1. Stir-fry nightThis can be a mix of vegetables and meat over any grain (quinoa, rice). It is so easy, so fast, and so delicious! I usually keep it as an Asian-inspired meal, with soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, garlic, and a little coconut sugar. You could easily mix in any other spices — think Italian herbs, curry, or even salsa and beans to make it into a burrito bowl!
2. Grain bowl night Inspired by Tom and Gisele, I have started to make meals like this, and my family is loving it! Start with a grain like rice or farro or quinoa at the bottom of the bowl. In a pinch, I use this from Trader Joe’s and add some sautéed onions, roasted garlic, or some other flavor profile. Then add some roasted veggies (we like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, or all of the above), or you could do raw veggies to make it a salad, topped with an avocado or a lean protein like grilled chicken, salmon, or a fried egg. Yum! 3. Soup/chili or grill and salad nightThis can be seasonal — soups or stews in the fall and winter, grilled dinners in the spring and summer. Truth be told, our family loves our favorite chili recipe year round, though! 4. Pasta night In our house, and especially with my daughters, it’s all about sprinkling cheese and whatever I can serve as a vehicle for more cheese (see chili above!), so pasta obviously fits the bill here. You can use white pasta, go whole grain, or try an ancient grain — or even make a zoodle! Red sauce, butter, or pesto make it delicious, and we throw in as many veggies as we can here (you can even do this in the meatballs if you are topping your pasta that way). 5, 6, 7. Wild card or repeat nightsThe other three nights of the week are either repeat nights or wild card nights. Sometimes it’s a date night, if we’re lucky, and then there is frozen pizza or takeout for the littles. Other times we all venture out to a restaurant. For us, wild card nights in our house are family favorites, like taco Tuesday, breakfast for dinner, chicken picatta (totally grown-up chicken fingers!), or a special recipe I’m excited to try. It helps to have a little list of our favorite dinners to refer to as well — such a fun thing to brainstorm as a family, and this exercise completely empowers everyone to be part of the healthy eating process.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2016
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