Meatless Monday with Eat Well Meal Plans: Deliciously Healthy Family Meals

I was recently contacted by the National Institutes of Health‘s We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) Program. They have created a super family-friendly cookbook full of easy, nutritious recipes that everyone in the family can help execute. But what I am also impressed with after investigating the book for myself is that the appendices include information such as time-saving tips for busy families, guidance on how much children should eat daily, hints on getting your children involved in the kitchen, and common cooking measurements and equivalents. This essential information is a book in itself.

The recipes are designed to give you a satisfying portion, while helping you to stay within your calorie needs.  They also tie-in directly with the new Dietary Guidelines because they are limited in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars.   The focus is on family-friendly meals and snacks and getting children involved in meal preparation.  Many of the selections are meatless. Everyone in the family will be looking forward to enjoying dishes such as Pasta Primavera, Red, White, and Green Grilled Cheese, Zesty Tomato Soup, and Oatmeal Pecan Waffles.

The recipes contain symbols which are really helpful to identify them as Healthier Classic, Leftover Friendly, Healthy Eating Two-Ways (with serving suggestions for picky eaters), and Chefs in Training (with tips to get children involved in cooking).

As I get one kid ready to march off to college, I’m realizing that these are the type of  healthy, quickly prepared meals that he can practice and take along as he begins to take responsibility for his own nutrition.

I decided to give the Spinach and Corn Cakes a try. The ingredients were easy to find and they were quick and fun to put together. They are organized as a side dish, but could easily become a light vegetarian meal along with a tossed salad. These veggie pancakes went fast at our dinner table! Any leftovers (if you have any) can be packed for lunch the next day – great in a child’s lunch box.

Spinach and Corn Pancakes*

• ½ cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 cup frozen whole corn kernels, thawed
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray

1. Measure flour into a large mixing bowl.

2. In a smaller bowl, combine milk, oil, and eggs, and mix well. Add milk mixture to flour, and mix until smooth.

3. Add spinach, corn, and pepper to mixture, and stir well.

4. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan or griddle. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

5. Spoon batter 1⁄4 cup at a time onto the pan. Cook each pancake for 2–3 minutes, or until the bottom holds together and is golden brown. Carefully flip and cook the second side for an additional 1–2 minutes. (Recipe makes about 16–18 pancakes.)

6. Serve immediately.

* Recipe courtesy of Keep the Beat™, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Learn more about the We Can! Program, get helpful cooking and planning tips, and get your copy of the new cookbook here!

Prrrresenting: The New 2010 Dietary Guidelines Report

On June 15, a sneak preview of the most recent version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released. The actual 2010 Dietary Guidelines will be published later this year. The Guidelines, which are updated by the USDA every five years, have historically been confusing and difficult to put to use by the people they intended to benefit. This report finally recommends that an effort is needed to help people follow the guidelines by developing a plan to help people eat better, provide better nutrition education, increasing access to fresh produce, and encouraging the food industry to produce healthy food options.

The recommendations have much more of an emphasis on preventing obesity and overweight, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. A new term, SoFAs, has been coined to refer to the solid fats and added sugars we need to avoid. There is more of a focus on childhood obesity in this update and all age groups are all still trying to increase physical activity.

A move to a more plant-based diet is emphasized. Several health-promoting diets are mentioned including the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. Both emphasize a plant basis, with moderate portions of animal protein, and healthy fats in limited amounts. Asian dietary patterns and the Vegetarian diet are also recognized for their health benefits. Sustainable change needed in the food environment includes improving cooking skills, especially in families with children, to prepare and consume healthy foods at home!

The “new and improved” version of the Guidelines looks promising, however the success will be in the implementation of these suggestions. If you are interested in taking a look at the report, commenting, or reading comments that others have submitted, you can do so here:  http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DietaryGuidelines.htm.