What's for Dinner?
What’s for dinner?
Having a busy week? Me too.
“Time” : the #1 thing getting in the way of you eating healthier. That is, if you are like 99% of my clients. Although not impossible, no one can argue that it takes a bit more of our precious time to plan, shop, prepare, and to put conscious thought into cooking a healthy meal. Making changes takes some amount of re-prioritization of our day to day tasks, planning ahead, and breaking some seriously long-lived habits— but that can wait until your first appointment (make one today!).
What about tonight? Can I make a healthy dinner tonight—without having gone to the store or prepping vegetables or turning on the crock pot this morning? The answer is YES.
First of all, what makes a meal “Healthy” ??
1. Variety—and I don’t mean a variety of Cheeto flavors….
Eating one thing for a meal can rob your body of important nutrients you need to round out your day— piece together a meal out of at least 3 of these: meat, veggies, starchy foods, fruits, beans, or dairy foods.
On no-cook nights, we have popcorn, apples and peanut butter or a nut, cheese, and fruit plate. Nutrition isn’t always fancy.
2. Don’t skip the fruits and veggies.
Think you don’t have any? Look again—back of the freezer, top shelf of the pantry— fresh, frozen, canned, and any mix of those can play their part in dinner tonight. Veggie stir-fry. any one? Or a celery and parsley salad with lemon vinaigrette (exactly what you think!). I never turn down cucumbers dipped in ranch or homemade tzatziki (recipe at the bottom!), and nothing beats steamed frozen edamame with a splash of soy sauce. One pot meal? Toss some greens like spinach or kale in your soup or pasta meal just before serving. You’ll like it more than you think.
3. Be Healthy-Fat conscious by:
1.) Grilling, sauteing, baking, or steaming. Pass on the deli fried chicken for tonight.
2.) Choose healthy cooking oils like canola, olive, or avocado oil (it’s a thing), OR use non-stick cooking spray for a lower-fat option.
3.) Fish—that’s right, even lowly Tunafish— is so healthy! lean cuts of steak and roasts: top round, eye round, bottom round, or top sirloin.
Ideas and Recipes for dinner TONIGHT:
· Tested and approved, these 3 ingredient Pancakes are Gluten Free, kid-friendly and can be made at the drop of a hat : RECIPE HERE
· With some meat and peppers of choice, this is an easy, seasonal meal using the grill: Spicy Beef Kabobs with watermelon salad
· Boiled fresh broccoli, lightly sautéed asparagus, or roasted Brussels sprouts are an easy addition to this Three Ingredient Roasted Chicken recipe.
· This alliteration is easier to make than to say 10 times fast: Saucy Sausage Stuffed Squash
· More great meal ideas: http://greatist.com/health/52-healthy-meals-12-minutes-or-less
Items to keep on-hand for quick, healthy meals:
Frozen vegetables: Broccoli, peppers, corn, edamame (soybeans), and others make quick, (cheap!) and easy additions to any meal. Boiling rice? Throw in a cup of frozen broccoli with it, no extra water needed, and you have most of the meal done without trying. When rice is finished cooking, toss with 1-2 tbsp of milk, ¼ cup of grated cheese, and a dash of pepper for an easy, 1-pot cheesy rice dish.
Canned beans: Black beans make a healthy addition to cheese quesadillas. White beans are wonderful on salads. Kidney beans make a great filler in spaghetti sauce. Beans contain healthy protein, fiber, and folate.
Milk: Milk and other dairy packs a lot of valuable nutrition that many of us do not get enough of: Protein, calcium, potassium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A. A healthy beverage at every meal. Soy milk and Almond mild are both healthy alternatives to cow’s milk if you are sensitive to dairy.
Grains: Rice, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, etc. keep for a long time in your cupboard without spoiling and can save the day when it comes to quick meals. Stir-fry leftover meat or fish with frozen and fresh veggies with a little curry powder atop rice and—BOOM—healthy dinner in no time.
Happy cooking!
