20 WW-Friendly Dinner Recipes for Less Than 10 SmartPoints Each

If you're following the new myWW program from WW (formerly called Weight Watchers), sticking to your SmartPoints budget for dinner doesn't have to be a headache. The trick is building a stockpile of tried-and-true WW-friendly dinner recipes, so you can throw together a quick, tasty meal without worrying about calculating or overspending your daily points.

Here, Jaclyn London, RD, CDN, dietitian and head of nutrition and wellness at WW, explains the SmartPoints system, including how to stretch your points allowance. Plus, get 20 Weight Watchers-friendly dinner recipes that work for any (blue, green or purple) WW eating plan.

Whether you're a WW newbie or a seasoned SmartPoints pro in need of new ideas, these simple-yet-yummy recipes will help you whip up a WW-friendly meal any day of the week.

• ​Green Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan​: 5 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 5 SmartPoints

Anytime you can swap out regular pasta noodles with zucchini noodles, you're going to save yourself some SmartPoints to use later. Plus, chicken breast is considered a lean protein and a ZeroPoint food on blue and purple, and only minimal points on green. You could easily use ground turkey or ground chicken breast in this meal for an easy swap out without changing the points values.

This dinner boasts 30 grams of protein per serving which will keep you full, along with all of the vegetables included. Peanuts are a healthy way to add big flavor and adds to the protein content of the dish. The splash of lime at the end is a great way to add flavor with no added calories.

• ​Green Plan:​ 8 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 8 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 8 SmartPoints

Sometimes you just need a steak salad and this one screams satisfaction. It's a little indulgent for the blue and purple plans, but the lean beef tenderloin is filled with protein, iron and vitamin B-12 — three nutrients you might be low on if your diet has been mainly plant-based.

Keep each serving of beef to 3 ounces to stay on track with SmartPoints.

This is an entire meal in one, so there is no need to add anything else — well, unless a fruit salad is calling your name.

• ​Green Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint

This stuffed butternut squash is a genius way to get more fiber into your diet. The recipe calls for sorghum, and if you use whole wheat sorghum on the purple plan, it's a ZeroPoint food. You could also swap it out for quinoa or a brown rice blend and still keep it low on your SmartPoints value.

There is no love lost on the green or blue plans for this dinner — this still clocks in pretty low and will allow you to save up some of those extra points for later.

• ​Green Plan:​ 3 SmartPoints
  
• ​Blue Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints

With whole-wheat bun:

• ​Green Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints

You won't feel like you're on a weight-loss plan with these turkey sloppy joes. Lean ground turkey breast is a ZeroPoint food for blue and purple and only one point for green. This makes it an ideal protein for all WW plans.

This is also packed with veggies and seasonings, which helps amp up its flavor profile. You're spending your points on the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, which help add flavor, but using an unsweetened ketchup is also an option.

The whole-wheat bun is optional and adds to the SmartPoints tally for this meal. If you're really working to cut that down, you can substitute a portobello mushroom cap for your burger for zero points on all plans.

• ​Green Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 3 SmartPoints

This pasta has a few secret weapons that makes it a perfect dinner dish for weight loss. First, red lentil pasta is delicious and has more fiber and protein than regular white pasta. Second, the secret to this creamy sauce is pureed white beans. For blue and purple plans, white beans are a ZeroPoint food and can be pureed into sauces and soups to add creaminess without added SmartPoints.

This pasta is vegan, but if you're not, you can add a 3-ounce grilled chicken breast for more protein and zero points for blue and purple plans and only 2 additional SmartPoints if you're on green.

• ​Green Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint
• ​Purple Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint

There should be a disclaimer with this recipe when you see the 7 SmartPoints for the green plan — this meal gives you 17 grams of fiber per bowl. That's incredible. If you are serious about weight loss, then it's time to get serious about your fiber.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says we should get between 25 and 38 grams of fiber daily, so this chili gets you well on your way to that goal.

For all plans, you can jazz this up with more veggies on top — sliced radishes, scallion and diced red onion will add even more flavor for no additional points.

• ​Green Plan:​ 9 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 4 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan​: 4 SmartPoints

With the recipe written as is, you're getting a hefty amount of soup. You could cut this in half and get two servings out of it, which would also cut your SmartPoints values in half. Instead of eating it all at one setting, add a green salad with lemon or salsa and zucchini slices, all ZeroPoints.

This soup comes together in less than 30 minutes, but could be made in advance and kept in the fridge.

Don't fret about these SmartPoint values for this soup, they come mainly from the avocado, which is a rich source of monounsaturated fats and definitely good for you. If avocado isn't your thing, you could chop up a persian cucumber for the top for no additional SmartPoints.

• ​Green Plan:​ 9 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints

Who says you can't have breakfast for dinner? This might become a staple in your dinner routine if you're a regular tofu eater. Tofu is a ZeroPoint food on blue and purple and low in points on green. The coconut oil adds up on the SmartPoint tally, but you could cut that in half by swapping it out for extra-virgin olive oil — and you get all the heart-healthy benefits, too.

Enjoy veggies that keep you full and pair this with a side of fresh fruit. You'll want to have breakfast for dinner all the time.

• ​Green Plan:​ 4 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 0 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 0 SmartPoints
  

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! "A healthful source of protein, chicken adds antioxidants and polyunsaturated fatty acids to your diet," London says.

And the breast boasts even bigger bonuses for weight loss. "It's one of the leanest parts of the bird, packing about 1 to 1.5 grams of saturated fat per 3.5-ounce serving, plus it contains the highest amount of protein (31 grams) compared to skinless chicken thighs (26 grams)," she says.

You could pair this lean poultry with baked broccoli and spaghetti squash without adding to the points value of your meal.

• ​Green Plan:​ 4 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 3 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 3 SmartPoints

"Adding more produce to your diet is always a good idea," says London.

And this "burger" recipe, which is chock full of nutrient-dense vegetables, is a great place to start, especially if you're like the 90 percent of American adults who aren't consuming the recommended amount of fruits and veggies, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For an extra punch of protein, toss an egg on top of your veggie burger. (Eggs are zero points on the blue and purple plans.)

"Depending on size, one egg contains around 8 grams of protein and will help keep you feeling satisfied," says London, who encourages getting creative with cooking methods: From over-easy to sunny-side-up or poached, you have plenty of options. (Just be sure to factor any cooking oil or butter into your points total.)

• ​Green Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint
• ​Purple Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint

"Tofu gets a bad rap about being flavorless, but the key to cooking it is adding enough seasoning," London says. "If you get that down, it's a great lean protein swap for nearly every recipe — whether you're vegetarian or not."

Plus, tofu touts a ton of health benefits. Consuming "soy-based protein is linked with lower BMI and improved cholesterol," says London. What's more, tofu ranks fifth among foods highest in heart-healthy essential omega-3 fatty acids, according to the USDA.

But tofu isn't the only all-star ingredient in this low-calorie recipe. London loves that ginger root is used to season these savory skewers. "Ginger is part of an anti-inflammatory pattern of eating and full of immune-boosting nutrients," she says.

And experimenting with flavors like ginger can, well, spice up foods you may be less jazzed about — say, like veggies — and help you get more greens into your meal plan.

• ​Green Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint
• ​Purple Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint

This low-fat shrimp kebab piles on a whopping 38 grams of protein per serving, making it ideal for your weight-loss goals.

According to a November 2014 study in ​Nutrition & Metabolism​, a high-protein diet is associated with increased satiety and less body fat, plus it helps you hold onto lean muscle mass when you're in the midst of shedding pounds.

"Shrimp is a great lean protein source that's typically lower in calories than higher-fat meat alternatives," says London, who's a huge advocate for people eating more seafood.

"Plus, shrimp (along with other shellfish like oysters and mussels) is packed with the mineral zinc, which not only boosts your immune system but also helps protect skin cells from damage," she says.

For a well-balanced meal, London suggests stirring in a variety of veggies as well as a whole grain or pulse like quinoa or even lentil pasta (both zero points on the purple plan).

• ​Green Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 3 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 3 SmartPoints

​"​Egg salad is such a classic, and the avocado in this recipe really elevates" the nutritional profile, London says. Eggs supply protein and other essential nutrients like vitamins A, D, B12 and choline, while avocados add a unique mix of heart-healthy fats, water and dietary fiber.

This avo-egg salad would pair perfectly with a piece of 100-percent whole-grain bread. "The combo of protein, fiber and healthy fats will help keep you satisfied until your next meal or snack," London says.

• ​Green Plan:​ 5 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 5 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints

With 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts:

• ​Green Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 4 SmartPoints

"We all know that spinach is good for us (hello, Popeye!), but the pine nuts in the pesto sauce also help make this a nutrient-packed dish," London says.

"The iron and magnesium in both ingredients improve oxygen flow to your cells and aid in muscle contraction, which can help you feel more energized, especially when you're in a stress-slump," she adds.

For a protein boost, London recommends topping this pesto pasta salad with skinless grilled chicken or shrimp (both zero points on the purple and blue plans), or swapping out traditional pasta for a legume-based variety with simple ingredients like chickpeas or lentils. Just one portion of chickpea flour pasta can serve up to 13 grams of protein, she says.

With shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese:

• ​Green Plan:​ 4 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints

With shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese:

• ​Green Plan:​ 3 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 1 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 1 SmartPoints

"The key to a satisfying, energizing meal is a combo of protein, fat and fiber-filled carbs, and this recipe checks the boxes," London says.

Brimming with baby spinach, portobello mushroom caps and red bell peppers, this savory omelet offers an abundance of good-for-you greens to help you fill your daily quota of veggies.

Plus, it comes pre-portioned in mason jars to keep your serving sizes in check.

To keep you feeling satisfied, add some extra belly-filling fiber with a piece of 100-percent whole grain toast or mix in more vegetables like broccoli or carrots, London says.

• ​Green Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 7 SmartPoints

Big flavors in this dish come with minimal or zero points. Use fresh ginger and lime juice to complement the peanut and tahini in this dinner that comes together in 30 minutes.

This already gives you 10 grams of protein, but you could add a 3-ounce grilled chicken breast to this for zero points on blue and purple and only 2 SmartPoints for green — which still keeps you below 10 SmartPoints for a substantial meal.

• ​Green Plan:​ 4 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 0 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 0 SmartPoints

Salmon is an excellent choice for any WW plan. Plan on one SmartPoint per ounce of salmon for the green plan and salmon is always free on blue and purple. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends two 4 ounce servings of fish each week.

Pair a dinner of roasted salmon with ZeroPoint vegetables such as asparagus, broccolini, roasted cauliflower, or a salad. Season with herbs and citrus to add flavor and spend some of your points on heart-healthy olive oil for your veggies.

• ​Green Plan:​ 4 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint
• ​Purple Plan:​ 1 SmartPoint

If you've been trying to figure out how to add more turmeric to your cooking, this is a great way to try it out. Turmeric may be able to help calm some inflammation in the body, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

This recipe makes four servings, so it's a perfect family dinner — and the points include the lime-yogurt dipping sauce.

If you're grilling these, cut up some eggplant, bell peppers, red onions and mushrooms and grill all the veggies in a basket right beside your chicken for a complete and healthy meal.

• ​Green Plan:​ 2 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 0 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 0 SmartPoints

This is the perfect dinner to balance out a day that may have had a slightly heavier lunch. For blue and purple, this cod is zero points. Add steamed broccoli and roasted butternut squash and you have a complete ZeroPoints meal for those two plans. Green stays steady at 2 SmartPoints, even with the addition of the vegetables.

Fish is an easy addition to the WW plan, not only for its low point value, but because it gives you a good amount of protein and essential fatty acids.

The preparation for this couldn't be easier. You'll know your cod is done when it flakes apart easily with a fork.

• ​Green Plan:​ 8 SmartPoints
• ​Blue Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints
• ​Purple Plan:​ 6 SmartPoints

Egg salad is a classic lunchtime meal and you can cut out some calories by scooping this onto juicy tomato slices, or switch it up by using cucumber or zucchini slices instead — all ZeroPoint foods.

This recipe calls for regular mayonnaise, which will cost you in points, but you could swap that out too with plain, nonfat Greek yogurt or 1 percent quark, both of which are zero points on blue and purple and 2 tablespoons of yogurt would be less than one point on green.

Feel free to add more veggies to this to make it even more filling. Mix in chopped celery and onion for zero points. Add a fruit salad to round out the meal for zero points on all plans.

WW assigns a SmartPoints value to every food and beverage. This number is based on the item's calories, protein, sugar and saturated fat. The more protein a food contains, the lower its SmartPoints value will be. Conversely, more sugar and saturated fat increase the amount.

"Each food plan on the my WW program has a SmartPoints budget — which is personalized to each member based on their age, weight, height and gender," London tells LIVESTRONG.com.

There are also ZeroPoint foods, which have a SmartPoints value of zero and don't have to be weighed, measured or tracked.

"While the list of ZeroPoint foods varies slightly based on the plan you're following, all of these foods form the basis of a health-promoting pattern of eating," London says.

London's motto is always to eat more fruits and veggies more often.

"Adding extra produce to your meals is one of the best ways to create a healthful, balanced dish and feel like you're getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to SmartPoints," she says.

And your plan's list of ZeroPoint foods is a great place to start. Depending on your plan, you can nosh on fruits, veggies, lean proteins and whole grains without spending a single SmartPoint.

"Let's be clear though — it's not a free pass to down a dozen eggs in one sitting or eat nothing but bananas for an entire day," London says.

On the contrary, ZeroPoint foods are "meant to encourage you to eat more real, wholesome foods and make more conscious choices when it comes to food prep and cooking methods," she says.

No matter what meal you're making, London says it should always have a mix of protein, fiber and healthy fats, which will help you feel satisfied longer.

​— Sarah Pflugradt, RDN, contributed to this article​