Fe'Lix (perfectionlost) wrote in thinandhealthy, @ 2012-07-12 08:40:00

Current mood:	apathetic
Current music:	thinking of you... katy perry

Needing inspiration...
I'm finding that I need inspiration to cook for my family. When I'm trying to lose weight, and watching my fruit, veggie, etc intake, it's hard to find a recipe that doesn't look down right scary. I'm admittedly too lazy to cook something for myself & then something separate for the tater tot & the love...

What are some great recipes that my boys won't turn their nose up, that have a quick modification to suit my needs... like, just eating a smaller portion, or removing a finishing sauce, etc?

the love & tot are very much italian. so carbs + a size of meat + some million calorie sauce = staples. Also, both have metabolisms like jack rabbits.

-L

clown_dust 2012-07-12 10:31 (link)

I found this one veggie recipe on pinterest that I've altered. Very easy to substitute and what not. Chopped zucchini, peppers, black beans, penne pasta (original recipe called for rice), can cut tomatoes (not drained), a tiny bit of water and shredded cheddar cheese. Cook the veggies and pasta (or rice), mix all together, add cheese, let it simmer until water is thickened (I only add a little bit, but the cheese cooks in nicely). I can't remember if spices were added at the moment, maybe some pepper or something. It's quite tasty and versatile, quick too. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	thespian15 2012-07-12 19:14 (link)
	Not a lot of help here. My dieting usually consists of trying to eat more veggies and fruit, but mostly just cutting back on the serving sizes/amounts. It has to be super tough to try and satisfy a child when making healthier choices. :o Hugs, Jon (Reply to this) (Thread)

secrethoughts 2012-07-30 13:35 (link)

First off, start your meal with a healthy broth-based soup or a nice salad. It'll fill you up without too many calories so you don't eat too much of a questionably healthy main course. Next, by making certain substitutions, you can make Italian food a lot healthier. Try Italian turkey sausage! Both of my kids love it, and my husband doesn't miss the real stuff. The pasta you pick is important too. If your fam hates the obviously whole grain stuff, go for something like Barilla Plus or Dreamfields. They both have good texture, but they have more protein/fiber. Next up...veggies. The most imporant thing you can do is just change the ratio of pasta/veggies/meat. Make it so it's about a 1/3 of each or 1/2 veggies and a 1/4 each of meat and pasta. Try to use veggies your family likes. My kids love broccoli and carrots, and my husband loves sundried tomatoes, so those are popular additions to our pasta-based meals. As a bonus, frozen veggies are super affordable and easy to add, and if you're craving soemthing different, you can even add jarred goodies like artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, or olives. Then, don't forget the power of the sneak attack! In my house, meatballs have carrots in them, and no one is the wiser. Likewise, my creamy pesto has an avocado base and usually contains tons of spinach, Swiss Chard, or kale. You can also easily sneak carrots, lentils, and all sorts of stuff into your red sauce. And finally, the sauce. Red sauce isn't that high in calories, and an olive oil-based pasta dish doesn't have to be that bad either. Try to use more spices and a bit of salt to up the flavor so you don't need as much cheese. The only real diet-killer is cream sauce, which is fine as an occassional treat. However, if your fam really craves it, you can try an avocado-based pesto, or you can just stir a bit of whipped cream cheese into whatever pasta dish you've made to cream it out a bit and give it that creamy consistency without quite so many calories. Bon appetit! (Reply to this) (Thread)