Best Healthy Summer Recipes

Eat smart this summer with lean proteins, plenty of produce, whole grains and fresh-fruit desserts.

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Photo By: Evan Sung for The New York Times

Photo By: Tara Donne

Soba Noodle-Vegetable Salad

Basil, mint and cilantro give this Asian-inspired dish plenty of herby flavor, so you can go light on the lime-and-chile dressing.

Get the Recipe: Soba Noodle-Vegetable Salad

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Jerk Spice

Make your own jerk marinade ahead of time (it can be refrigerated for one week or frozen for up to two months) to prepare a flavorful fish dinner in only five minutes. Simply season the mahi mahi with the marinade, grill it on both sides and dinner is ready.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Mahi Mahi with Jerk Spice

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

Ellie Krieger's chipotle cream — made with yogurt, mayo and chipotles in adobo — is so flavorful you need to dress these lean fish tacos with only a tablespoon of the sauce.

Get the Recipe: Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

Better Burger with Green Olives

Green olives help keep these lean turkey burgers moist, in addition to adding a ton of salty flavor.

Get the Recipe: Better Burger with Green Olives

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Full of lean ground beef, chopped zucchini, bulgur and feta, this Greek-inspired dish makes a healthy and filling dinner.

Get the Recipe: Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Zucchini Carpaccio

Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos use a mandoline to slice zucchini paper-thin, which allows the lemon and olive oil dressing to be absorbed easily by the verdant vegetable.

Get the Recipe: Zucchini Carpaccio

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Farro is a whole grain full of nutrients and fiber. Giada De Laurentiis mixes it with diced tomatoes and generous handfuls of fresh parsley and chives for a colorful summer salad.

Get the Recipe: Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Mango and Baby Tomato Salad

Coriander and clove add savory depth to the mango juice dressing that tops this vibrant herb, fruit and vegetable summer salad.

Get the Recipe: Mango and Baby Tomato Salad

Broccoli-and-Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins

Potato skins don't usually fall under the "low-calorie" heading, but Ellie Krieger goes heavy on the broccoli and light on the cheese and bacon, so you can munch on more than just a few.

Get the Recipe: Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Cream

Branzino alla Max

David Rocco dresses up sea bass by plating it over a bed of seasonal zucchini and red peppers, then drizzling it all with a sweet-and-sour sauce.

Get the Recipe: Branzino Alla Max

Spiced Chicken and Grape Skewers

A quick marinade of lemon juice, cumin and coriander lends moisture and bright flavor to Ellie's chicken skewers. Use a grill pan with a quick spritz of cooking spray to get smoky, char-grilled flavor and beautiful grill marks.

Get the Recipe: Spiced Chicken and Grape Skewers

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Feta and Mint

Give this light and refreshing salad a boost of flavor by grilling the red pepper, eggplant, onion and zucchini before tossing them with fresh tomato and mint.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Salad with Feta and Mint

Caribbean Wrap

Spicy and sweet, this tropical wrap is packed with lean, tasty and nutritious fillings like black beans, chicken breast, mango and macadamia nuts.

Get the Recipe: Caribbean Wrap

Broiled Flank Steak with Grilled Champagne Grapes and a Bitter Greens and Blue Cheese Salad

Enjoy thin strips of flavorful flank steak alongside champagne grapes — charred and blistered to bring out their concentrated sweetness — and a lightly dressed blue cheese and pecan salad.

Get the Recipe: Broiled Flank Steak with Grilled Champagne Grapes and a Bitter Greens and Blue Cheese Salad

Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Rosemary

Wrap the tender salmon fillets in foil with lemon slices, fragrant rosemary, briny capers and a touch of Marsala wine, then steam over a hot grill.

Get the Recipe: Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Rosemary

Greek Chicken Burgers

Tangy feta cheese, fresh meat and ground chicken are combined, forming a mash-up of the gyro sandwich and a classic burger.

Get the Recipe: Greek Chicken Burgers

Mediterranean Farro Salad

Protein-rich, nutty farro forms the perfect base for a medley of Mediterranean ingredients: green beans, red peppers, olives and Parmesan cheese.

Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Farro Salad

Tuna Bean Salad

Chickpeas, red kidney beans and green beans form a filling, protein-packed bed for tuna and a yogurt-and-tahini dressing.

Get the Recipe: Tuna Bean Salad

Steak Fajita Wraps

Whip up these easy, healthy steak fajitas in minutes and wrap them with salsa, shredded cheese and avocado.

Get the Recipe: Steak Fajita Wraps

Pea and Crab Salad

Wrap vibrant green shelled peas and crabmeat in crisp lettuce cups for an elegant, wholesome appetizer.

Get the Recipe: Pea and Crab Salad

Greek Salad

A classic Greek salad loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, briny kalamata olives and salty feta is a welcome accompaniment to any summer meal.

Get the Recipe: Greek Salad

Saucy BBQ Seafood Skewers with Not-So-Secret BBQ Sauce

Skewers of scallops, salmon and shrimp are grilled and then dipped in a sweet cider-infused barbecue sauce.

Get the Recipe: Saucy BBQ Seafood Skewers with Not-So Secret BBQ Sauce

I Can't Believe It's Not Potato Salad!

Nix the potatoes for healthier cauliflower and hard-boiled egg whites, dressed in a luscious, creamy (and fat-free) sauce.

Get the Recipe: I Can't Believe It's Not Potato Salad!

Grilled Vegetables with Tofu

Lean high-protein tofu, asparagus and portobello mushrooms take on the flavors of garlic, cumin and coriander when grilled with these aromatics.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Vegetables with Tofu

Fully Loaded Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Treat party guests with these hot dogs — fully loaded with turkey bacon and tender caramelized onions and peppers.

Get the Recipe: Fully Loaded Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

Grilled Fuji-n-Chick 'Wich

For this griddled sandwich, Hungry Girl pairs a classic combo — apples and cheese — and adds lean chicken for additional protein.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Fuji-n-Chick 'Wich

Jicama Slaw

Kelsey Nixon's jicama slaw combines sweet and nutty jicama with fresh, crisp vegetables for the perfect accompaniment to a heavy main.

Get the Recipe: Jicama Slaw

Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Ellie's simple lean ground-turkey patties gain extra flavor from a mozzarella cheese stuffing and tangy roasted red peppers.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Slaw and Order

By using tomato soup or crushed tomatoes as the base for her slaw dressing, Hungry Girl skimps on the calories usually found in creamy, mayo-laden sauces.

Get the Recipe: Slaw and Order

Mediterranean Shrimp and Orzo Salad

Pile dill-scented orzo with shrimp, fresh summer vegetables and zesty feta for a healthy main with varied fresh flavors.

Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Shrimp and Orzo Salad

Grilled Vegetable Panini with Herbed Feta Spread

Kelsey's panini is piled high with grilled veggies and cream cheese — a rich fiber- and vitamin-packed meal.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Panini with Herbed Feta Spread

Swordfish With Citrus Pesto

Summery pesto is brightened with the zest and juices of both oranges and lemons — perfect for pairing with a meaty fish like swordfish steak.

Get the Recipe: Swordfish With Citrus Pesto

Blueberry Compote

A homemade compote is a simple way to transform a bowl of frozen yogurt or ice cream into a proper summer dessert. Ellie's recipe is low in sugar but bursting with blueberry flavor.

Get the Recipe: Blueberry Compote

Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream

Balsamic syrup adds a rich, savory note to a sweet bowl of berries, ricotta, honey and vanilla cream.

Get the Recipe: Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream

Cookie-rific Ice Cream Freeze

Sip on this low-cal version of a cookies-and-cream shake, made with chocolate crisps, light soy milk, fat-free ice cream and fat-free whipped topping.

Get the Recipe: Cookie-rific Ice Cream Freeze