7 tasty low-carb dinners

Eating low-carb meals doesn’t have to mean sacrificing heartiness or flavor. Here we’ve rounded up delicious, healthy dinner recipes with under 30 grams of carbohydrates per serving. And we still managed to include burger and pizza recipes!

Blue cheese burger with zucchini parmesan wedges

Makes 1 serving | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 16 min

Ingredients

• 4 oz lean ground turkey
• 2 Tbsp blue cheese
• 1 toasted whole grain sandwich thin
• 2 romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 zucchini, cut into 4 wedges
• 4 Tbsp low-sodium Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• Mix ground turkey and blue cheese together. Form into a patty. Cook on a grill or grill pan 4 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Serve on sandwich thin with romaine lettuce. 
• Preheat broiler. Cut zucchini into wedges. Sprinkle Parmesan on wedges and broil on baking sheet 8 minutes, until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender-crisp.

Nutrition

Calories: 451 | total fat: 21 g | saturated fat: 10 g | sodium: 395 mg | cholesterol: 91 mg | total carbohydrates: 29 g | fiber: 7 g | sugars: 5 g | protein: 33 g | potassium: 673 mg

Rosemary grilled orange roughy with Italian mashed potatoes

Makes 4 servings | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 40 min

Ingredients

• 2 lb cubed Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp grated lemon zest
• ¾ tsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 4 orange roughy fillets
• 4 lemon wedges

Preparation

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 20 minutes or until very tender; drain. Cool, uncovered, 5 minutes. Return potatoes to pan, adding olive oil, ¾ tsp salt, and pepper; mash to desired consistency. Keep warm. 
• Combine remaining ¼ tsp salt, lemon zest, and rosemary in a small bowl; grind together with the back of a spoon until very well combined. 
• Preheat grill or grill pan. Brush fillets with remaining olive oil; rub evenly on all sides with salt mixture. Grill 2 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 273 | total fat: 11 g | saturated fat: 1 g | sodium: 70 mg | cholesterol: 20 mg | total carbohydrates: 27 g | fiber: 3 g | sugars: 3 g | protein: 20 g | potassium: 970 mg

Tip: Serve with 1-2 cups of your choice of non-starchy vegetables to help complete a balanced meal.

Thai tofu sandwich

Makes 1 serving | Prep: 8 min | Cook: 5 min

Ingredients

• 4 oz piece of tofu
• ½ tsp sriracha
• ¼ avocado, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup cucumber slices
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
• 1 whole grain roll

Preparation

• In a skillet coated with cooking spray, heat tofu until golden. Brush with sriracha. Place tofu, avocado, cucumber slices, carrots, and cilantro on a whole grain roll and serve.

Nutrition 

Calories: 326 | total fat: 18 g | saturated fat: 3 g | sodium: 24 mg | cholesterol: 0 mg | total carbohydrates: 26 g | fiber: 6 g | sugars: 5 g | protein: 20 g | potassium: 496 mg

Pasta with ricotta & mushrooms

Makes 1 serving | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 1 min

Ingredients

• 2 oz whole wheat noodles
• ¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp chopped basil
• 1 tsp chopped parsley

Preparation

• Cook noodles and drain. In the same pot, add drained noodles, ricotta cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, and parsley. Heat through.

Nutrition

Calories: 173 | total fat: 5 g | saturated fat: 3 g | sodium: 200 mg | cholesterol: 19 mg | total carbohydrates: 22 g | fiber: 3 g | sugars: 3 g | protein: 11 g | potassium: 398 mg

Pesto chicken pizza with sundried tomto & spinach

Makes 1 serving | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 12 min

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp prepared pesto
• 1 whole grain pita, small
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2 oz cooked skinless chicken breast, chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread pesto on pita and top with spinach, chicken, tomatoes, and cheese. Bake 12 minutes until pita is crisp.

Nutrition 

Calories: 312 | total fat: 14 g | saturated fat: 3 g | sodium: 454 mg | cholesterol: 60 mg | total carbohydrates: 21 g | fiber: 4 g | sugars: 2 g | protein: 22 g | potassium: 465 mg

Steak salad with grapes & blue cheese

Makes 1 serving | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients

• 4 oz flank or sirloin steak
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups arugula
• ¼ cup sliced red onion
• ¼ cup chopped grapes
• 2 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese
• 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Preparation

• Grill steak for 4-5 minutes per side (until 145°F) and slice into strips. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Toss vinaigrette with arugula, onion, grapes, blue cheese, and walnuts.

Nutrition 

Calories: 428 | total fat: 23 g | saturated fat: 7 g | sodium: 491 mg | cholesterol: 101 mg | total carbohydrates: 16 g | fiber: 3 g | sugars: 11 g | protein: 34 g | potassium: 784 mg

Tip: Serve with a small whole grain roll or sliced pita to help complete a balanced meal.

Spinach-ricotta frittata with tossed green salad

Makes 1 serving | Prep: 8 min | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1½ cups baby spinach
• 2 eggs plus 2 egg whites, whisked together
• ⅓ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups romaine lettuce
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp low-fat, low-sodium Italian dressing

Preparation

• Spray skillet with cooking spray and sauté spinach for 2 minutes, until wilted. Stir in eggs, ricotta, and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat without stirring for 4 minutes; then flip frittata and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve with lettuce tossed with pine nuts and dressing.

Nutrition 

Calories: 327 | total fat: 17 g | saturated fat: 7 g | sodium: 523 mg | cholesterol: 355 mg | total carbohydrates: 12 g | fiber: 3 g | sugars: 4 g | protein: 30 g | potassium: 985 mg

Tip: Serve with a small whole grain roll or pita slices to complete a balanced meal.