steamed green beans. 03 of 23 Creamy Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Skillet Casserole View Recipe Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst This spinach-packed casserole cooks on the stovetop and bakes in the same skillet for a family-friendly dinner with an easy cleanup. You can use leftover chicken and cook the pasta ahead of time to speed up the prep. 04 of 23 Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette View Recipe Sara Haas In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies while you wait for the pasta to cook, then mix everything and enjoy! 05 of 23 Skillet Lemon-Garlic Salmon View Recipe Jacob Fox This ultra-quick one-skillet lemon-garlic salmon recipe features plenty of lemony flavors from both zest and juice. Garlic adds a savory note. 06 of 23 Slow-Cooker Chicken, Spinach & White Bean Stew View Recipe Ali Redmond Warm up to a comforting bowl of chicken stew scented with thyme, oregano and smoked paprika. Adding spinach and white beans provides a hearty dose of fiber that will keep you satisfied until the next meal. 07 of 23 Asopao de Camarones (One-Pot Rice & Shrimp Stew) View Recipe Ali Redmond This hearty one-pot rice and shrimp stew is typically enjoyed during the cooler months in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Brown rice adds a boost of fiber and is a good source of complex carbohydrates. 08 of 23 Air-Fryer Fish Tacos View Recipe Jacob Fox These air-fryer fish tacos get their kick from a crispy breadcrumb coating that's spiked with chili powder. Avocado crema helps balance the flavors, while shredded cabbage slaw adds crunch. These easy air-fryer fish tacos are finished with fresh tomato, but feel free to add your own favorite toppings to the mix. 09 of 23 Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner View Recipe Justin Walker This one-pan chicken dinner doesn't get much easier, or more satisfying. In just half an hour, you can have a complete meal on the table that doesn't require loads of dishes afterwards. We call for tender haricots verts because they're quick cooking; traditional green beans likely won't be tender enough after the brief cooking time at the end. If that's all you have on hand, steam them first, and then add them to the pan for the final step. Serve this hearty chicken and potatoes dinner with a simple side salad to sneak in another serving of veggies. 10 of 23 Sheet-Pan Garlic-Soy Chicken & Vegetables View Recipe Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst, Prop Stylist / Holly Raibikis This easy dish comes together quickly and is cooked all on one baking sheet. Putting the pan in the oven while it preheats makes it hot enough to lightly sear the chicken and vegetables, adding texture and flavor and also reducing the cook time. Chicken thighs emerge from the oven succulent and coated in the savory sauce (with less salt because of the low-sodium soy sauce) and fragrant from the garlic, ginger and scallions. We recommend serving this with brown rice or whole-wheat noodles. 11 of 23 30-Minute Mini Meatloaves with Whipped Cauliflower & Green Beans View Recipe Ali Redmond Comfort food but make it fast! This recipe incorporates a number of pantry ingredients and shortcuts like frozen cauliflower and steam-in-the-bag green beans to cut way down on prep time. Baking the meatloaf in a muffin tin reduces cook time by more than half and makes portion control easy. 12 of 23 Creamy One-Pot Penne Primavera with Shrimp View Recipe Ali Redmond Just as its name suggests, you only need one pot to make this satisfying pasta dish featuring fresh spinach, red bell pepper and broccoli, along with a generous portion of shrimp. To make the light, creamy sauce, residual pasta water is cleverly combined with Parmesan cheese. 13 of 23 Pastelón de Yuca (Cheesy Yuca Casserole) View Recipe Ali Redmond Ground chicken scented with onion and paprika sits between creamy layers of mashed yuca in this beloved Dominican dish that can be customized with your favorite protein. Serve with a generous side of vegetables for a complete meal. 14 of 23 Mom's Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole View Recipe Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr This lightened-up creamy chicken casserole is packed with veggies. The sauce at the heart of this family-friendly casserole uses fat-free milk with a combination of fat-free Greek-style yogurt and a little mayonnaise to give it body. 15 of 23 Camarones a la Criolla (Shrimp in Creole Sauce) View Recipe Ali Redmond Channel the flavors of Puerto Rican cooking by simmering shrimp in a rich tomato sauce laced with cumin, oregano, sofrito and garlic. Known as salsa criolla, this sauce comes together easily and can be used to cook a variety of meats and seafood. 16 of 23 Sesame Peanut Noodles with Chicken & Zucchini View Recipe Laura Kanya & Breana Killeen In this creamy peanut noodle recipe, we swapped half the pasta for zucchini noodles to reduce the carbs and calories, and bump up the vegetables. Zucchini noodles can be found in the prepped vegetable section of your grocery store, or grab your spiralizer and make them from scratch. Two medium or one large zucchini should give you 6 cups. 17 of 23 Lemon-Panko Chicken View Recipe Ali Redmond Juicy chicken breasts scented with oregano and paprika get coated with lemon zest and breadcrumbs to create a crispy, flavorful coating that will win you over every time. Serve over whole grains or with a side salad for a satisfying meal. 18 of 23 Easy Jerk-Marinated Chicken Drumsticks with Cabbage Slaw View Recipe Ali Redmond The marinade is the star of the show in this recipe for roasted chicken drumsticks. Mila Clarke pulls from her family's Jamaican heritage tradition by using a complex marinade made with soy sauce, ginger, lime, cinnamon and habanero peppers to create these oven-baked drumsticks that are delightfully savory but have a spicy kick. A simple cabbage slaw, which comes together in minutes, is the perfect accompaniment. 19 of 23 Cheesy Pulled Chicken & Green Chile Quesadillas View Recipe Ali Redmond A fresh salsa verde pulls double duty in this quesadilla recipe. First, the chicken gets cooked in the salsa to help impart flavor and keep it moist. Then, the salsa verde gets served alongside the quesadillas for dipping. Green chiles add a touch of heat to complete the dish. 20 of 23 Meatball Tagine View Recipe Salima's Kitchen LLC This meatball tagine takes flavor-packed meatballs and stews them in a robust tomato-based sauce. This Moroccan-inspired dish is often prepared with eggs poached in the sauce (see Tip). Serve with crusty bread to soak up the spicy sauce. 21 of 23 Spicy One-Pot Codfish & Yuca Stew View Recipe Clara Gonzalez This irresistibly hearty stew scented with cumin and oregano gets a touch of heat from Scotch bonnet chile pepper. Celebrated in Latin American and African cooking, yuca thickens the stew and makes it into a complete meal alongside the vegetables and cod. 22 of 23 Grilled Steak Salad with Corn, Cucumbers & Sweet Onion Dressing View Recipe Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst Grilled onion does double duty in this quick, summery steak salad. Its sweet and smoky flavor is blended into the dressing, and the leftover wedges flavor the salad itself alongside grilled corn and sliced steak. Use a grill basket to grill the onions so they don't fall through the gaps between the grill grates. 23 of 23 Air-Fryer Tilapia View Recipe Jacob Fox This quick and simple air-fryer tilapia recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. The tilapia is moist and flaky and gets brightened up with lemon zest and fresh herbs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit