Healthy Summer Recipes You'll Want to Make on Repeat All Season

Wait, fried rice can be good for you? Subbing cauliflower rice for white rice boosts the nutrition while lowering the calories in this healthy summer meal loaded with veggies and warm Indian spices. Toss in plenty of fresh peas and cilantro to showcase some of the season’s best.

“This was a perfect summer night meal! We marinated the steaks for a couple hours prior to putting them on skewers, which helped keep the steaks juicy and tender,” raves one BH&G home cook about this healthy summer dinner recipe. Follow her lead or simply rub the beef sirloin with the spice mixture just before grilling the steak. Either way, you’ll be treated to succulent skewers of lean meat that only get elevated by a summer produce-packed pasta salad.

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As much fun as it is to try new healthy summer recipes, sometimes you just want to stuff your face into a big old burrito bowl reminiscent of one you might grab at a fast-food restaurant. Our homemade healthy summer dinner recipe is built on a bed of cauliflower rice and studded with corn (try fresh instead of frozen), avocado, and lean chicken or pork. It's one “burrito” you can actually feel good about eating, even with extra guac.

Zucchini noodles are one of our best tips for extending healthy summer dinner ideas so they fill up diners with uber-hearty appetites. Here, we dress up oodles of zoodles (seriously, 24 cups, so turn to this dinner when you have that arm-sized summer squash) in an easy homemade fresh tomato-basil sauce. Add chicken sausage or any extra protein from earlier in the week to pump up the protein.

Bison is leaner than beef but equal in protein, so it makes a great beef alternative in a burger recipe. To ensure each ounce stays super moist as you grill, incorporate some Parmesan cheese, eggs, fresh basil, bread crumbs, and sautéed zucchini and onion. Top the healthy summer dinner with zucchini ribbons and a secret mustard sauce for the best burger you never saw coming.

Gather up a bounty of fresh peaches and garden-ripe tomatoes and the chicken breasts that are probably already hanging out in your fridge or freezer. Pile that all atop a sheet pan and dress with a super-simple DIY vinaigrette. Dinner done! You can whip up this recipe (and dirty only one pan) to serve your family easy, healthy summer dinners even on the hottest and most hectic of evenings.

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We’ve overhauled panzanella, a traditional Italian salad featuring dry bread and tomatoes. To make it a healthy summer recipe featuring a wider range of vitamins and minerals and even more color, we call for extra fresh, seasonal produce like bell peppers and zucchini. This dish makes plenty to share as a light dinner for as many as 10 people (talk about the perfect choice for summer potlucks!).

When you’re struggling to choose between chicken salad or a sandwich, turn to this quick, healthy summer meal idea that combines both into one. Ready in 25 minutes, this high-protein recipe scores its ample filling factor from shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken, hard-boiled eggs, a bit of crispy bacon, blue cheese, and avocado. Fresh tomatoes, green onions, and a completely no-cook game plan make this summer-friendly and will help you keep your cool.

Shrimp and potato salad are two summer staples that are even better together. Ditch the mayo-based dressing and drape the chilled duo in a chili-garlic sauce for a low-calorie flavor punch. Prep this easy, healthy summer dinner up to 24 hours ahead; it’s designed to be served chilled and tastes even better once the flavors have a chance to meld.

The best healthy summer recipes incorporate many flavors from your garden. This summer bean soup, while on the lighter side, is comfort in a bowl with leeks, shelling beans, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and Swiss chard. Add in whatever fresh herbs you have on hand, too, for a final summery touch and enjoy with some cheese and a big slice of whole wheat bread to make this a meal.

Summer-fresh tomatoes and cucumbers add bright, in-season flavor to this lettuce-free entrée salad recipe. Briny, healthy fat-filled olives and protein-rich chicken make it surprisingly satisfying for its calorie count. (This healthy summer meal has just 336 calories per serving!)

Top-rated among our favorite quick, healthy summer meal ideas, this isn't your grandma’s meat loaf. Filled with cheesy mixed veggies and slathered in a peachy barbecue sauce, these turkey pockets are everything you want in a comforting summer meal. Quite possibly the best news? They can be on your table 30 minutes from now.

Related: Trendy Noodle Bowls

Skip processed bottled dressing and make your own drizzle using reduced balsamic vinegar and honey. Natural sugars from summer fruit sweeten the rotisserie chicken salad and ensure each 300-calorie serving is packed with a lot of vitamins and flavor. Make a party out of this easy, healthy summer dinner by serving it in cute watermelon "bowls" or over fresh spinach.

This easy, healthy summer dinner tastes like a tropical vacation—and you need to “pack” only seven ingredients to make it possible. Each bite of the shrimp-couscous dinner tastes like paradise in every chipotle-coated bite, thanks to fresh mango and mango-chipotle salad dressing. Queso fresco gives the skillet dinner a cool, creamy finish.

Related: Perfect-for-Summer Mango Recipes

Full of grapes, goat cheese, chicken, and fresh greens, this crisp salad fulfills four of your necessary food groups. Need a last-minute meal idea? Use last night's leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken to make the healthy summer dinner recipe even speedier. (Do so and we’re talking 10 minutes max!)

If you’re seeking a lighter twist on a comfort food classic, try our turkey and veggie riff on sloppy joes. Don’t forget the creamy yogurt and goat cheese sauce—it lends just enough richness to balance out all the produce. That way, this 25-minute healthy summer dinner idea doesn't taste at all like "health food."

Grill tuna steaks on cedar planks for irresistible smoky flavor. A simple Asian-inspired sauce adds a bit of spice to our tuna steaks, which pair perfectly with sweet grilled pineapple in this healthy summer dinner recipe. Pair this with a side of fluffy quinoa to round out the dinner.

Farro, an ancient grain with a chewy nutty texture, stars alongside Swiss chard, dried tomatoes, and goat cheese in our simple stuffed portobellos. At under 220 calories per serving (but still with 12 grams of protein), this entrée proves it can be delicious to make healthy summer dinner recipes.

Prepare the marinade for this sweet citrus salad in the morning and let the chicken soak all day long. Not only will this cut your evening prep time, but it also will give the chicken time to absorb the flavors for an irresistible taste in every bite.