Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

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What’s for Dinner?

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The age-old question…. what’s for dinner? (or the question most mom’s dread!)

In the last 13 years as a Registered Dietitian, I have noticed that the one meal a day people struggle with the most is dinner. Why?
Here are some of the common responses I receive:
– no time
– too busy rushing around with work/kids/extracurricular’s
– don’t want to just cook for 1 or 2 people
– don’t know how to cook/I am not good at cooking
– too many picky eaters at home… and many more.

But the fact is, it is MUCH LESS expensive and MORE healthy to eat at home than anywhere else. If you sit down once a week and plan your dinner meals, you are more likely to stick to your menu decreasing any chance of you ordering last-minute take out food.

Not only is it less expensive to eat at home but it also has some other great benefits as well!

– You consume less sodium, fat, sugar and overall calories when eating at home.
– Family dinners are more important than play, story time and other family events in the development of vocabulary of younger children.
– Frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs in preteens and teens ages 11 to 18.
– Adolescent girls who have frequent family meals and a positive atmosphere during those meals are less likely to develop eating disorders.
– Children who eat most often with their parents are 40 percent more likely to say they get mainly As and Bs in school than children who have two or fewer family dinners a week.
– Dinner with family can be a stress reliever. Believe it or not, if you have a demanding job, finding time to eat with your family may actually leave you feeling less stressed.

Tips for dinner meal planning:

  1. Sit down once a week with your calendar to see what nights you will be at home to make dinner and what evenings you need to have something quick and easy to go (grilled chicken wraps with fruit)!
  2. Shop the sale ads on the weekends to plan which protein’s you will have that week with dinner.
  3. Start with your protein first, then figure out your sides (add a whole grain starch and some veggies to each dinner).
  4. Prep ahead when you can. Example: When making kids lunches at night, I boil my noodles and brown my ground turkey to make a pasta bake for the next night. All I have to do is throw in the oven when I get home from work!
  5. Cook once, eat twice! This is my motto! Example from earlier. If I brown my turkey tonight, I may season some turkey and make into patties for the next night. Make your life as easy as you can!

Do you have any time-saving tips in the kitchen for dinner? Do Share!

~Happy planning!

~Kelly Devine Rickert MS RD CSSD LDN

Quick Healthy Dinner Recipes!

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Pasta with Zucchini and Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
• 1 pound Rotini, Twists or Spirals, uncooked, whole grain
• 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 5-6 cups)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450. Place your garlic on a 12-inch square piece of foil on the counter. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary. Pour the oil over the garlic and herbs. Draw up the edges of the foil and make a sealed packet. Bake 20 minutes.
  2. While the garlic is baking, cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before pasta is done, add the zucchini to the pasta cooking water. Cook two minutes. Drain zucchini and pasta.
  3. Open the foil and mash the garlic lightly with a spoon. Toss with the pasta and zucchini, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Sides: Serve with a side salad and whole-wheat dinner roll. (Open to bake chicken breasts to add more protein).
http://www.ilovepasta.org/resource-center/recipes/pasta-zucchini-and-roasted-garlic

Egg Flatbread Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1/8 cup finely chopped broccoli
1/8 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 green onions, finely chopped (or sub any veggie you wish!)
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
dried dill weed to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 multi­grain Sandwich Thins

Instructions:
Spray a nonstick 10­ inch skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat; add broccoli, bell
pepper and onions. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender.
Beat egg whites, cheese, dill weed, salt and pepper together with fork. Pour into skillet
over vegetables. As eggs start to set, lift the edges with a spatula, allowing uncooked eggs to flow to bottom of skillet. Cook until eggs are set but still moist and place on sandwich thin.
Substitution: Top eggs with a handful of baby spinach, arugula leaves, or a few thinly sliced tomatoes

Tilapia Fish Tacos
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Fresh tilapia, 1 lb, cut into 1-inch strips
1 Tablespoon Cajun spice
3 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
3 Plum tomatoes, chopped
1 Green onion, chopped
1 Teaspoons ground cumin
2 Lime, juiced and divided
8 Corn taco shells
1/2 Cups Sour cream, low fat
1/2 Cups Mexican style finely shredded taco cheese
1 Cup Romaine lettuce, shredded
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Lime, juiced
Lime wedges

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. In a bowl, toss fish with Cajun spices and 2 tablespoons of oil.
  3. Place tilapia on a baking sheet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish turns opaque.
  4. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, green onions, cumin, 1 tablespoon oil, juice of one lime, salt
    and pepper.
  5. Divide tilapia among taco shells and add desired toppings.