7 Dinner Recipes: 20 Minutes or Less

Sep 28 2016
https://d2gtpjxvvd720b.cloudfront.net/assets/emails/question@2x-a02b76db47a4ac32799e8b19315b3cbf.png Dear Hungry Girl,

I'm trying to make healthier dinner choices, but when I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is spend a bunch of time in the kitchen. Do you have any weeknight dinner recipes that I can throw together in a short amount of time?

Hungry in a Hurry
https://d2gtpjxvvd720b.cloudfront.net/assets/emails/answer@2x-5ee5d524b01e4c5483f379894f2fa825.png Hi Hungry,

I hear you! After a long day, no one wants to slave over the stove for hours. Here are seven amazing recipes that take 20 minutes or less from start to finish. Time-saving tip: On the weekend, plan your weekday meals and get all the grocery shopping done. This way, you'll have everything you need, ready to go...

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Tacos

1/2 of recipe (2 tacos): 310 calories, 4.5g total fat (0.5g sat. fat), 641mg sodium, 37.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 14g sugars, 28g protein



SmartPoints® value 9*

Taco 'bout delicious! (Tee-hee!) Unexpected flavors in easy-to-make tacos. It's a tropical twist on a Mexican favorite. Pineapple and BBQ sauce are the perfect sweet & savory combo! In the mood for seafood? Try these 20-minute Blackened Shrimp Tacos. (Fat-free Greek yogurt makes a great sour cream swap.)

Saucy Italian Burger on a Lettuce Bun

Entire recipe: 230 calories, 7.5g total fat (3.5g sat. fat), 646mg sodium, 9.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 29.5g protein

SmartPoints® value 4*

Can't decide between burgers and Italian food? Have both! No, I'm not suggesting you pair your beef patty with a side of spaghetti. Instead, top a lean burger with flavorful tomato sauce and melted mozzarella! Then wrap it all in lettuce. No need for a carb-heavy sandwich roll. If you don't feel like whipping up the beef patty (it's super easy, though -- promise!), use your favorite veggie burger instead. Meatless burger patties are great freezer staples for fast weeknight meals.

Z'paghetti Girlfredo

1/2 of recipe (about 2 cups): 247 calories, 8g total fat (4g sat. fat), 789mg sodium, 30g carbs, 9.5g fiber, 18.5g sugars, 20.5g protein



SmartPoints® value 4*

Forget fettuccine Alfredo; it's a calorie disaster. This dish, on the other hand, has under 250 calories! The zucchini noodles are tossed in a sauce so creamy, you'd never guess the secret ingredient. Spoiler: It's cauliflower! With a spiral vegetable slicer like the Veggetti, you can churn out the noodles super fast. For extra protein, top with some rotisserie chicken breast or ready-to-eat shrimp. Love this one...

Pizza-fied Chicken 2.0

Entire recipe: 272 calories, 8.5g total fat (3.5g sat. fat), 633mg sodium, 6g carbs, 1g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 40.5g protein

SmartPoints® value 5*

Chicken: It's an easy-recipe staple, but it doesn't need to be boring! Treat it like a pizza crust, and things get interesting. The turkey pepperoni really delivers that classic pizza taste. More of a white-pizza fan? I've got a recipe for that too: White-Pizza-fied Chicken! Here are eight more easy ideas for zazzling up plain chicken breast.

Italian Tuna Melts

1/2 of recipe (2 pieces): 309 calories, 12g total fat (4g sat. fat), 691mg sodium, 23.5g carbs, 6g fiber, 4g sugars, 30g protein



SmartPoints® value 8*

Tuna is a fantastic pantry staple for quick 'n easy meals, but a basic tuna sandwich is not very exciting. Tuna melts, on the other hand, are classic comfort food! Sadly, they're usually loaded with calories. Not these melts! Calorie-slashed wheat bread, light mayo, and part-skim mozzarella save the day. If you're really in a rush, make these in the microwave instead of the oven. (Fair warning: They're more delicious when baked!)

Chili Pizza

Entire recipe: 292 calories, 7.5g total fat (3.5g sat. fat), 859mg sodium, 41g carbs, 8.5g fiber, 4g sugars, 21g protein

SmartPoints® value 8*

Pizza is a beloved staple, but you can do better than delivery. This chili-topped pie is so fast and easy -- it takes just 15 minutes to make! I use a high-fiber pita as the base and top it with hearty low-fat turkey or veggie chili. It's guaranteed to leave you satisfied! Use leftover chili to make a taco salad the next day for lunch. Mmmm...

Shrimp n' Slaw Marinara

Entire recipe: 289 calories, 3g total fat (<0.5g sat. fat), 770mg sodium, 31g carbs, 14g fiber, 15g sugars, 36.5g protein

SmartPoints® value 4*

Here's another pasta swap you need to have in your arsenal. Once softened and tossed with red sauce, broccoli cole slaw tastes a lot like pasta. Top it with pre-cooked shrimp, a fantastic quick-meal staple. I always keep a bag in my freezer for last-minute meals... like these Shrimp & Avocado Lettuce Tacos, which can be whipped up in just 10 minutes. Score!

Chew on this:

It's September 28th, National Strawberry Cream Pie Day! Why would anyone eat strawberry cream pie when they could have this strawberry pretzel pie?

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