How many times have we heard the famous words, “What’s for dinner, mom?”
When I became a new mom, I had dreams of serving the most delicious (and by the way nutritious) meals for my family…then reality hit! I really had to make extraordinary efforts to put something decent in the table.
So how you can begin to cook flavorful and healthy meals for your children that are tasty and easy to prepare?
Let me provide you with some important tips to get you started:
Know the basics – Kids need to eat a wide variety of foods including those high in protein, fiber and calcium to get the nutrients essential to their health and help them grow and thrive. A good rule of thumb is to make sure every meal contains at least three of the following five food groups, and every snack contains at least two groups:
- Grains (e.g., bread, ready-to-eat-cereal, rice, pasta)
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Milk/dairy
- Meat/beans (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, eggs, peanut butter, nuts, seeds)
Start simple – Home cooked meals do not have to be complicated. Make friends with your microwave. This equipment is not only for making popcorn! The microwave may not be the only equipment that can help you cook fast meals, but when you’re short of time, it gets the job done for steaming, cooking, boiling, or reheating already cooked meals.
Prepare meals in 5 minutes – Here is the secret formula to preparing fast meals:
- Choose a lean meat cooked on the grill, broiled or cooked in a skillet with your favorite sauce (or with 1 teaspoon of oil)
- Choose a vegetable, which you can steam in the microwave
- Complete the meal with a simple salad of tomatoes and cucumbers.
Here you have prepared a dinner with a blink of an eye. It’s not a gourmet meal but you can serve it in 5 minutes!
Keep meals flavorful and healthy – In Hispanic families, we love the bold flavors of our meals and that is why we enjoy sharing them with our family. The problem with our flavorful meals is that many of our favorite recipes contain too much fat, salt and sugar. This is true for many cultures, so take a careful look at familiar favorites. It’s so important to pay attention to hidden fat, salt or sugar that can easily add additional calories to our recipes.
Be adventurous! Experiment with recipes – Don’t be afraid to experiment with new recipes or try to make the recipe more nutritious by cutting some of the fat, lowering the salt, adding less sugar or by adding more fiber to the recipe. Below, you will find simple and delicious substitutions that will save you many calories.
- Cinnamon for sweet potatoes
- Vinegar, with just a little olive oil, for salads
- Lemon for fish
- Rice cooked in fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
Did you know that…
… A tablespoon of butter adds 100 calories?
… A tablespoon of cream adds 80 calories?
… Two tablespoons of mole Poblano adds 50 calories
Instead, try…
… One lemon adds 0 calories
… Vinegar adds 0 calories
… Pico de gallo (without oil) only adds 9 calories
… 2 tablespoons of green or red mole adds 30 calories
Be a role model – Like it or not, we are the best role models for our children so finding out the best ways to eat produce is a good practice. Here are a few tips for making those vegetables taste yummy!
- Roast or grill: corn, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, etc.
- Bake: potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots with a drizzle of olive oil and your spice of choice.
- Chop or slice: celery, broccoli, etc.
- Eat raw: baby carrots, grape tomatoes, etc.
