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Photo: Greg DuPree

Just because you’re going meatless doesn’t mean you can’t load up on protein—a key nutrient thatsupports digestion, muscle strength and evenweight loss. These dinners include at least 15 grams of protein per serving for a hearty dish that’s still low in calories. Whether you’re in the mood for a salad, soup, sandwich or pasta, there’s a delicious meal for you in this mix. Lean on recipes like our Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna and Black Bean Fajita Skillet for a tasty, healthy way to end the day.
01of 19Spinach & Mushroom QuicheView RecipeThis healthy vegetarian quiche recipe is as simple as it gets. It’s a quiche without the fussy crust! It’s filled with sweet wild mushrooms and savory Gruyère cheese. Enjoy it for breakfast or brunch, or serve it with a light salad for lunch.
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Spinach & Mushroom Quiche
View Recipe

This healthy vegetarian quiche recipe is as simple as it gets. It’s a quiche without the fussy crust! It’s filled with sweet wild mushrooms and savory Gruyère cheese. Enjoy it for breakfast or brunch, or serve it with a light salad for lunch.
02of 19Red Lentil Soup with SaffronView RecipeJacob FoxThis hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice.
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Red Lentil Soup with Saffron
Jacob Fox

This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice.
03of 19Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini LasagnaView RecipeGreg DuPreeThanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour.
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Cheesy Spinach-Zucchini Lasagna
Greg DuPree
Thanks to jarred marinara sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles, this labor-of-love kind of meal can be ready in about an hour.
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Black Bean Fajita Skillet

05of 19Cheesy Zucchini QuicheView RecipeThis cheesy crustless zucchini quiche has plenty of leeks and zucchini enveloped in a light custard. Feta and fontina cheeses add a rich depth of flavor. Serve it for brunch or anytime you have extra zucchini on hand.
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Cheesy Zucchini Quiche

This cheesy crustless zucchini quiche has plenty of leeks and zucchini enveloped in a light custard. Feta and fontina cheeses add a rich depth of flavor. Serve it for brunch or anytime you have extra zucchini on hand.
06of 19Egg Salad Lettuce WrapsView RecipeWe love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad.
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Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad.
07of 19Crispy Pea Fritter SaladView RecipeJason DonnellyWe mashed together peas, fresh mint and lemon zest with breadcrumbs to make small pan-fried cakes perfect for topping a salad.
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Crispy Pea Fritter Salad
Jason Donnelly

We mashed together peas, fresh mint and lemon zest with breadcrumbs to make small pan-fried cakes perfect for topping a salad.
08of 19Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & RicottaView RecipePhotographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey BulatServe this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
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Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta
Photographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey Bulat

Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
09of 19Caprese SandwichView RecipePhotographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine KeelyThis caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead.
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Caprese Sandwich
Photographer / Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist / Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist / Christine Keely

This caprese sandwich is fresh from the basil and hearty from thick, crusty ciabatta. The sun-dried tomatoes deepen the flavor. Topping the bread with a layer of basil leaves and using toasted bread helps to keep the sandwich from getting soggy if you need to make it a few hours ahead.
10of 19Cheesy Marinara BeansView RecipePhotography / Nico Schinco, Food Styling / Frances Boswell, Prop Stylist / Paige HicksThis ooey-gooey dish has baked-pasta vibes but features protein-packed beans instead of noodles. Look for dried corona beans, a larger, creamy white bean, at natural-foods stores or online. Cannellini are a good substitute. Serve with a green salad and toasted baguette.
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Cheesy Marinara Beans
Photography / Nico Schinco, Food Styling / Frances Boswell, Prop Stylist / Paige Hicks

This ooey-gooey dish has baked-pasta vibes but features protein-packed beans instead of noodles. Look for dried corona beans, a larger, creamy white bean, at natural-foods stores or online. Cannellini are a good substitute. Serve with a green salad and toasted baguette.
11of 19Spinach & Artichoke Dip PastaView RecipeIf you’ve ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here’s what’s almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
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Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

If you’ve ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here’s what’s almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
12of 19Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with KaleView RecipeYou can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don’t forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.
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Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale

You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don’t forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.
13of 19Cilantro Bean Burgers with Creamy Avocado-Lime SlawView RecipeLighten up your burger! Bean patties have less saturated fat and more fiber than beef patties. They’re also cheaper and easier to cook indoors–and we promise they’re just as satisfying, especially with the mouthwatering creamy slaw on top.
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Cilantro Bean Burgers with Creamy Avocado-Lime Slaw

Lighten up your burger! Bean patties have less saturated fat and more fiber than beef patties. They’re also cheaper and easier to cook indoors–and we promise they’re just as satisfying, especially with the mouthwatering creamy slaw on top.
14of 19Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet CremaView RecipePhotographer / Jacob Fox, Food styling / Sue Mitchell, Food Styling / Kelsey BulatCrumbled 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.
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Cajun-Spiced Tofu Tostadas with Beet Crema

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.
15of 19Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus DressingView RecipeThis hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.
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Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.
16of 19Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini DressingView RecipeDeep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe–canned chickpeas add too much moisture.
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Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe–canned chickpeas add too much moisture.
17of 19One-Pot Lentils & Rice with SpinachView RecipeThis hearty vegan dish gets its earthy flavor from cumin and brown rice. If you can handle extra heat, try doubling the crushed red pepper for a bigger punch of flavor.
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One-Pot Lentils & Rice with Spinach

This hearty vegan dish gets its earthy flavor from cumin and brown rice. If you can handle extra heat, try doubling the crushed red pepper for a bigger punch of flavor.
18of 19Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato SoupView RecipeLeslie Grow |Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato SoupMaya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. “Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal,” she says. This recipe was part of a feature story, “The Real Cost of Healthy Food.”
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Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Leslie Grow |Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. “Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal,” she says. This recipe was part of a feature story, “The Real Cost of Healthy Food.”
19of 19Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & KaleView RecipeGreg DuPreeLoading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.
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Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale

Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.
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