How to Fix a Healthy Dinner

In today's fast-paced and often rushed society, the ideal of the family dinner is getting quickly pushed aside for the convenience of drive-thru meals-on-the-go. Not only does fast food undermine the values of the dinner table, it is often high in fat, loaded with added salt and lacking in fruits and vegetables.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Plan dinners a week in advance. One of the easiest ways to get healthy meals on the table is to plan for them. Look through various cookbooks for ideas or write down your family's favorite recipes.
2. Shop wisely. When your pantry and refrigerator are stocked with the essential ingredients needed to create a healthy dinner, you will be less tempted to shop for convenience foods. Skip the frozen foods section of the market and purchase whole fruits and vegetables instead. Likewise, don't choose frozen or boxed dinners.
3. Revaluate your standard dinners to determine how to make them healthier. For example, substitute ground turkey in place of ground beef when making tacos and meatloaf. Buy whole-grain pastas and breads. When fixing pasta sauce, mix in pureed zucchini or bell peppers.
4. Eat a vegetarian dinner. Not every meal needs to include meat. Choosing a vegetable-based diet doesn't mean sacrificing taste, and you'll cut fat and calories while adding protein and fiber.
5. Watch portion sizes. Serve meals on small salad plates rather than large dinner plates. Eat slowly, taking small bites, and ignore the "happy plate" rule. When kids are involved, encourage them to try one bite of each food being served, but do not make them eat everything on their plate.
6. Skip the heavy desserts and choose fresh fruit salads or frozen yogurts.