20 20-Minute Dinner Recipes for Healthy Cholesterol By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 26, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD Annie Nguyen is a Registered Dietitian who manages EatingWell's Pinterest page. Before EatingWell, she worked with other dietitians to write nutrition blog posts, develop recipes and create social media content. Annie went to the University of Oklahoma to complete her B.S. in Health and Exercise Science. She went on to get her M.A. in Dietetics and finish her dietetic internship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Keeping tabs on your cholesterol levels can be super helpful when it comes to maintaining a healthy heart. Luckily, each serving of these delicious recipes contains at least 6 grams of fiber and is low in saturated fat to help you manage your cholesterol levels. Even better, these dinners take no more than 20 minutes to make, so they are perfect for evenings when you need a quick and delicious meal. Try options like our Caramelized Broccolini & White Beans and Easy Chicken Tinga Rice Bowls for a nourishing, flavorful dinner. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 16 Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This vibrant and wholesome soup helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation. The base of the soup is prepped ahead of time and stored in separate containers. Simply add the broth and heat it in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. View Recipe Save 02 of 16 Caramelized Broccolini & White Beans Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Broccolini takes on a smoky char from the cast-iron pan before it's combined with white beans and aromatics in this savory side dish. A vibrant parsley and hazelnut sauce finishes the dish with a bright and nutty flavor. View Recipe Save 03 of 16 Easy Chicken Tinga Rice Bowls Jacob Fox Leftover chicken tinga, high-fiber pinto beans and vibrant bell peppers combine to make a hearty, flavorful rice bowl. Finish the bowl with your favorite toppings, such as avocado and lime wedges. View Recipe Save 04 of 16 Romaine Salad with Orange & Radish Andrea Mathis Inspired by a traditional Moroccan salad, which consists of oranges and radishes, this version adds romaine lettuce and a classic vinaigrette. Fresh orange juice contributes acidity and brightness to the vinaigrette. Pomegranate seeds bring color and crunch. View Recipe Save 05 of 16 3-Ingredient Teriyaki Edamame Sauté Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D. Whip up this high-fiber, plant-based stir-fry for a quick and convenient dinner. All you need is edamame, coleslaw mix and teriyaki sauce. Look for bottled teriyaki sauce labeled less-sodium or reduced-sodium to cut back on the salt without sacrificing flavor. View Recipe Save 06 of 16 Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too. View Recipe Save 07 of 16 Grilled Blackened Shrimp Tacos Give juicy shrimp tacos a Cajun flavor spin by tossing the shrimp with spices and quickly searing them on a hot grill. An easy avocado mash adds creaminess to cool off the spicy kick, and lettuce, cilantro and pico de gallo add freshness. View Recipe Save 08 of 16 Black Bean Fajita Skillet This recipe employs presliced, ready-to-cook fajita vegetables from your grocer's produce section to cut down on dinnertime prep. The vegetables are sautéed with canned black beans and Southwest seasoning for a quick and easy Tex Mex-inspired meal. You can easily take your bowl up a notch by adding some cheese, sour cream or another tasty topping. View Recipe Save 09 of 16 Pantry Peanut Noodles Jacob Fox Choose your own adventure with these noodles! They're delicious with peanut butter and tahini alike. Plus, you can use whatever frozen vegetables you have on hand and finish the dish off with any herbs still thriving in your garden or hanging out in your crisper. View Recipe Save 10 of 16 Strawberry Spinach Salad with Avocado & Walnuts Serve this colorful strawberry spinach salad alongside soup or a half sandwich, or top it with grilled chicken or roasted salmon for a complete and easy healthy meal. View Recipe Save 11 of 16 Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey This nutrient-packed grain bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwaveable quinoa and precooked beets. Prep the bowls ahead for quick dinners on busy nights. View Recipe Save 12 of 16 3-Ingredient Refried Bean & Pico de Gallo Tostadas Sara Haas Making your own tostadas is easy. Use store-bought corn tortillas, brush them with olive oil and bake to crunchy perfection! Here we top the tostadas with refried beans and fresh pico de gallo for an easy 3-ingredient meal. View Recipe Save 13 of 16 Salmon-Stuffed Avocados Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy, omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we use Greek-style yogurt to turn it into a salmon salad that we use to fill avocados. It’s an easy no-cook meal. View Recipe Save 14 of 16 Quick Shrimp Puttanesca Because refrigerated fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, this Italian-inspired pasta dish will be on the table lickety-split! Puttanesca, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, gets shrimp for extra protein and artichoke hearts to boost the vegetable servings (and the fiber!). If you can't find frozen artichoke hearts, sub in drained canned artichoke hearts. View Recipe Save 15 of 16 Penne with Tuna & Sun-Dried Tomatoes Need a quick pasta dish that's flavorful and colorful? This penne pasta dinner-for-two combines leeks, baby spinach, tuna and sun-dried tomatoes—and it's ready in just 20 minutes! View Recipe Save 16 of 16 Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing Ali Redmond Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing makes a fantastic 5-ingredient dinner for one! View Recipe Save Explore more: Cooking Methods Quick & Easy Quick & Easy Dinners 20-Minute Dinner Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit