18 High-Protein Winter Dinners That Help Reduce Inflammation 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 January 6, 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 Make one of these recipes for a dinner that’s both comforting and satisfying. Each serving offers at least 15 grams of protein, from foods like chicken, salmon and tofu, to help you stay full for longer. Plus, in addition to seasonal vegetables like broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes, these ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties that may help fight symptoms of chronic inflammation like digestive issues, joint pain and mental fog. Recipes like our Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes are flavorful meals that can help you feel your best. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 18 Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup Got leftover cooked chicken or turkey? Cook up a pot of soup! This low-sodium soup recipe is a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread. View Recipe Save 02 of 18 Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes Fire-roasted tomatoes add slightly smoky flavor to red lentils. The addition of mashed potatoes gives this an upside-down shepherd's pie feel. View Recipe Save 03 of 18 Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes. View Recipe Save 04 of 18 Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes Tons of spice, corn and bell pepper give this healthy one-pot chicken chili recipe Southwestern flair. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, tortilla chips and a cold beer. View Recipe Save 05 of 18 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli Photography: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Greg Luna Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice. View Recipe Save 06 of 18 Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce The creamy mushroom linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it's quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe but it feels fancy enough for entertaining. View Recipe Save 07 of 18 Roast Chicken & Sweet Potato Healthy chicken and sweet potato recipes are always a delicious and reliable choice for dinner. This low-calorie sheet-pan meal combines chicken thighs and sweet potatoes and cooks up fast in a very hot oven. Serve with a fall salad of mixed greens, sliced apples and blue cheese. View Recipe Save 08 of 18 Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This crock pot chicken and dumplings recipe uses store-bought biscuits for dumplings that are moist and tender once stirred into the savory mixture of creamy mushrooms, chicken and veggies. Using 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup cuts down on prep time. To give the chicken stew body, we use a flour and butter paste known as a beurre manié—a classic thickening agent for soups, stews and sauces. View Recipe Save 09 of 18 Lamb & Beef Balti Balti, a stew created by Pakistani chefs in Birmingham, England, is named after the metal pot it's cooked in. We found a large skillet works too. Topping with a dollop of yogurt adds a hint of creaminess. Serve with a side of sautéed spinach for a satisfying dinner. View Recipe Save 10 of 18 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 texture to the soup, but chopped fresh onions and cooked brown rice (not frozen) can be used in their place. View Recipe Save 11 of 18 Salmon with Lemon-Herb Orzo & Broccoli Jacob Fox This healthy salmon dish is as balanced as it is delicious. You add broccoli right into the pot along with the pasta during its last minute of cooking to save time here. One less thing to wash too! View Recipe Save 12 of 18 5-Ingredient Roasted Lemon Chicken & Vegetables Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco This lemony baked chicken thigh recipe has only 5 ingredients and comes with a side of veggies that roast alongside the chicken for a complete weeknight dinner. Bone-in skinless chicken breast cut in half can be used instead of the thighs, if you prefer. View Recipe Save 13 of 18 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. You can swap out the mushrooms and kale for other cold-weather favorites like Brussels sprouts, cabbage or even broccoli. View Recipe Save 14 of 18 Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat Crumbled tofu spiced up with Cajun seasoning is layered onto these tostadas with a juicy mango slaw. A dollop of sour cream zhuzhed up with beet and lime adds even more flavor. Look for precooked beets in the produce department of your grocery store. View Recipe Save 15 of 18 Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Casserole Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley This delightfully creamy broccoli and chicken casserole is a satisfying dinner that is sure to please a crowd. To keep prep simple, look for bags of pre-cut broccoli florets. If you like a little spice, swap out the Monterey Jack cheese for pepper Jack instead. View Recipe Save 16 of 18 30-Minute Mini Meatloaves with Whipped Cauliflower & Green Beans 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. View Recipe Save 17 of 18 Vegetarian Udon Noodle Soup This Japanese-style udon soup recipe uses several Asian ingredients that are available at most grocery stores, including udon noodles, mirin (cooking wine), miso, and sesame oil. All will keep for months in the pantry or fridge. View Recipe Save 18 of 18 Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Broccoli This sweet and savory baked honey-garlic chicken thigh recipe comes with a side of veggies that cook on the same sheet pan as the chicken for the perfect weeknight dinner. 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