Healthy Recipes Health Conditions Diabetes-Friendly Diabetes-Friendly Dinners Our 20 Best Diabetes-Friendly Dinners of 2023 By Sadie Schulte Sadie Schulte Sadie Schulte is EatingWell's editorial apprentice. She attends Iowa State University, where she is a senior studying advertising and fashion communications. During her time at college, she has worked as a reporter at the campus newspaper, the Iowa State Daily, where she writes about culture and lifestyle. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 7, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close From vibrant salads to cheesy casseroles, these four- and five-star rated recipes have been loved by EatingWell readers in 2023. Plus, they align with our diabetes-friendly parameters, so you can enjoy each meal knowing it supports healthy and consistent blood glucose levels. Recipes like our Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots and Turnips and our Kickin’ Hot Chili incorporate complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and legumes, and maintain heart-healthy levels of saturated fat and sodium. These recipes are so good, you’ll want to make them again and again. 01 of 20 Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe—cinnamon, allspice and cloves—may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles. View Recipe 02 of 20 Healthy Oven-Fried Pork Chops These whole-wheat panko breadcrumb-coated pork chops get just as crispy as fried chops, but they're baked. Serve with steamed broccoli and baked sweet potato for a satisfying healthy weeknight dinner. View Recipe 03 of 20 Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar. View Recipe 04 of 20 Pressure-Cooker Beef Roast This versatile pressure-cooked beef roast can be eaten immediately or refrigerated for up to 3 days. Use leftover beef roast to make tacos, sandwiches or add to noodles for a delicious meal. View Recipe 05 of 20 Arugula Salad with Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Pears & Blue Cheese Toasted walnuts and roasted pork tenderloin make this elegant salad worthy of company, yet it's easy enough to prepare on a weeknight! View Recipe 06 of 20 Kickin' Hot Chili Christine Ma If you like your chili seriously hot, this hot chili recipe is for you. For an even bigger kick, use the whole teaspoon of cayenne pepper. View Recipe 07 of 20 Baked Cavatelli Casserole This easy to make, comforting dish will keep you warm on a cold day. View Recipe 08 of 20 Apple, Bacon and Sweet Potato Mini Casseroles These sweet and savory mini casseroles are ready in just an hour. Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers to enjoy later. View Recipe 09 of 20 Cheeseburger Stuffed Baked Potatoes Skip the bun and serve all of your favorite cheeseburger ingredients--beef, cheese, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce--with baked potatoes for a hearty and easy dinner recipe that kids and adults will love. Feel free to swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or tofu crumbles. View Recipe 10 of 20 Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce. View Recipe 11 of 20 Grilled Beef & Vegetable Kebabs These easy grilled beef & vegetable kebabs are not only delicious--they're economical too. Tri-tip is an inexpensive and flavorful cut of beef that takes beautifully to cooking over an open flame. Thread it onto skewers with colorful veggies and marinate for up to eight hours before cooking on the grill or over your campfire. Either way, it's a healthy and tasty summer meal. View Recipe 12 of 20 Paprika Baked Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes & Broccoli You'd never guess that this elegant meal comes together on just one baking sheet. While the pork rests, whip together an easy red pepper sauce to complete this impressive and healthy dinner. The sauce would also be delicious with chicken. We're willing to bet this easy sheet-pan dinner recipe will go into heavy rotation on your kitchen playlist. View Recipe 13 of 20 Pasta Puttanesca with Beef This easy slow cooker ground beef and pasta recipe makes a great meal any night of the week. View Recipe 14 of 20 Balsamic Pork Tenderloin A pork tenderloin is marinated in a mixture of balsamic vinegar and rosemary, then brushed with an easy balsamic glaze for this simple, low-calorie dinner recipe. View Recipe 15 of 20 25-Minute Pork Diane Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and lemon add zest to this tender, juicy pork loin recipe, which is weeknight-quick. View Recipe 16 of 20 Pork Chops with Roasted Cauliflower and Onions This quick one-skillet vegetable and pork main dish recipe makes a great weeknight dinner. Look for pre-cut cauliflower florets in the produce aisle of your grocery store to cut down on prep time, and your dinner will be on the table in just 30 minutes! View Recipe 17 of 20 Spinach Alfredo Lasagna This lightened-up lasagna packs in the nutrients with plenty of spinach, carrots, and mushrooms--plus satisfies cheese cravings with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. View Recipe 18 of 20 Salmon Chowder The flavor of this salmon chowder recipe is greatly enhanced by adding either fresh dill or dried tarragon: each herb lends its own distinctive flavor to the soup. To give this soup a thick, chowder texture, we use instant mashed potatoes, which eliminates the need for heavy cream or butter. Leftover mashed potatoes work too, but give a slightly less-velvety texture. View Recipe 19 of 20 Baked Cod with Chorizo & White Beans This recipe follows the Spanish and Portuguese tradition of pairing mild white fish with full-flavored cured sausage--just a bit gives the whole dish a rich, smoky flavor. Make it a meal: Enjoy with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes tossed with thyme and coarse salt. View Recipe 20 of 20 Three-Bean Chili This rib-sticking bean chili is richly flavored with cumin, chili, paprika, oregano and an assortment of peppers. Use whatever beans you have in your pantry. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit