The Healthiest Dinners

Let's be honest - I don't make lentil-walnut loaf with chilled millet salad every night. Sometimes I need to do a little nutritionist handy work and health-ify the somewhat junky items that make their way onto our meal plan. But it isn't hard.

Wait, hold on, you don't make a meal plan? I can't recommend it more. Using a meal plan may be fairly credited with ensuring my marriage stays a solid 10 out of 10. It helps grocery shopping, being thrifty, avoiding waste and planning timing, and we're always excited when the clock starts rolling around 5pm. You don't have to plan breakfast and lunch, or even the specifics (just write fish + rice + veggie). But back to good choices...

There are many dinner options that sound, well, pub-esque but actually pack a nutritional punch. Here are a few of my favourites:

bean, chicken or fish tacos/fajitas - serve with lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper and olives, and a side of guacamole or salsa, skip the cheese and sour cream
Asian stirfry - don't worry about the strips of pork and sweet sauce when you've got a bed of brown rice and a wok full of red pepper, snap peas and bok choy
pad Thai - I add copious amounts of bean sprouts, scallions, carrots and peanuts
nachos - go easy on the shredded cheese and top heavily with jalapeno and onion, served with homemade refried beans
homemade pizza - a whole grain pita crust with tomato sauce, broccoli and pineapple can hide the naughty of shredded mozzarella
breakfast for dinner - swap in turkey bacon and add spinach and zucchini to your eggs, and serve with a strawberry smoothie
lasagne - believe it or not it tastes better with eggplant slices and basil overload

Don't give up the dinners you love before attempting to convert them into a canvas for yummy vegetables.