17 Easy 20-Minute Dinners For When You've Eaten Too Much Sugar

17 Easy 20-Minute Dinners For When You've Eaten Too Much Sugar

a recipe photo of the Baked Feta & Tomato Spaghetti Squash — PHOTO:
PHOTOGRAPHER: ROBBY LOZANO, FOOD STYLIST: JULIA LEVY, PROP STYLIST: JOSH HOGGLE

Did eating too much added sugar make you feel fatigued, foggy and even hungrier? A healthy eating pattern should make room for your favorite treats, but overdoing it can leave us not feeling our best. Get back on track with these easy and delicious dinner recipes that require 20 minutes of active cooking time or less. Each meal has less than 3 grams of added sugar per serving to help with balancing blood sugar levels and combatting symptoms of chronic inflammation like joint pain, muscle aches and digestive issues. Recipes like our Baked Feta & Tomato Spaghetti Squash and Coconut Stew with Spinach & Beans are flavorful and nutritious options for a quick evening meal.

01of 17

Spinach, Lima Bean & Crispy Pancetta Pasta

We opt for fresh spinach pasta here--it cooks quickly and adds a pop of color. Cooking lima beans in pancetta drippings infuses them with flavor.

02of 17

Baked Feta & Tomato Spaghetti Squash

a recipe photo of the Baked Feta & Tomato Spaghetti Squash — PHOTOGRAPHER: ROBBY LOZANO, FOOD STYLIST: JULIA LEVY, PROP STYLIST: JOSH HOGGLE

Inspired by the baked tomato and feta pasta trend, this easy baked spaghetti squash recipe is a showstopper on any table. Baking the feta and tomatoes in the squash half results in a lovely sauce when everything is mixed together. The balsamic glaze adds a nice bit of sweetness while playing up the acidity of the tomatoes. Dried oregano works as a substitute for fresh, but reduce the quantity by half. Serve alongside a side salad and crusty bread.

03of 17

Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup)

Bowl of Easy Italian Wedding Soup on a gray cloth background

Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this Italian Wedding Soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.

04of 17

Roast Chicken & Sweet Potato

Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

Healthy chicken and sweet potato recipes are always a delicious and reliable choice for dinner. This low-calorie sheet-pan meal combines chicken thighs and sweet potatoes and cooks up fast in a very hot oven. Serve with a fall salad of mixed greens, sliced apples and blue cheese.

05of 17

15-Minute Spicy Ramen Is Faster Than Takeout

a recipe photo of the 15-Minute Spicy Ramen — PHOTOGRAPHER: FRED HARDY, FOOD STYLIST: JENNIFER WENDORF, PROP STYLIST: SHELL ROYSTER

This spicy ramen will be on your table faster than the time it takes to get food delivered. We ditch the spice packet that comes with the soup mix in favor of our own savory broth that strikes the perfect balance between salty and sweet while keeping sodium in check. Crushed red pepper brings on the heat. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make this quick spicy ramen vegetarian. If you have a little extra time, top it with cooked chicken, pork or tofu and a soft-boiled egg for a boost of protein.

06of 17

Sheet-Pan Baked Feta with Bell Peppers & Chickpeas Is an Easy Dinner to Make Tonight

a recipe photo of the Sheet-Pan Baked Feta, Bell Peppers, Red Onion, Cherry Tomatoes & Chickpeas — PHOTOGRAPHER: BRIE GOLDMAN, FOOD STYLIST: ADDELYN EVANS, PROP STYLIST: GABRIEL GRECO

This vegetarian sheet-pan dinner features briny feta cheese, chickpeas and vegetables all roasted on a single baking sheet for easy cleanup. The feta cheese softens but holds its shape in the oven. Aleppo pepper is mild and sweet. If you don’t have Aleppo pepper on hand, sweet paprika can be used in its place.

07of 17

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Casserole

a recipe photo of the Weeknight Lemon-Garlic Chicken Casserole — PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN HUNT GLAZE, PROP STYLIST: SHELL ROYSTER, FOOD STYLIST JENNIFER WENDORF

This chicken and rice casserole packs in the protein plus offers plenty of fiber from brown rice and broccoli for a well-rounded meal in one pot. Chicken thighs are meaty and tender, but feel free to swap them out for chicken breast if you prefer.

08of 17

Chicken Piccata Casserole

a recipe photo of the Chicken Piccata Casserole — PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN HUNT GLAZE, PROP STYLIST: SHELL ROYSTER, FOOD STYLIST JENNIFER WENDORF

This protein-packed chicken piccata casserole brings all the flavors of classic chicken piccata together in one dish. It’s the easiest piccata you’ll ever make—no dredging or sauce required! Cooking the lemon slices in butter mellows their bite and helps jump-start the lemony flavor of the dish while helping the butter get a little brown, bringing some nuttiness to the dish.

09of 17

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp

Yogurt makes a fine substitute for cream in the sauce for this easy pasta recipe. Just warm the yogurt (do not boil) and add some pasta-cooking water to thin it out. Lemon and fresh basil brighten up the whole-wheat pasta and complement the shrimp in this quick dinner recipe.

10of 17

Old Bay Salmon with Lemony Mashed Peas

salmon on a plate with lemon wedges

Cooking butter until it browns adds a toasty, nutty flavor to this easy skillet salmon recipe. Here it gives Old Bay-rubbed salmon a chef-worthy finish—not bad for 20 minutes!

11of 17

Crispy Gnocchi with Tomatoes & Leeks

These gnocchi are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside because you sauté them in hot oil. Plus, they leave a little fond (crispy brown bits) in the pan that adds toasty flavor to the tomato and leek sauce, which is cooked in the same pan. Since this easy gnocchi recipe calls for store-bought shelf-stable gnocchi, it's quick to prepare--just 20 minutes, start to finish. Opt for whole-wheat gnocchi to get 2 extra grams of fiber per serving compared to white. This easy and healthy dinner is easy to customize too: see Tips for variations with shrimp, pesto instead of butter, and pork chops instead of gnocchi.

12of 17

Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce

This crispy cod recipe shows you how to make golden fish that's not deep-fried, to put a healthy twist on a classic. Pat it dry and dredge it with a bit of flour before sautéing in a hot pan.

13of 17

Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs with No-Cook Tomato Sauce

This crowd-pleasing and easy dinner recipe takes just 20 minutes to make, start to finish, so it's perfect for weeknights! When tomatoes are at their in-season best, just a quick chop and a few ingredients are all you need to make a spaghetti sauce in minutes. Store-bought chicken meatballs keep the low-effort theme going all the way to the table.

14of 17

Salmon Couscous Salad

This healthy and easy salad is designed to be made with precooked or leftover salmon. To quickly cook salmon, lightly brush with olive oil, then roast in a 450 degrees F oven until the fish is opaque and firm, 8 to 12 minutes.

15of 17

Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushroom Salad

Shaving the vegetables for this easy salad recipe makes them deliciously tender-crisp without having to cook anything and helps them stand up to the bright homemade vinaigrette and salty Parmesan cheese.

16of 17

One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shishito Peppers

Don't skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won't protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep--in case you need more selling points for this recipe.

17of 17

Chopped Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad

This easy salad recipe allows for a wonderful use of leftover cooked chicken. Look for escarole in the produce section near the leafy greens; if you can't find it, you can use romaine instead.