20 Best High-Protein, High-Fiber Dinners in 3 Steps 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 5, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior 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 Close Credit: Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell Dinner can be as easy as 1-2-3, with these simple recipes! These four- and five-star dishes are made with only three easy steps for a straightforward meal that’s packed with flavor. They also have at least 15 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber in every serving, both essential nutrients that help energize and fuel your body. You’ll want to try highly rated options like our Baked Feta & Tomato Chickpeas or our Vegan Quinoa Chili for a satisfying and nourishing dinner perfect for any night of the week. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 20 Baked Feta & Tomato Chickpeas Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell This simple baked feta casserole recipe turns cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and chickpeas into a hearty, protein-rich vegetarian meal. After baking, it creates a savory-sweet tomato–olive oil sauce ideal for slathering on pita bread. Feta cheese in brine melts more readily compared to dry, crumbled feta, so it’s worth seeking out. For a different take, replace the chickpeas with creamy white beans. View Recipe Save 02 of 20 Vegan Quinoa Chili Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Christine Kelly, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin This light but filling vegan quinoa chili is packed with fresh veggies, with quinoa and black beans adding protein and fiber. Complete this easy one-pot dinner with vegan cheese, dairy-free yogurt or your favorite chili toppings. View Recipe Save 03 of 20 Harira (Moroccan Tomato, Lentil & Beef Soup) Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco Harira is a tomato-based soup featured at the center of many Moroccan tables during the month of Ramadan. It’s often enjoyed as part of iftar, or the meal served to break the fast each evening, along with dates, milk, hard-boiled eggs, semolina pancakes and chebakia (sesame cookies). This version features chickpeas, lentils, beef and noodles in a fragrant tomato broth, but there are endless variations on the soup. View Recipe Save 04 of 20 The Best Veggie Enchiladas Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek These veggie enchiladas are packed with sweet corn, onion, peppers, zucchini and beans and are coated with store-bought enchilada sauce to save time on prep. Enchilada sauce ranges from mild to hot. We like the earthy flavor of red enchilada sauce, but green enchilada sauce works well too. View Recipe Save 05 of 20 Slow-Cooker Marry Me Chicken with Barley Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell Fall in love with this easy version of Marry Me Chicken—a dish with chicken and julienned sun-dried tomatoes swimming in a creamy sauce. Our version adds cherry tomatoes and zucchini for an added boost of veggies, plus barley, which soaks up the sauce and makes this dish a complete meal all in one pot. View Recipe Save 06 of 20 One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless This one-pot pasta dish with white beans, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes is lively and vibrant and leaves you with an easy cleanup. Toasting the orzo before adding the broth adds another layer of flavor. View Recipe Save 07 of 20 Slow-Cooker Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This comforting soup is loaded with broccoli and chicken in a creamy, cheesy base and finished off with the classic toppings of bacon and scallions. Frozen onions and rice keep their integrity and add texture to the soup, but chopped fresh onions and cooked brown rice (not frozen) can be used in their place. View Recipe Save 08 of 20 High-Protein Tex-Mex Chicken Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Make this grab-and-go Tex-Mex–inspired soup when you have leftover chicken, or use rotisserie chicken for this easy meal-prep soup. The frozen pepper-onion mix adds flavor and saves time in the kitchen, while the black beans add fiber and protein. View Recipe Save 09 of 20 Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Look for pre-sliced pepper-and-onion mix in the produce section of the supermarket. It helps save prep time in this quick five-ingredient dinner. This easy dinner calls for hot cooked brown rice, which is perfect if you have leftovers. If not, look for microwaveable brown rice or frozen brown rice to keep prep minimal. View Recipe Save 10 of 20 Caprese Pasta Salad Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite. View Recipe Save 11 of 20 Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl A creamy pesto sauce with sweet shallots and wilted spinach gives a light and bright spin to classic tuna noodle casserole. Albacore tuna is an ideal choice, as it holds its texture well once mixed in, although any water-packed tuna will do the job. View Recipe Save 12 of 20 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. View Recipe Save 13 of 20 Creamy Salmon Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Victor Protasio In this creamy salmon pasta recipe, sun-dried tomatoes are used in two ways. The flavorful oil is used to sauté shallots, while the tomatoes get added to the cream sauce. View Recipe Save 14 of 20 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. View Recipe Save 15 of 20 Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili Mac Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell Chili meets mac and cheese in this fix-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker dinner. Hot tomato sauce, a Mexican canned tomato sauce that also includes spices and chiles for heat, kicks up the flavor. View Recipe Save 16 of 20 Chicken Chorba Greg DuPree "Chorba" comes from the Arabic word for drink, referring to this soup's thin broth. It's popular across North Africa and is prepared in numerous ways—with fish, meat or just veggies. This no-frills recipe was passed down to London-based chef Nargisse Benkabbou from her maternal grandmother. View Recipe Save 17 of 20 Creamy One-Pot Penne Primavera with Shrimp 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. View Recipe Save 18 of 20 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. View Recipe Save 19 of 20 Chopped Salad with Chicken & Creamy Chipotle Dressing Photography / Jennifer Causey, Styling / Melissa Gray / Kay Clarke This chopped salad with chicken is smoky and zesty thanks to the creamy chipotle dressing. Cilantro adds a pop of freshness to each bite. View Recipe Save 20 of 20 Red Lentil Soup with Saffron Jacob Fox This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice. View Recipe Save Medically reviewed by Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior 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 Explore more: Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused High-Protein Was this page helpful? 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