These skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free are more than healthy — they're delicious!
Do you look forward to dinner all day long? It’s a time to relax, catch up with your family, and indulge in some really good food. But if you’ve begun a clean eating routine, you might be stressing out on what to make. Thankfully, we have you covered with super delicious skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free.
Simple swaps like zucchini instead of noodles, and cauliflower instead of rice, mixed with savory spices and sensational sauces, combine to create melt-in-your-mouth meals that will help you slim down without feeling like you’re depriving yourself of one of the best meals of the day.
Take a look a these delicious options, from simmering enchiladas and cheesy lasagna rolls to crispy chickpea cakes and better-for-you barbecue chicken stuffed in a healthier quesadilla and prepare to be inspired to try new things in the kitchen while looking forward to dinner in a whole new way.
1. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
A lot of Mexican food staples might not ring a bell when you’re think of skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free, but you’d be surprised how many classics can be revamped to fit your cravings for something spicy and saucy.
This slow cooker chicken enchiladas recipe is low-calorie, rich in protein thanks to the lean chicken, and features metabolism-boosting chili powder for a mere 249 calories per serving. Now what’s not skinny about that?!
2.Skinny Lasagna Rolls
Italian classics like lasagna are typically on the “no list” when it comes to low-calorie, healthy dinner options, but these perfectly portioned skinny lasagna rolls will allow you to indulge in all the goodness of lasagna without the guilt.
Featuring baby spinach, ricotta cheese, and savory sauce, this decadent dish is a must for when you want to slim down without sacrificing your need for yummy foods.
3.Honey Dijon Salmon with a Hint of Lemon
Salmon is the perfect fish to add to your skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free because it has a natural richness that elevates any meal. When combined with honey dijon and the zest from lemon, things just get even more scrumptious.
This is a low-calorie dinner that only has 245 calories per serving, while also featuring a whopping 29 grams of protein per serving, so you can bet you’ll fill up the right way.
4. Skinny Artichoke Spinach Penne Casserole
Get your penne fix in with this Italian dish. Casseroles are a busy person’s dream come true, because they make a big portion that can be enjoyed all week long, so you don’t have to worry about cooking away in the kitchen when you have a million things to do.
This recipe includes spinach and artichoke in place of the typical meat sauce for an elevated dish that’s absolutely delicious.
5. Crispy Chickpea Cakes with Cabbage Salad
Typical crab cakes sure are yummy, but they’re also pretty fatty and carby, which is not what the doctor ordered in terms of skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free.
Chickpeas are packed with protein, and are a great replacement for high-carb dishes. You’ll have a plant-based meal that’s completely satisfying.
6.Clean Eating Taco Salad
Rolling up saucy, spicy and meaty ingredients into tortillas may sound like a dream come true, but your waistline sure doesn’t think so. Rather than give up on your weight loss goals, reinvent your taco fix with this clean eating taco salad recipe.
The salad features all the goodness in a typical taco, like lean turkey, fresh tomatoes, thick guacamole, salsa, and delicious cheese, while keeping the carb count low for a totally satisfying meal that is guilt-free.
7. Zucchini Noodle Carbonara
Noodles and skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free may not go hand in hand. When noodles are swapped for zoodles, however, everything changes!
This zucchini noodle carbonara recipe is perfect for a low-carb diet. The nutrient-dense alternative to spaghetti and fettuccine is low in calories. Plus, it combines swimmingly with ham and creamy parmesan sauce for a whole lot of guilt-free goodness.
8.Crockpot Cauliflower Fried Rice
Can you believe this crockpot fried rice has a mere 172 calories per serving? It’s a must for your skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free.
The fried rice is made healthy by using cauliflower instead of rice. To start, simply pulse the veggie in the food processor until it resembles rice. Next, simmer in a garlic-ginger sauce, and finally, toss with frozen veggies, green onion and cilantro.
Is your mouth watering yet?!
9.Barbeque Chicken and Avocado Quesadillas| 271 calories per serving
Typical barbecue chicken is high in calories, and when combined with overly cheesy quesadillas cooked in unhealthy oil, it’s a recipe for calorie disaster. Add this healthier version to your skinny dinner recipes that are guilt-free, as it contains just 271 calories per serving.
With only five ingredients, you won’t believe how elevated and tantalizing it tastes.
10.Asian Stuffed Bell Peppers
Anything “stuffed” might seem like it’s going to be packed with calories and fat, but when you do it the right way, you can have your stuffed recipe and eat it too.
These bell peppers are stuffed with cabbage, ground pork, and delicious Asian-inspired flavor for a healthy recipe that’s only 162 calories per serving.
Eating well doesn’t have to be difficult. While you might feel like your clean eating routine doesn’t have room for delicious dinners, that’s simply not true!
These recipes are chock-full of seemingly guilty tastes, but they just prove that comforting, rich foods can be made guilt-free when the right ingredients are utilized. Want Italian tonight? Do it! Craving Mexican? Go for it! Feel like a big bowl of fried rice? It’s all yours!
Have your favorite foods the skinny way, the guilt-free way, and the clean way without keeping yourself from all the yummy flavors of the classics you know and love. Bon appetite everybody!
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