23 Easy High-Fiber Dinners for Better Blood Sugar 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 Updated on January 13, 2025 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: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Whether you love a bowl of creamy, comforting chicken chili or prefer a plate of seared tuna, this mix of dinners has something for you! Each of these simple meals requires less than 30 minutes of active prep time, so you can enjoy a delicious, high-fiber meal without spending all day in the kitchen. Plus, they focus on complex carbs, like whole grains, and are lower in saturated fat and sodium, making them perfect for a diabetes-friendly eating pattern. Recipes like our Winter Chicken Parmesan or our Caramelized Broccolini & White Beans are great options for a nourishing meal to end your day. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 23 Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe 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. Serve it with a salad or piece of whole-wheat bread to make it a meal. View Recipe Save 02 of 23 Winter Chicken Parmesan Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Warm up to this chicken Parmesan with a winter twist featuring butternut squash! Each cutlet is slathered in butternut squash pasta sauce with the traditional ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese melted on top. If you can’t find butternut squash pasta sauce, marinara is an easy swap. For an extra serving of veggies, the chicken is topped with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms and kale. View Recipe Save 03 of 23 Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili Jason Donnelly If you like Buffalo wings, you’ll love the flavors in this warm, hearty chili that comes together easily in the slow cooker. Sour cream helps cut the heat, but you could also use plain strained yogurt. View Recipe Save 04 of 23 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 05 of 23 Salmon Rice Bowl Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco View Recipe Save 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. 06 of 23 Sheet-Pan Shrimp Fajitas Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell Fajitas are an excellent weeknight meal. These come together fast, using quick-cooking shrimp and veggies on one sheet pan. View Recipe Save 07 of 23 Vegan Lentil Stew Fred Hardy This comforting vegan lentil stew is incredibly satisfying, thanks to hearty lentils and sweet potato. The leeks provide a savory allium note while the tomato paste, miso and cumin add bold flavor. View Recipe Save 08 of 23 Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower You can find farro in most grocery stores, near the rice. If you can’t find farro, you can use wheat berries or brown rice instead; cook according to package directions. View Recipe 09 of 23 Sheet-Pan Poblano-&-Corn Chicken Fajitas Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Christine Kelly, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin These sheet-pan poblano-and-corn chicken fajitas are seasoned with mild ancho chile powder, paprika and cumin. The chicken and vegetables cook on a sheet pan under the broiler so you can forget working over a hot stove or grill to get dinner on the table fast. Plus, with only one pan, cleanup is a breeze! View Recipe Save 10 of 23 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. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights. View Recipe Save 11 of 23 Chhole (Chickpea Curry) Andrew Scrivani This healthy Indian recipe is a flavorful chickpea curry that you can make in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, this dish is a comforting and delicious dinner. View Recipe Save 12 of 23 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 13 of 23 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 14 of 23 Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls These 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. View Recipe Save 15 of 23 Slow-Cooker Bean & Barley Soup Get dinner on the table on a busy day with ease with this load-and-go crock pot recipe. This zesty soup can simmer in the slow cooker for an entire workday, making it perfect for a busy weekday meal. Bump up the Southwest flavors with a garnished of chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired. View Recipe Save 16 of 23 Lemon-Herb Salmon with Caponata & Farro Dig into your farmers’ market haul to cook this colorful and healthy Mediterranean diet dinner recipe that’s packed with vegetables. Feel free to swap in any vegetables or cook up another whole grain, such as brown rice. View Recipe Save 17 of 23 Chicken Chili Verde Prepared salsa verde adds tang to this fast weeknight chili recipe and pairs beautifully with the rich caramelized chicken and creamy beans. Don’t shy away from the poblano peppers. They offer a mild heat but deliver a depth of flavor you can’t find in regular green bell peppers. View Recipe Save 18 of 23 Salmon Power Bowl Crystal Hughes Crush your day with this salmon power bowl! Here, you’ll get protein and a healthy dose of omega-3s from salmon, antioxidants from shredded cabbage, and plenty of fiber from farro. Cumin and coriander flavor the salmon, while a fresh herb dressing coats the veggies. View Recipe Save 19 of 23 Kale & Avocado Salad with Blueberries & Edamame Bursting with nutrient-rich produce, this California-inspired salad is a delicious and satisfying way to get your vitamins. We love the unique combination of blueberries, edamame and goat cheese. View Recipe Save 20 of 23 Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang. View Recipe Save 21 of 23 Seared Tuna with Bulgur & Chickpea Salad This healthy tuna recipe combines fresh fish, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh herbs and chickpeas. Cooking for two? Flake the two leftover tuna steaks and mix them into the remaining bulgur salad, then serve over lettuce for lunch the next day. View Recipe Save 22 of 23 Salmon-Stuffed Avocados Canned salmon is a valuable pantry staple and a practical way to include heart-healthy omega-3-rich fish in your diet. Here, we combine it with avocados in an easy no-cook meal. View Recipe Save 23 of 23 Winter Kale & Quinoa Salad with Avocado Precooked quinoa helps keep this healthy salad recipe quick and simple. Loaded with black beans, kale and avocado, this recipe is as filling as it is nutritious. You can also make the sweet potatoes and dressing ahead. View Recipe Save Explore more: Health Conditions Diabetes-Friendly Diabetes-Friendly Dinner Quick Diabetes-Friendly Dinner Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit