HEALTHY LIVING TIP OF THE DAY
By Melanie Douglass, R.D., NASM
Author: Tip-a-Day Guide to Healthy Living
(Deseret Book, 2007)
www.tipadayguide.com
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Three Super Easy, Healthy Dinners
Many of us feel like we have to make something extravagant for dinner… and feeling like “there’s nothing good to cook for dinner” can be the one driving factor that, well, ends up driving us out the door—and to the nearest restaurant. Instead of sabotaging your health, think simple and get back to the basics of healthy eating, even when you’re living life in the fast lane. Let go of the idea of a “perfect dinner” (save those for the nights when you actually have time to cook) and focus on nutrition for you and your family. Adjust your standards to make your priorities be 1) nutrition 2) ease and 3) taste. Here are three downright easy dinners that nourish your body and keep your sanity in tact, try one today:
Dinner Option 1
Whole-wheat tortillas filled with black beans and sprinkled with cheese and salsa; serve with apple slices or fresh berries and a glass of low-fat milk.
Dinner Option 2
Boiled eggs over fresh baby spinach (or greens) topped with tomatoes, green peas (microwave frozen peas for 1 minute to soften), carrots, corn or any vegetables of choice; low-fat salad dressing; fruit and a glass of milk.
Dinner Option 3
Fresh fruit; steamed veggies (or veggies with salad dressing dip); whole-wheat toast with cheese or peanut butter; low-fat milk.
If these dinner options look boring, dull, or simply too basic for you… wait until you see the table below! The superior nutritional power of simple at-home meals is obvious when you compare at-home meals to hitting a drive-thru or ordering take-out.
| Bean Tortilla Meal | Typical Cheeseburger, Fries, Cola Meal |
|
| Calories | 460 | 1130 |
| Fat | 10 | 46 |
| Saturated | 9 (mostly from cheese) |
13 |
| Sodium | 1200 (skip cheese & salsa to cut sodium) |
1650 |
| Fiber | 13 | 7 |
| Protein | 27 | 34 |
| Salad & Fruit Meal* | Typical 2-Slice Pizza 2-Breadstick Meal |
|
| Calories | 410 | 1100 |
| Fat | 9 | 54 |
| Saturated Fat |
3 | 16 |
| Sodium | 380 | 2300 |
| Fiber | 12 | 6 |
| Protein | 40 | 40 |
| Toast, Fruit & Veggie Meal* | Typical Mexican (2 Enchiladas, Beans, Rice) Meal |
|
| Calories | 410 | 1260 |
| Fat | 9 | 57 |
| Saturated Fat |
4 | 19 |
| Sodium | 590 | 2850 |
| Fiber | 12 | n/a |
| Protein | 40 | n/a |