Over time, chronic inflammation takes a toll on your cells and can even make them insulin-resistant, which can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. These recipes highlight anti-inflammatory ingredients, like cruciferous veggies, whole grains, beans and lentils, that can help you keep inflammation at bay. Plus, each recipe focuses on complex carbs and heart-healthy levels of saturated fat and sodium, so you know these recipes will fit in a diabetes-appropriate eating pattern. Recipes like our Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette and Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce are delicious meals that are sure to give you a healthful boost.
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Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette
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Our favorite part of these vegetarian grain bowls is the tangy lemon vinaigrette, which ties together a satisfying combo of quinoa, toasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted chickpeas and kale. Whip them up for easy meal-prep lunches or a healthy and satisfying dinner.
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Creamy Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms One-Pot Pasta
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You'll only have to dirty one pot in this easy pasta recipe that cooks chicken and vegetables right along with the noodles. Plus, by using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta, the starch that usually gets drained off with your pasta water stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.
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Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
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A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty for this healthy dinner recipe—the flavorful oil they're packed in is used to sauté the shallots and the actual tomatoes help to add delicious flavor to the creamy sauce. Served with perfectly cooked salmon, you really can't go wrong with this easy 20-minute weeknight meal. This recipe is a variation on our insanely popular Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce recipe by Carolyn Malcoun.
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Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
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These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).
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Chickpea & Potato Curry
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This fast Indian-style curry comes together with ingredients you most likely have on hand, like frozen peas and canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Plus, using these spices shows how simple it is to make a curry sauce for an easy vegetarian recipe. Serve with whole-wheat naan to sop it all up.
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Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale
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This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup.
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Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
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This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl recipe is even better than takeout and just as fast. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthy dinner.
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Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew
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This satisfying stew comes together in a snap. Mashed chickpeas add body to the broth, and tomato paste adds a savory note without piling on the sodium. To simplify the prep, look for chopped fresh onion and shredded carrot or a soup starter mix in the produce section.
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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
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In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
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Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Salmon with Potatoes & Peppers
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Busy weeknights beg for something simple like this salmon sheet-pan dinner. Like the name suggests, it's all cooked on one pan. The potatoes get a head start, followed by sweet bell peppers and finally chili-coated salmon fillets. It's a complete meal with easy cleanup!
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Four-Bean & Pumpkin Chili
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This healthy vegetarian chili has a fragrant touch of cinnamon for added flavor. Let diners top it with whatever suits their taste.
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Ginger-Tahini Oven-Baked Salmon & Vegetables
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The tahini sauce does double duty in this healthy salmon recipe, serving as a glaze for the fish and also as a drizzle for the entire dish at the end of cooking. The green beans are cooked just slightly in this recipe, to still be crisp. If you like your green beans tenderer, look for thinner beans or haricot verts in the grocery store; they'll cook more quickly. This sheet-pan dinner recipe is not only delicious--it also comes together with just 25 minutes of active prep time, and there's only one pan to clean up afterwards!
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No-Cook Black Bean Salad
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A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
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Vegan White Bean Chili
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Fresh Anaheim (or poblano) chiles add mild heat to this classic white bean chili and contribute lots of smoky flavor. Quinoa adds body to the chili, while diced zucchini provides pretty flecks of green and increases the veggie content.
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Baked Halibut with Brussels Sprouts & Quinoa
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Fish plus two sides? It seems fancy but this healthy dinner comes together in just 30 minutes.
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Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls
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Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full through the afternoon. The easy roasted veggies are based on a popular recipe from our sister magazine (see Associated Recipes). Feel free to use your favorite store-bought hummus to cut down on prep time, or make a batch of your own (see Tip). You can also sub in an 8-ounce microwaveable quinoa pouch to minimize cooking.
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Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens
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Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.
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Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing
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Curly kale forms the base of this salad, but you could use chard or spinach. To the greens, add a multitude of chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Finish with rich salmon for protein and a drizzle of creamy yogurt dressing to bring it all together.
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Hearty Tomato Soup with Beans & Greens
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Garlicky kale and creamy white beans elevate simple canned tomato soup into a 10-minute lunch or dinner that really satisfies. Use a soup with tomato pieces for a heartier texture. Look for a brand that's low- or reduced-sodium, with no more than 450 mg sodium per serving.
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Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice"
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Get an extra serving of vegetables and cut back on carbs by replacing rice with riced cauliflower in this healthy chicken fried rice recipe.
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Chilean Lentil Stew with Salsa Verde
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This healthy vegetarian recipe is hearty and satisfying. Don't skip the parsley relish (salsa verde)--it's easy to make and lends a tangy accent that balances the flavors of the lentil stew. We prefer French green lentils for this stew, as they don't fall apart while cooking; however, regular brown lentils (found in most supermarkets) will also work.
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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
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Shrimp cooks quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve over whole grains or rice.
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Spiced Grilled Chicken with Cauliflower "Rice" Tabbouleh
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Chicken breasts on the grill have a smoky flavor that's enhanced with an easy spice rub. We chose flat-leaf parsley in this salad because it has a stronger herbal taste than its sometimes-bitter curly counterpart.
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Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan
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This one-pan pasta that combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal is garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta" and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love.
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Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew
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This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.
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Veggie & Hummus Sandwich
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This mile-high vegetable and hummus sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables depending on your mood.
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Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
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The vibrant combo of cheese, cilantro, chili, and lime--inspired by Mexican street corn--makes this salmon sheet-pan dinner burst with flavor.
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Maple-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Wedges and Brussels Sprouts
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This easy sheet-pan recipe brings together many fall favorites into a hearty dinner.
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Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls
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These shrimp, pesto and 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.
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Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts
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Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous.
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Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls
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Skip the tortillas in favor of this warm fajita salad, which features a nutritious medley of chicken with roasted kale, bell peppers and black beans. The chicken, beans and vegetables are all cooked on the same pan, so this healthy dinner is easy to make and the cleanup is easy too.
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Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens
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In this healthy salmon dinner, you'll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen's current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.
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Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes
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This sheet-pan dinner combines chicken thighs and sweet potatoes for a healthy dinner that cooks up fast in a very hot oven. Serve with a fall salad of mixed greens, sliced apples and blue cheese.
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Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto
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This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients--boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
