5 Summery Low-Carb Dinners Packed with Vegetables

With all the peak-season summer produce flooding farmers markets right now, it feels like there’s never been an easier time to put together a week of veggie-packed, low-carb dinners. And since we’d rather spend our time outside than in the kitchen (especially if we’ve been cooped up inside juggling Zoom calls and distance learning with our kids all day), the easier the recipe, the better.

Each of these five low-carb meals can either be made in advance or is quick and easy to pull off on a weeknight.

I consider ratatouille a must during summer, when I’m swimming in zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. Get a head-start by making it during your weekend meal prep session, so all that’s left to do is reheat before dinner. Consider bulking it up with a fried or poached egg.

Get the recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Crazy water, or acqua pazza as it translates to in Italian, is nothing but an easy tomato-based broth, enhanced with a few aromatics and herbs. This foolproof, weeknight recipe couldn’t be easier for making perfect fish every time. It’ll work with any tender, flaky white fish like red snapper, flounder, or tilapia. Serve it over a bed of cauliflower rice so you can be sure to soak up every last drop of the tomato broth.

Get the recipe: Fish in Crazy Water

A quick bruschetta topping is a brilliant way to jazz up plain seared chicken cutlets or breasts. And there’s no better time to make it a part of your meal plan rotation than right now, when tomatoes are in their prime and bursting with ripe, juicy sweetness. Serve the chicken over any kind of sautéed greens or simply a pile of arugula.

Get the recipe: Easy Bruschetta Chicken

Tonight’s dinner is just as satisfying as it is wholesome and easy. To keep the carb count low, be sure to buy sausage without added sugar. And if you’d like to keep the prep work to a minimum, grab a package of zucchini noodles instead of making them yourself. If you have some fresh herbs handy, toss them in at the end of cooking!

Get the recipe: Sausage and Peppers with Zucchini Noodles

This is such a great recipe to keep in your dinner lineup for when you get to the end of the week and feel like you have nothing in the tank. It’s so satisfying and nearly effortless to pull off in mere minutes. Round out dinner with a simple green salad. Easy-peasy.

Get the recipe: Easy 5-Minute Garlic Butter Shrimp

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Meal planning isn’t always easy — especially if you’re just getting started. But we’re firm believers that it’s the secret to stress-free weeknight dinners. We want to help you find inspiration and ease some of the pain points that come with getting dinner on the table night after night, whether you’re cooking one or a family of four or five. Every week we share a new meal plan solution specifically customized for you from reader requests or from a guest contributor, for Next Week’s Meal Plan!