*Feed your family high quality, nutritional food challenge*

[LisaR]

This is not a thread to impress one another with how much money we can save and how nutritionally dense we can make our meals. The challenge is NOT to feed your family PB & Fluff sandwiches for .25 or 1 can of tuna and a slice of bacon for 7 people. The challenge is to feed your family good quality, well balanced, satisfying meals 90% of the time. I am looking for recipes to serve my family which will provide healthy meals and include a lot of fruits and veggies.

I'll start! Dinner tonight was Lentil Soup and smoothies.
SOUP:
Whole bag of lentils.
Large onion
6 stalks of celery
8 large carrots
Half bag fresh organic spinach
Organic Greenwise Low Sodium Tomato Juice
Organic Veggie Broth- Low Sodium
Lots of different spices for seasoning

Smoothies:
Frozen strawberries and peaches
2 bananas
Organic apple juice
Ice


We were all stuffed (family of 4). Plenty of soup left for lunches tomorrow. Kids loved it. I felt it was a well balanced, easy to make meal. Although I used low sodium broth and juice, I still think it may have been too much sodium.

Lisa

 

[briannesmom]

Sounds good, I will post tomorrow.

 

[HaleyB]

How long do you cook the soup? Do you brown the onions or any of the veggies? I love lentil soup. I had some last night, but out of a can (Progresso low sodium, pretty good in a pinch). It would be great to make my own, I bet it would freeze really well.

 

[LisaR]

How long do you cook the soup? Do you brown the onions or any of the veggies? I love lentil soup. I had some last night, but out of a can (Progresso low sodium, pretty good in a pinch). It would be great to make my own, I bet it would freeze really well.

I make some kind of soup once a week for dinner. I almost always start whatever I am making around 4:30 and we don't eat until 6:30 or 7PM. I just let it simmer. I never, ever brown or precook any veggies for my soups. Since the soup simmers for so long, it doesn't need it. Plus, I am just too lazy. I toss it all in the pot and walk away!

I have never had success freezing soup. I have even tried not cooking it for long but it just never tastes right to me. The broth is always good but the veggies always taste off to me.

Lisa

 

[LParente]

Great idea for a thread! The number of corn dogs and tater tots out there was getting scary!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Since I'm Italian, I tend to throw everything on top of pasta. This time of year is great for lots of fresh vegetables, homegrown tomatoes, etc.

I don't typically freeze soup, but it does do well in the fridge overnight. Actually, I've read that freezing beans (pinto, navy,etc.)helps the cellulose in them to break down so they need less cooking time. I haven't tried it yet.

This time of year we do some less-meat (or meatless) meals. Last night it was pasta with Greek olives, feta cheese, red onion, and tomatoes, with oregano and a little olive oil. Very good, very filling.

I think tonight is going to be grilled pork steaks that were on sale. I'll throw them in some marinade this morning, then pick up corn on the cob this afternoon.

I'm all for saving money, but we like to eat well, too.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Your soup sounds great! Was the bag of lentils 1 lb.? I've got a 25 lb. bag and I was looking for some new recipes. We've been making a lot of Indian curry with them lately.

We enjoy soup, but I don't make much in the summer. I miss having it available.

Love the thread! Will post today's menu when I figure it out!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Tonight, my meat & potatoes DS15 will have football practice until 7:30, so the family will enjoy a vegetarian meal without him. We're having Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce. It's made with lentils, brown rice, low-fat mozzarella cheese, spinach, corn, tomatoes, fresh basil and a few other goodies. It's a meal in itself but I'll add some homemade oatmeal bread in the bread machine for DH. He always needs what he calls a "pusher" to move his food onto his fork.

 

[ducklite]

Lisa,

Can you post that oatmeal bread recipe? Sounds YUMMY!

TIA!

Anne

 

[mamaminnie]

OK. I can handle this thread.

Last night we had Chicken shish-ke-bobs/satay

chicken breasts, marinated in a little teriyaki sauce w/curry paste mixed in
zucchini
mushrooms
red peppers
onions
and a peach

threaded onto skewers and grilled and served with a peanut satay-style sauce and steamed jasmine rice.

My kids will eat anything on a stick.

 

[mickeyfan2]

This is a great idea. The lentil soup sounds great.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Lisa,

Can you post that oatmeal bread recipe? Sounds YUMMY!

TIA!

Anne

This is from Great Bread Machine Recipes by Norman A. Garrett. It makes a 1½-lb loaf.

Place the following in the order listed into your bread machine:

9 oz. warm water
1½ Tbls. molasses
1½ Tbls. butter (you can substitute margarine)
4 tsps. milk
1 tsp. salt
2¼ cups bread flour
1¼ cups rolled oats (quick-cook oats make a softer bread, I like the traditional oats for a chewier product)
1 Tbl. dough enhancer (optional - I don't have this, and never miss it)
1½ Tbls. brown sugar
1 tsp. active dry yeast.

*For Panasonic/National machines use 2 tsp. yeast for 1½-pound loaf.

Set the timer on your bread machine and walk away.

Nutritional Analysis (per loaf)
calories 1834
calories from fat 14%
protein 55 g
carbs 334 g
fat 29 g
sat. fat 13 g
cholesterol 47 mg (if using butter)
sodium 2182 mg
fiber 15 g

 

[shortbun]

Last night we had 'beans and rice and peas and cheese'(my son's meal title) and some salsa and sliced bananas. We use brown rice and mix black and pinto beans with about a TBSP of cumin. Serve them side by side or mix them up with some grated white cheddar(no food dye) and a dollop of salsa. I slice the bananas on the side for more fiber and a sweet contrast. Very low fat, high fiber, nutritious, fast and fairly cheap. Granted, it's high carb but since the fiber is so high you get to back some of the carbs off the count.(if you're counting)

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this thread and will be watching it daily. Thanks for the great idea!!!!

ETA: I'm making gazpacho today because we have tons of ripe tomatoes and I need to use them. So tonight, it will be gazpacho and chicken breasts with the leftover brown rice from last night's dinner. I always make double and use it the next day to save time.

To make gazpacho: (I eyeball all the measurements so I'm approximating)

1.5 quarts of low sodium tomato juice
4 large tomatoes, diced
1 large cucumber, seeded and diced
two green peppers, diced
1 cup finely diced celery(sometimes I leave this out)
two medium or 1 and 1/2 large onions chopped small
juice from one large lemon(microwave it 10sec to make it really juicy)
7 cloves crushed and chopped garlic
worchestershire to taste-I use about 1T
Red wine vinegar-1/2 c
Extra virgin olive oil(use canola if that's what you have) - 1/4 c.
some people add tobasco or other hot sauce, I prefer the garlic flavor to come through

I taste as i go, modifying with lemon juice, vinegar and garlic if necessary
Let it chill for about two hours-better the next day!
Top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yoghurt

 

[smfritz03]

Last night I made Spinach & Ricotta on shells. Kids LOVE This stuff!!


Ingredients:

olive oil
spinach
unsalted butter
half and half
scallions
parmesan cheese
ricotta
pasta shells

 

[minniebeth]

Although I need to scale way back on our grocery bills (having company quite a few times from out of town is a huge budget killer...), I truly am trying to change the way our family eats. I've done South Beach Diet several times over the last 2 years and have made a lot of healthy changes little by little.
I will eagerly be watching the ideas on this thread!
Thanks so much for the idea!

For breakfasts, my DD has been using our ripe fruits such as bananas, strawberries and blueberries and making smoothies with them. She adds a generous scoop of low fat vanilla yogurt, frozen and a generous scoop of low fat vanilla yogurt, regular with the fruit, blends it up and it is "delicious and nutritious!" as my little one says. We get two good size drinks out of it.

We have been using vanilla soy milk in cereal and my 5yo likes to drink it straight as well now. I try to use hormone free milk as well, it is just SO expensive by us now at almost $6 a gallon! So the soy is a good compromise.

We don't buy all organic fruits and vegetables, but since quite a few organic stores have opened by us (Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Sunflower Market) I can find some reasonable. I buy organic apples always.

Our dinner 2 nights ago was grilled chicken I seasoned with olive oil, fresh lemon and lime juice and caribbean jerk seasoning. I grilled it with zucchini and portabello mushrooms and served it with warm wheat tortillas as a "starch". (My DS will put anything on a tortilla!) It was economical as well as "delicious and nutritious!"

Looking forward to what eveyone else has to post!!!

 

[Ally_DeVille]

One meal we love and can be prepared in a variety of ways, crockpot, oven, cast iron dutch oven over very hot coals while camping, is Mango Chicken

2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken (or not)
2 cups of pureed mango or one large jar of mango sauce (from Trader Joe's)
1 heaping teaspoon of curry powder
1 cup of golden raisins
1/2 cup of slivered almonds

Put chicken in whatever you will be cooking it in
Mix curry, raisins, almonds and mango sauce together and pour over chicken

Oven method: cook 2 hours at 375 (cover with foil for 1.5 hours then remove foil)

Crockpot: on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 (depends on how hot your crockpot gets)

Dutch oven over hot coals: at least 2 hours but watch the heat, stir often especially if you have to add more wood to the fire.

Serve over jasmine rice or couscous, a salad and steamed veggie of choice. You will have a lot of leftovers for many lunches-- I make this every few months and freeze several lunch portions.

For the kids, I sometimes make up a small batch for them without the curry.

 

[jakenjess]

This is a great thread! I'm trying to get us eating healthier meals, and my oh-so-picky DS makes this extra difficult, so I always love new ideas! Thanks everyone!

 

[mommytobug]

I wish Kate from John and Kate plus 8 could post her meals. They have 8 kids and she focuses a lot on organic, nutritious meals.

 

[disneyjunkie]

OP, thanks for starting this thread.

I'll start posting tonight. Now, I have to admit that our meals are not always healthy. I love typical southern meals. I know HOW to cook them so that they are more healthy, but there are times I just don't WANT to do so.
For example Last night we had a huge pot of beans that was seasoned with ham hocks instead of smoked turkey wings,. pork chops, white rice, string beans and corn bread.

I'm going to try, but I know many of my meals will be big no nos. Fried instead of baked or broiled. White starches instead of brown.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I'm going to try, but I know many of my meals will be big no nos. Fried instead of baked or broiled. White starches instead of brown.

No kidding. That is where we try to live with an 80%/20% rule. A girlfriend told me this. We do pretty well with it. I don't like brown rice with Indian food. So we fix Jasmine, and know that the rest of the meal is quite good for us.