Now that a lot of us are back to a busy fall routine, we
need to make the extra effort to have quick and healthy meals
on hand. Here are some tips for busy parents, students, and
working people of all ages: when preparing a healthy dish,
double your ingredients and get twice the reward (dinner
for 2 nights instead of 1). Have pre-cut veggies on hand
to toss into a stir fry dish. Buy pre-washed salad ingredients
like mesclun mix and baby spinach. Have low fat dressing
on hand for a quick, healthy salad that you can add to any
meal. For quick and tasty meals that require little effort,
try one of these ideas tonight:
- fajitas - take 2 whole wheat 6" wraps and
fill with stir fried veggies with chicken or tofu.
Top with low fat mozzarella cheese (you can buy it already
shredded), lettuce, and salsa. Wrap it all up and enjoy!
- instead of Kraft dinner, Mr. Noodles or
other pre-packaged pasta dishes, save yourself
some money and cut down on sodium by boiling your own
whole wheat noodles (any kind will do). Top with tomato
sauce and low fat parmesan cheese. Serve with salad for
a balanced meal.
- everyone loves tacos.try this twist on an old
favorite. Buy Yves Veggie Ground Round (or extra lean ground
beef for those meat lovers) and sauté it with
diced mushrooms, onions, and green pepper. Fill up
2-3 taco shells and top with grated cheese, diced tomatoes,
lettuce and salsa. Enjoy!
|
|
When we are eating on the go, and
we think we don't have time to cook a meal, frozen entrees
look like a suitable meal option (take note, that all of the
above meals in What's Hot take 10 minutes or less to prepare).
The challenges we face with the frozen entrée option
is that they are often lacking in vegetables, low in dietary
fiber (made with white rice or pasta), and they pack in a lot
of sodium (typically 800 mg or more per serving). Eating a
pre-packaged frozen dinner is better than not eating at all,
so if you are going to keep these convenience foods on hand,
remember this: choose meals with 300-500 calories per serving,
less than 600 mg of sodium, and 3 or more grams of fiber. Add
in a piece of fruit, raw veggies or a salad to help round out
the meal.
|