Healthy Family Dinner Ideas

When clients meet with me, I almost always ask "what did you have for dinner last night?". This sometimes throws people off guard and they can't remember. For my long standing clients, they say "I knew you were going to ask that!". I ask this question because sometimes it is very telling in terms of what types of foods they have in their house. Sometimes, they tell me an excuse of why they ate poorly, and we try to come up with a plan to help make a better choice next time that situation occurs. I do find that people struggle with coming up with fun, interesting, and healthy meal ideas that they want to make and that the family will eat. So, I find myself rattling off what I made for dinner that week so far to give them ideas. I recently realized that I should just write a blog about this to provide my readers with ideas, and I can even send my clients to this post to have the ideas at their fingertips. Below are meals that I make on a regular basis... and some that I don't make all that frequently, but I have made. I've also included some that are maybe not 100% healthy, but hey, you have to live a little, and it's a heck of a lot healthier to eat these than to eat most takeout or frozen pizzas.

MEAL IDEAS YOU CAN MAKE EVERY WEEK:

• Turkey Meatloaf with a side of mashed butternut squash and a steamed green vegetable (green beans, broccoli, etc.) OR mashed cauliflower
• Air Fried Salmon with air fried Brussels sprouts and sweet potato or parsnip wedges
• Lentil Loaf with a side green salad*
• Lentil Curry (I use "light coconut milk") over quinoa/farro/barley
• Chicken sausage with cauliflower gnocchi (like Trader Joe's or Green Giant) and pan fried cabbage (in a touch of oil with chicken broth)
• Homemade Greek Salad with grilled chicken or chickpeas and farro
• A Mostly egg-white omelet or Frittata with LOTS of veggies and a slice of whole wheat/grain toast
• Shrimp Stir Fry with frozen stir fry vegetables over cooked quinoa
• Lentil Pasta Primavera with marinara sauce and lots of cooked veggies (zucchini, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.)
• Grilled chicken and veggies - served with side sweet potato or grain
• Turkey Burger on a 100% whole wheat bun with grilled or steamed veggies
• Kelly's Turkey Pumpkin Chili
• Kelly's Bean Pasta Casserole
• Tacos or Fajitas made with ground turkey, chicken, or beans. Wrap with an organic whole wheat pita and lots of veggies. Serve with fresh salsa and plain Greek yogurt.

"FUN"/EASY MEALS FOR THE WEEKENDS OR OCCASIONALLY

• Bagged salad (eg: kale salad from Costco) diluted a LOT with other greens and veg (arugula, spinach, chopped broccoli, cole slaw veg) and served with leftover or Rotisserie chicken breast
• Cauliflower Crust Frozen Pizza with a side salad*
• Tastybite Lentils/Chickpeas served over cauliflower rice
• Veggie Burger (I look for ones with >10 g protein, <150 calories, and mostly bean ingredients) with a side salad, 1/2 whole wheat pita (I like Wegman's Organic 100% Whole Wheat) with hummus.
• Green Giant Protein Bowls (freezer section) with additional frozen non-starchy veggies added
• Breakfast for dinner- Kodiak Cake Whole Grain pancakes with a side of an egg white veggie omelet
• BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with a side of sauteed Brussels Sprouts
• Turkey Sandwich/wrap (on 100% whole wheat/grain bread/tortilla) with a side salad*

*For side salads, I recommend using a healthy green base such as arugula, spinach, or spring mix. Add lots of solid veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, steamed broccoli, celery, broccoli/cole slaw) and a homemade dressing (oil, vinegar or lemon juice, mustard, salt OR plain Greek yogurt mixed with salsa), or Bolthouse Farms yogurt-based dressings (found in the refrigerator part of the produce section).

Hopefully this helps provide you with some healthy meal ideas going forward the next few weeks. And maybe, just maybe, some of these ideas helped you brainstorm and come up with your own meal idea that your family will enjoy.