23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (2024)

These tasty recipes can help you incorporate more healthy fats, legumes, spices, vegetables and whole grains in your dinners. This helps them fit nicely into the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest and easiest to follow eating patterns around. Plus, they boast at least 15 grams of protein per serving to support muscle health, bone health, digestive health and more. From refreshing mains like our Chopped Power Salad to cozy pastas like our Spinach Ravioli with Artichokes and Olives, these delicious meals will help keep you feeling full, satisfied and nourished.

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Spinach Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (1)

Store-bought spinach ravioli and a handful of basic pantry items are all you need to get a healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Ingredients like oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and toasty pine nuts help to build big flavor fast. If you can't find frozen artichokes, swap in a 15-ounce can (just be sure to drain and rinse them well).

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Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (2)

Serve this spring-vegetable-loaded frittata with an arugula salad and a hunk of crusty bread. Tip: This recipe cooks quickly, so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

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Kimchi-Tofu Soup with Sesame & Egg

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (3)

Cubed tofu soaks up the delicious aromatic broth, full of tang and flavor from prepared kimchi, garlic paste and ginger paste. Use your favorite brand of kimchi, just be sure to drain it before adding. A fried egg adds protein to this vegetarian kimchi-tofu soup. If you avoid eating seafood, look for a brand of kimchi that's vegetarian.

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Chopped Power Salad with Chicken

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (4)

Enjoy this fillingandcolorful salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor.

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One-Pan Chicken with Basil-Anchovy Butter & Shish*to Peppers

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (5)

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.

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Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (6)

We like the touch of heat that pepperoncini give to this briny chicken, but if you really want to turn up the spiciness, swap them for hot cherry peppers.

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Scallops with Lemon-Basil Sauce

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (7)

Large sea scallops are great for a fast and filling protein source any night of the week. They can be seared or sautéed and then added to salads and pastas or served solo as an entrée. Their mild taste and universal appeal make them a good host for complex flavors. Look for dry-packed sea scallops at your local seafood market. They haven't been soaked in a liquid solution, which increases their weight and sodium content.

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Avocado Tuna Salad

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (8)

Jazz up a can of tuna with this easy avocado tuna salad recipe. Silky avocado adds creaminess that's cut with a hit of acidity from lemon and a briny punch from feta cheese. Romaine hearts and cucumber offer refreshing crunch.

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20-Minute Creamy Skillet Chicken with Corn, Tomato & Basil

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (9)

This saucy 20-minute chicken recipe features fresh summer corn, tomatoes and basil. Serve this light and tangy quick dinner over pasta or brown rice.

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Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (10)

This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.

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Salmon Caesar Salad

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (11)

This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.

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20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (12)

This low-carb chicken dinner whips up in only 20 minutes, thanks to thin-cut chicken breast and packaged zucchini noodles. If you have a spiralizer and want to make your own zucchini noodles, use two medium zucchini.

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Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (13)

Though a chicken cutlet may be a chicken breast cut in half, this recipe shows how to make chicken cutlets with double the deliciousness. A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty for this healthy dinner idea. The flavorful oil they're packed in is used to sauté the chicken, and the tomatoes go into the cream sauce.

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Crispy Cod with Charred Snow Peas & Creamy Herb Sauce

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (14)

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.

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Linguine with Creamy White Clam Sauce

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (15)

Ripe tomato and fresh basil give this quick recipe tons of flavor. Serve this healthy pasta dinner with crusty garlic bread and steamed green beans.

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Shrimp Paella

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (16)

Paella is a Spanish seafood and rice dish, prized for the crispy bits of rice that come from letting the rice sizzle in the pan, and the deep yellow color from saffron. We cheat the color with less expensive ground turmeric and speed the process with precooked brown rice.Make sure to spread the rice mixture in an even layer so the bottom can crisp. The shrimp take less than 5 minutes to cook. Rinse well under cold running water until completely thawed, and then pat dry before adding to the pan. Serve with simply steamed asparagus to round out the meal.

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Teriyaki-Glazed Cod with Cauliflower Rice

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (17)

This healthy fish recipe comes together fast with just three ingredients you can always have on hand in your freezer and fridge. Store-bought teriyaki glaze makes a great marinade for cod that doubles as a sauce for the cauliflower rice.

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One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (18)

Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice.

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Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Salmon

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (19)

For this quick and easy dinner for four, the vegetables and sauce come together in one skillet in a matter of minutes while the salmon broils. Plus, salmon is swimming in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and loaded with vitamins and nutrients like B vitamins and potassium.

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Salmon with Potatoes & Horseradish Sauce

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (20)

You can't go wrong when you start with salmon and a sour cream sauce, especially if the sauce is flavored with dill and horseradish. Fill out the plate with a side of steamed green beans.

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Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (21)

Prep four days' worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four easy ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, including a veggie-heavy salad mix as a base. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors in this healthy chopped salad to marry. If you can't find a hearty mix, go with broccoli slaw or shredded Brussels sprouts.

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Greek Salad with Edamame

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (22)

Edamame adds protein to the classic Greek salad: romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and olives. Serve with toasted pita brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dried oregano or za'atar.

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Quick Shrimp Puttanesca

23 High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meals You Can Make in 20 Minutes (23)

Because refrigerated fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, this Italian-inspired pasta dish will be on the table lickety-split! Puttanesca, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, gets shrimp for extra protein and artichoke hearts to boost the vegetable servings (and the fiber!). If you can't find frozen artichoke hearts, sub in drained canned artichoke hearts.

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