High Protein Summer Dinners: What to Cook (June 6)
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These High Protein Summer Dinners are 30-minute healthy meals filled with summer flavors that are high in protein. Perfect for a week of summer dinners.
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With summer kicking into gear, I’m thinking about foods that are light, healthy, and filled with protein for the energy we need to capture summer at its best.
These recipes are delicious and perfectly suited to June and getting ourselves ready for the season.
Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. In short, it helps build and repair muscle, organs, and bones. It’s also helpful with reducing fat, feeling full, which helps prevent overeating, and retaining muscle.
How Much Protein Do We Need?
“Protein is an essential part of every cell in your body and plays a starring role in muscle, bone, and skin health. Most people eating a 2,000 calorie diet want to aim for a minimum of 50 grams of protein per day, says Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N., plant-forward chef, and author of The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook.”
To calculate how much protein your body needs, she says you can multiply your body weight (in pounds) by 0.36 grams—the result is the number of grams of protein to target. To be more accurate, however, protein needs vary based on age, gender, activity level, and overall health.
9 Reasons to Eat More Protein
Nine science-based reasons to eat more protein in your diet.
- Reduces appetite, helping you eat fewer calories
- Increases muscle mass and strength
- Good for your bones
- Reduces cravings for late-night snacks
- Boosts metabolism and increases fat burning
- Lowers your blood pressure
- Helps maintain weight loss
- Helps your body repair itself after injury
- Aids staying fit as you age
High Protein Summer Dinners
A delicious week of dinners awaits with these summer high-protein dinners.
We kick off Monday with a delicious chopped vegetarian salad packed with summer flavor and high protein.
On Tuesday we’re making a super simple one-skillet taco dinner. Use your ground meat of choice and add lots of healthy, summer condiments.
Wednesday’s dinner is a high protein chicken bowl with tons of green vegetables that’s simple and quick to make.
On Thursday, it’s a pan-seared halibut dinner that is absolutely summer. If halibut is hard to find, substitute cod or tilapia.
On Friday, it’s another salad that’s better than takeout. And the treat this week is healthy and deliciously perfect for weekend snacking.
Have a great week!
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High Protein Summer Dinners: What to Cook (June 6)
- Monday: Chickpea Shawarma Salad
- Tuesday: Easy Taco Skillet
- Wednesday: Green Veggie Bowl with Chicken
- Thursday: Pan-seared Halibut with Creamed Corn
- Friday: Thai Larb Salad
- Treat: Healthy PB Granola Bars
High Protein Summer Dinners: What to Cook (June 6)
These High Protein Summer Dinners are 30-minute healthy meals filled with summer flavors that are high in protein. Perfect for a week of summer dinners.
Monday: Chickpea Shawarma Salad
"All of the flavor of a Middle Eastern-inspired chickpea shawarma sandwich in a salad! Shawarma-spiced chickpeas, fresh salad, and a creamy 4-ingredient Garlic Dill sauce! A flavorful, filling, plant-based meal."
Easy One Pot Skillet Taco
This Skillet Taco is the easiest, most delicious way to serve tacos at your next party. With a few simple, healthy ingredients, it's a go-to game day, Super Bowl, Friday night tradition.
Wednesday: Green Veggie Bowl with Chicken & Lemon-Tahini Dressing
"For this healthy 30-minute dinner, treat your veggies like pasta and cook until al dente, or just done. If you have a little extra time, double or triple the lemon-tahini dressing and use it to quickly dress a salad or as a sauce for steak or shrimp."
Thursday: Pan-Seared Halibut with Creamed Corn and Tomatoes
For this healthy fish recipe, you steep corncobs in milk; the resulting "stock" boosts the intensity of made-from-scratch creamed corn, plus extra starch from the corn contributes to its thick texture. If halibut is hard to find, you can easily substitute cod or tilapia for this summery dinner.
Friday: Thai Larb Salad
"A fresh and flavorful recipe for Thai Larb Salad using your choice of ground chicken, turkey, beef or lamb! Serve this with lettuce wraps or rice, or both!"
Treat: Healthy Peanut Butter Granola Bars with Chocolate Chips
Peanut Butter Granola Bars with Chocolate Chips -- a healthy, energy boosting, chewy and soft homemade granola bar that's so much better than it's store-bought cousin.
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