We’ve been talking about healthy dinners on busy weeknights. It’s possible! Use tasty, simple foods and balance your meals for family-friendly dinners without fuss. In the last post, we talked about lean, affordable proteins that everyone can enjoy within minutes. In this post, we’ll cover vegetables and high-fiber carbs.
We’ll start with vegetables, focusing on ones that I can get my son to eat reliably. When planning meals, I start with vegetables because they’re the trickiest to get my son to eat. Vegetables are high in fiber, low in calories, and full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Then we’ll talk about the final corner of your plate: a portion of high-fiber carbohydrates like whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fruit. Along with fiber, they add important nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They’re also great sources of energy.
Vegetables for Adults and Kids
Vegetables can be easier for adults than kids. I usually have a big green salad at dinner, and often raw vegetables like cucumber, carrots, or bell peppers. I have a plenty of cooked vegetables, too, enjoying any type, such as eggplant, turnip, cabbage, beet root, broccoli, or onions.
My son has a more limited list of go-to vegetables. Here’s what I can currently get him to eat.
Fresh Vegetables
Fresh vegetables can take a little more effort to prepare, but they’re pretty easy. If you cook a bigger batch, you can use them for a few nights. Zucchini, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and onions are current fresh choices for my son.
Canned Vegetables
Low-sodium canned vegetables are better choices than regular ones, but the reality can be different. In my household, I’m happy if my son will eat vegetables, so I don’t worry about the sodium content. Canned seasoned tomatoes, carrots, and green beans are our most frequent choices.
Frozen Vegetables
These are great for increasing variety because they offer non-seasonal vegetables at constant prices. Variety is important because a variety of vegetables means a variety of nutrients. Frozen vegetables also mean you don’t have to peel or chop anything. Frozen mixed vegetables, broccoli, and cauliflower are some of the most frequent choices in our home. My son also likes crinkle cut frozen carrots, though he doesn’t like cooked fresh carrot slices.
High-Fiber Carbohydrate Foods
Most kids and adults love carbohydrates, but it’s best to opt for high-fiber ones to improve blood sugar control and nutrient intake, not to mention support stable energy and weight control. Getting the best carb sources can take some planning, but it’s not too hard! Here are some routine choices in our home.
Whole-Grain Pasta
Whole-wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce, penne pasta with chicken, and elbows with parmesan cheese are quick and easy. Kids also seem to like plain pasta as a finger food. If you don’t like scrubbing pots after cooking pasta, you can boiling water over pasta and soak it until it’s al dente or soft.
Sweet Potatoes
High in vitamin A and naturally sweet, they’re easy for kids and adults to enjoy. You can use them just like you use white potatoes, such as julienned in strips and baked with sea salt instead of French fries, or baked and served with plain yogurt and broccoli florets. Kids might enjoy them as pizzas, sliced and baked with tomato sauce and low-fat mozzarella cheese.
White Potatoes
White potatoes have a bad reputation, but they’re a lot healthier when they’re not fried in oil, mashed with butter, or served baked with bacon and sour cream. Try them with broccoli and low-fat cheddar cheese, or cook them lightly, dice them, and toss them with eggs in a pan.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is as easy to cook as white rice, and it’s more nutritious. For extra flavor, cook it in low-sodium broth instead of water. Serve it plain, with some cooked onions and peas, or with sliced almonds. You can also make fried rice with egg, cooked mixed vegetables, and any additional vegetables or proteins you like. Use cooking spray or a small amount of olive or canola oil.
Kabocha and Other Winter Squash
Kabocha, acorn, and butternut squash are hard-shell squash, or winter squash. High in fiber and potassium, and lower in carbohydrates and calories than potatoes and sweet potatoes, they are tasty and easy to store for weeks or longer. Bake slices with a brush of olive oil, and serve them plain or with cottage cheese. You can also cook a whole squash and puree the flesh to use in soup or stew.
Whole-Grain Crackers
Wheat Thins, Triscuits, and other whole-grain crackers can be a solution when you’re stuck for time and need a healthy carb. Kids love them! For a quick, kid-friendly meal, serve them with peanut butter or a hard-boiled egg along with grape tomatoes and grapes. It’s ready in seconds and has tons of nutrients!
Fruit – A Sweet Source of Nutrients
Fruit is naturally sweet and a source of fiber and potassium, and most kids love many kinds. Bananas are a year-round favorite in our home, but my son can eat impressive amounts of watermelon all summer. Most kids seem to love strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, mandarins or tangerines, and apples. Mangos, pineapple, kiwi, and oranges are more favorites.
Any fresh fruit is a good option, with more variety equalling a wider variety of phytonutrients. If you opt for frozen or canned, just check for types that are unsweetened or have no sugar added.
Fruit can be your family’s dessert, or you can serve it as a side for the main dish. For a more special-seeming dessert, try a fresh or frozen fruit salad with chopped peanuts or nuts and 1-2 tablespoons of whipped topping or 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. You can also cook apples or pears plain or with cinnamon and serve them sliced or pureed into a chunky or smooth sauce.
Now we’ve talked about the main portions of your plate from proteins and vegetables to high-fiber starches and fruit. Next we’ll cover tips for making healthy meals fly in your family!
Balanced, healthy meals can be possible every night when you have the right foods on hand. To chat more about healthy eating in real life, make an appointment!
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