Can you guess what’s one of the best things you can do for the health and diet of your family? Eat dinner together at home. Yup. That’s the latest research finding from the American Academy of Pediatrics. In a report published in the journal Pediatrics, the AAP lists family dinners as one of the key strategies Americans can use to help prevent obesity and eating disorders among adolescents.
According to the report, “Eating family meals together seven or more times per week resulted in families consuming one serving more of fruits and vegetables per day compared with families who had no meals together.” Currently, more than 60 percent of Americans do not consume the minimum recommended serving of 4 and 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables daily. Other research suggests folks who eat the most home-cooked meals not only eat healthier but also consume about 135 fewer calories daily, on average, compared to those who don’t prepare their own meals. In other words, preparing your own dinner more often could be very kind to your waist.
[See: How to Make a Healthy, Tasty Sandwich.]
This report couldn’t have come at a better time as September is National Family Meals Month. As the kiddies head back to school and family life gets more hectic than those less scheduled summer days, many families need help in getting a healthy meal on the dinner table with ease and minimal stress.
My favorite pull-together family dinner is my Marvelous Microwave Meatballs sub. I make the meatballs on Sunday and store them in the refrigerator for a meal during the week. The meatballs can be quickly reheated in the microwave, ladled onto a whole-wheat roll and served with a tossed salad. The meal is very kid-friendly and one of the easiest ways to get a healthy dinner on the table in record time.
Here are other tips and recipe ideas from my nutrition colleagues for fast and healthy dinners:
For registered dietitian nutritionist Elisa Zied, author of “Feed Your Family Right” and “Younger Next Week,” a stocked kitchen is the key to whipping up a quick dinner. “Make sure you’re always stocked up on staples and basics such as low-sodium canned beans, no-sodium canned or frozen vegetables, salsa, reduced-fat sour cream, shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese and small whole-wheat tortillas. These items can be paired with high quality protein (chicken, beef, fish, tofu) and mixed and matched — even by your kids — to make quick and easy fajitas or quesadillas packed with protein, fiber and so much more,” she says. Here’s her recipe for the fabulous Cheesy Chicken Fajitas that are her family favorite.
[See: 10 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 10 Minutes.]
Registered dietitian nutritionist Toby Amidor, author of “The Greek Yogurt Kitchen,” swears by her Chicken Plov. This Russian-inspired chicken and rice dish is one of her family favorites, and the leftovers are a gift that keeps giving during the week for another dinner or lunches. Since this recipe is a one-pot meal, you won’t have many dishes to clean up.
If you want a complete dinner with only three ingredients, try Liz Ward’s Broccoli Cheese Calzone. Ward is the author of “How to Feed Yourself and Your Family Better” and a wizard on how to use healthy, convenient foods to get dinner on the table in a flash. She uses store-bought pizza dough, frozen chopped broccoli and shredded cheese to whip up this calzone recipe in minutes.
The Meal Makeover Moms (aka dietitians Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex) have created tons of recipes that do double duty for dinner and the kiddies’ school lunches. Their Soba Noodles with Peanuts, Carrots and Snow Peas fits that bill because you can serve it for dinner with a bright green salad on the side, and then pack leftovers as a cold salad in lunch boxes the next day.
Registered dietitian nutritionis Holley Grainger, a lifestyle and culinary nutrition expert, uses flavor-packed, wholesome products to her advantage when trying to get dinner on the table fast. Her 4-Ingredient Shrimp and Pesto Pasta uses quick-cooking refrigerated pasta, tossing it with prepared pesto, cooked shrimp and tomatoes for a simple, delicious, seafood dinner delight.
[See: 8 Unusual Grilling Ideas, from Chickpeas to Grilled Lemonade.]
Hungry for more information and dinnertime support? Registered dietitian nutritionist Melissa Joy Dobbins has created Do M.O.R.E. with Dinner as a way to make more out of her family’s dinnertime through fun, food and nutrition. This free, web-based resource provides ideas and inspiration for ways to enjoy a healthier and happier dinnertime, including recipes, meal-planning tips, grocery shopping strategies and fun conversation starters.
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Why You Need To Break Bread With Your Family originally appeared on usnews.com
