healthy dinner sides?

Fat2FitAmanda
Fat2FitAmanda Posts: 118
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
I'm having a hard time finding sides that are both healthy and ones that my family will eat and enjoy. It's so hard to be the only one in a family preparing the meals and the only one watching their calories! I am usually eating something different than them most nights and I don't like doing that. So any suggestions would be appreciated!! :)

Replies

  • mallorybriann
    mallorybriann Posts: 1,380 Member
    I love fresh spinach with a little olive oil and garlic
    Sweet potatoes with a little brown sugar and cinnamon
    Roasted red potatoes with dijon mustard
    Stir fry vegetables
    :)
    Oh, and quinoa (keen-wah)
  • udallmom101
    udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
    My family really likes the Uncle Ben's Whole Grain rice sides. They also love roasted sweet potatoes with a little salt and pepper. When preparing the rice sides, just leave out the butter or oil it calls for. It all comes out the same. I jazz up some fresh, frozen green beans with a little red onion diced finely and fresh garlic and pepper, with a little splash of lemon juice. My family has also eaten mashed cauliflower in their mashed potatoes and they had no idea. I do about half and half of potato and cauliflower. Just have to be sneaky with my group sometimes!
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    These taste like baked cheesy spinach...so good! I use frozen spinach instead of fresh just because it is cheaper and I always have it on hand.

    http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/parmesan_spinach_cakes.html
  • armywife121110
    armywife121110 Posts: 117
    green giant makes amazing steamable sides for anytime, i usualy take them for my lunch but they have family size ones as well!!
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    my kids like applesauce
    salad
    cucumbers and carrots (with a little bit of ranch to dip it in)
    green beans
    corn on the cob
    whole grain rice sides
    broccolli and cheese
    mixed veggies
    baked potato
  • toxicat
    toxicat Posts: 79
    One way is to think about how you can create healthier alternatives of their favorites. For example, using red potatoes with light mayo instead of the full fat stuff, and not using as much of it can cut down a lot. Potatoes are still very healthy for you if eaten in the right portion size. If you're doing fries, cook them in extra virgin olive oil, which is very good for you. I do these things on occasion, as I try not to overdo the potatoes, but it keeps us from going out to eat, or stopping at fast food restaurants.

    I always liked boiled squash as a kid with butter (though I have healthier butter in my house!) and broccoli was great too, served either way. What kind of foods does your family like, healthy or not?
  • orange_avocado
    orange_avocado Posts: 232
    Veggies! I started limiting myself to just vegetable sides (ie: no carbs) and it's amazing how much more creative I'm gotten in terms of preparation. I know it can be hard with kids, but once you find a few that they like, maybe you can use those and mix more in?

    I make...

    Baked asparagus
    Sauteed spinach (with garlic or balsamic vinegar)
    Buttered, baked carrots
    Cauliflower sauteed in curry powder
    Grilled corn on the cob
    Zucchini baked/sauteed with olive oil
    Mashed cauliflower with butter
    Baked sweet potato
    Sweet Potato wedges (like fries)
    Steamed Broccoli with cheese
    Mashed butternut squash with turnips or carrots
  • Midcoast_Mermaid
    Midcoast_Mermaid Posts: 41
    Have you ever tried Quinoa? It is a super grain and you can do soooo much with it!!
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
    Potatoes
    Brown rice
    Quinoa
    Polenta
    Whole grain pasta

    Any of those can be made with whatever seaoning you like with a little olive oil and veggies.

    Sweet potato 'fries' just cut them up and bake.
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
    bump
  • SKP1986
    SKP1986 Posts: 392 Member
    I hate vegetables with a burning passion, but I've had to start changing my diet as well as adding exercise. Unfortunately, that means eating vegetables.

    Green Giant has these frozen veggies that are endorsed by weight watchers, really tasty, and super quick and easy to prepare. The best part is that it barely even seems like you are eating veggies because the flavor is so good. I suggest trying some of those.

    Also, substitute brown rice instead of white rice and things like that. It shouldn't be about cutting out all the things that you (and your family) love, but finding healthier substitutions for those tasty sides that everyone is familiar with.
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
    Recently, I've really been into butternut squash. Super healthy and it's very rich tasting and filling. Since there are just two of us, I can get 4 dinners out of one big squash.

    I chop a cup of squash per person up into cubes, lightly drizzle olive oil and sprinkle cinnamon over the top, cover, and cook for about 25-30 minutes. You have to cover or it won't soften up.

    EDIT: That's at a cooking temp of 350.
  • bast2112
    bast2112 Posts: 63
    If you go to Costco, get the bag of Normandy Vegetables. It's a medley of broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots and sliced yellow carrots. My 4 year old loves it! Sometimes I sprinkle a little cheese on top, but she likes it steamed with nothing on it. So good, so easy because it's always on hand.

    I also mix green veggies into the main dishes (I buy a lot of frozen since the nutrient content is just as good as fresh). Chopped frozen spinach works in lots of things, as does asparagus, peas, edamame, green beans, broccoli... Depending on the age of your kids, coming up with funny names for things might help them to find the food more interesting. One night we made dinner while talking like pirates the whole time. We made Creamed Tuna on Plank (toast) with Fish Eyes (peas) sprinkled on top. I've heard of calling broccoli Shrek Ears too. LOL!
  • LindsayChick
    LindsayChick Posts: 129 Member
    Steamed broccoli and carrots
    salad (my husband loads it up w/ croutons and cheese but you don't have to! haha)
    vegetable steamers (sold in freezer isle)
    Green beans -- I buy it fresh in produce section and (break ends and peel) and saute w olive oil, salt and pepper
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I have the same problem - no kids but DH isn't on the healthy diet bandwagon with me... For the most part I've continued to make the same sides but make sure I keep my portion reasonable and fill the rest of my plate up with green veggies. Luckily I'm not a huge fan of mashed potatoes but he is so I make them a lot of the time and don't mind limiting my portion to 1/2 cup.
  • Fat2FitAmanda
    Fat2FitAmanda Posts: 118
    Thank you all for the delicious sounding suggestions! I definitely always make a veggie but they get boring! So seeing some of these ideas will definitely come in handy. Now this may be a dumb question but....is sauteeing basically "frying"? I always feel like I'm making a food unhealthy if I'm doing that. As far as what other sides my family likes, the extent of what we have are baked potatoes, boxed potatoes, and mac and cheese (which I RARELY ever give them because I know how bad it is!!) A lot of times I'm making meals that don't require a side like chicken fajitas and taco soup but those sides get very played out. My husband hates rice so that's hardly ever on our menu. He's not a huge fan of sweet potatoes. I've made the Cook Yourself Thin baked sweet potato and it was just overkill, I didn't even care for it. So this quinoa, what can you do with that? I've seen Rachel Ray make things with it, but never had it.

    It would def be so much easier if DH was on board with me! He always says he wants to get in shape so he can play softball (the man pulls a muscle just looking at someone who's exercising!) but he never ever does anything about it. That's a whole other posting in itself! If anyone has any ideas of what you feed a man on the road for lunch everyday, I'll gladly accept those suggestions too! He eats lunch meat and cheese sandwiches with a half gallon of green tea everyday. He's super picky!! ugh Anyway...I am going to try some of these ideas out and hopefully the family will just accept it and enjoy! :) Thanks again!
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    I can relate before this my family typically ate french fries, tator tots, mac and cheese, alfredo noodles etc. (I was the only one overweight - go figure) anyways - I have found that they will eventually eat the healthier foods!

    AS far as lunch for your husband. My fiance needs to gain weight if nothign else his lunch today -
    3 cans of pepsi
    2 donut sticks
    2 handfuls of grapes
    1 banana
    1 can of chunky soup
    1 small bag of doritos.

    Must be nice LOL
  • Fat2FitAmanda
    Fat2FitAmanda Posts: 118
    I can relate before this my family typically ate french fries, tator tots, mac and cheese, alfredo noodles etc. (I was the only one overweight - go figure) anyways - I have found that they will eventually eat the healthier foods!

    AS far as lunch for your husband. My fiance needs to gain weight if nothign else his lunch today -
    3 cans of pepsi
    2 donut sticks
    2 handfuls of grapes
    1 banana
    1 can of chunky soup
    1 small bag of doritos.


    Must be nice LOL

    LOL that's all just lunch??
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
    i'm trying to think of what my mom fed me when i was little for sides:

    applesauce
    salad
    broccoli
    brown rice
    potatoes
    green beans (LOVE them. i wanted to eat them at every meal)
    homemade fries (baked)
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