After some Healthy Family meal ideas

MellowYellowGem

I'm about to write my shopping list, getting a bit bored of my usual meals, looking for inspiration for healthy family meals ( with 2 young kids). Any ideas - cheap & simple the better - fire away!

arcoriell

Thanks for this post! I could use some ideas, too.

CristineD

Not sure where you are but these are based on what we can get in UK shops. We have chicken and salad wraps quite often (the lower calorie wraps). I will grill our chicken and then give my daughter (she's 2 and a half) chicken nuggets in hers. Fill it up with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and lighter cheese. We'll have it with grilled sweet potato chips and red or orange pepper slices. My hubby isn't watching his weight so much so I'll make him a portion of oven baked chips.

MellowYellowGem

Not sure where you are but these are based on what we can get in UK shops. We have chicken and salad wraps quite often (the lower calorie wraps). I will grill our chicken and then give my daughter (she's 2 and a half) chicken nuggets in hers. Fill it up with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and lighter cheese. We'll have it with grilled sweet potato chips and red or orange pepper slices. My hubby isn't watching his weight so much so I'll make him a portion of oven baked chips.

That's a good one thanks! Me & other half like spicy fajitas, but this would be a nice lower calorie version that children would enjoy too. I'm in the UK too by the way!

melsinct

Check out the recipe collections at EatingWell.com. Every recipe has nutritional values listed and you can browse different recipe collections, e.g. Inexpensive, vegetarian, quick cooking, etc. I have never made a bad recipe from there and I have used that website heavily. Also, many of the recipes are already in the MFP database.

emsibun

Turkey chilli - serves 4 adults comfortably, I freeze half of it for another day.

I calculated this is 440 cals per serving - it will depend on where you buy your ingredients though.

One pack of turkey breast steaks chopped into 2cm pieces or pieces (about 400g give or take a little)
One red/green/yellow/orange pepper - red looks best but whatever is cheapest for us usually! chop this up and roast it for 20 minutes in the oven covered in spray oil the night before you want to cook this meal - cook it with your dinner that day to save electricity!
Two small tins of kidney beans in tomato and chilli
One jar or arrabiatta pasta sauce (the spicy one)
Extra chilli powder and/or chilli flakes to taste.
Enough wholegrain rice for the number of people you are cooking for.

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Check the rice cooking times: If it takes around 20 mins once you put it on the boil, put the water on now. If it takes around 10 mins once you put it on to boil, put the water on once the turkey has coloured.

Fry (in spray oil) the chopped up turkey until it's coloured all over.

Add the roasted pepper pieces to the turkey. Cook for 2 minutes.

Put the water on to boil for the rice if you havent already done so.

Add the pasta arrabiatta sauce to the turkey. It will need to cook for however long you have left until the rice is ready: If this is more than 10 minutes, add 50ml of hot water (otherwise it may reduce too fast).

Once the rice has only 5 minutes left until it is cooked and ready, add the one tin of kidney beans in tomato and chilli if two people are eating and you plan to freeze half. If you arent freezing any, add both tin. Stir the kidney bean mixture into the turkey, pepper and arrabiatta mixture to heat thoroughly.

Drain the rice and serve with the turkey chilli.

Enjoy!

kfitz10103

I have several. I try to keep them to $1.50 per serving so they are very cheap

Turkey and Spinach Lasagna
Directions
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup dry red wine
3T dried Basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) container 1 percent low-fat cottage cheese
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces Jimmy Dean pre-cooked turkey sausage
9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles, 5 1/2-ounces, (recommended: Barilla)
1 1/2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, 6 ounces
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small pot bring the tomatoes, wine, 1 ½ T Basil Leaves, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, to a simmer; cook until slightly thickened, 10 minutes; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, mix the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. add the ricotta, spinach, 1 ½ T basil, nutmeg, and salt and pepper and pulse until just combined; set aside.
3. Assemble the lasagna: Mist a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the sausage and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with sauce, noodles, remaining ricotta and sausage and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the noodles are tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the pan, 1 hour.
5. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and continue to bake until melted, 10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve.
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 350; Total Fat 12.5g (Sat Fat 5g, Mono Fat 3g, Poly Fat 1.5g); Protein 29g; Carb 30g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 36mg; Sodium 848mg


Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay for Food Network Magazine
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (90 percent lean)
1 cup panko (coarse Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, bell
peppers, garlic paste and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the
vegetables are almost soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Whisk the egg and fresh herbs in a large bowl. Add the turkey, panko, grated cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2
tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the cooled vegetables; mix until just combined.
Gently press the mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup
balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small bowl; brush the mixture over the entire
loaf. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Per serving: Calories 270; Fat 14 g (Sat. 4.2 g; Mono. 6.3 g; Poly. 3.1 g); Cholesterol 104 mg; Sodium
451 mg; Carbohydrate 16 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 20 g



Chicken and Rice Casserole

Calories 354
Fat (g) 11
Saturated Fat (g) 3
Cholesterol (mg) 62
Fiber (g) 5.5
Light & Easy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Photo: Elaine Magee
Ingredients:
10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of chicken or celery soup
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
3 cups frozen green beans
3 cups diced, cooked chicken breast, without skin
1 medium sweet or yellow onion, chopped
8 ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
4 ounce jar or can pimentos, drained (optional)
4 cups cooked brown rice (or cooked brown rice and wild rice blend)
1 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or 3-quart casserole dish) with canola cooking spray.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine condensed soup, light mayonnaise and fat free sour cream.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl and combine with mayonnaise mixture. Spread into prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Yield: makes 8 servings
Nutritional Information per serving: 354 calories, 25 g protein, 38.5 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat, 62 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 435 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28 percent.