Healthy, Easy, Tasty Food....

Subscribe to Cooking Light magazine! I love it, and have for years. Many of my regular weeknight dinners come from them, especially the Superfast column.

Hi K.! My name is J.. Yeah..it's time to get back to healthy eating around my house, too, and I have a "meat and
potatoes" husband, too, so it's a challenge. I started with
cooking some real good from-scratch meals, which ALWAYS taste
better than fast and processed food anyway. My husband LOVES
meatless lasagna and breaded baked cod. I fix some interesting salads with every meal, and change them all the time, (some with spinach, sometimes with shredded carrots, etc.) and use Litehouse dressing, which my family loves (made right here in Idaho. Well, these are some things I did to jump start everyone in my house to eating more healthy. What do you think?
If you're interested in recipes, or just want to chat,
I'll be here!
:>) J.

I would recommend Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely. It's healthy simple meals. It has weekly menus, shopping lists and nutritional info as well as serving suggestions. It's great! She also has a Menu-Mailer at her website savingdinner.com. She'll email weekly menus and shopping lists if you don't want to get the cookbook.

I don't know how good you are about being creative, but to tell you the truth I had the same problem. I even purchased a CD with THOUSANDS of recipes. I got confused.

I discovered, just start cooking what YOU like and be creative. You don't need a cookbook to cook, believe it or not. I like to though a group of veggies in a pot with onions and make veggie soup. Or, after the chicken has been eaten, I like to cook out the bones, make chicken broth - which is done by cooking the bones out for an hour (leave some meat on) then take all of the bones out once it's cooled, and with that you can put in YOUR choice of veggies, (carrots and celery and mushrooms are great), and either rice, potatoes, or noodles, and here is an easy meal. One-pot ideas are great and easy. You can also look for recipes that are done under 1/2 hour.

But the best, is to take the ingredients you have, and make something creative out of them. It is, I've found, the fastest way to cook.

Our family is also trying to eat better. My daughter also eats healthier than us and is not picky. Here are some recipe ideas that my meat and potatoes husband will eat.
Chicken & Dumplings
Meatloaf
Roasted Chicken & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Annies All Natural Mac N Cheese with desired meat
Spaghetti - Use Brown Rice Pasta, Muir Glen Organic Spaghetti Sauce and choice of meat, if desired.
Pizza - Use Sammy's Pre-cooked whole wheat pizza crust, Muir Glen Pizza Sauce, cheese and desired toppings.

For Snacks we buy natural fig bars, Veggie Booty, Pirate's Booty, Cheerios, Popcorn, String Cheese, Yogurt, etc...

I hope this helps to give you some ideas. A lot of the dishes I make in large quantities because I can freeze leftovers in Tupperware's Rock N Serve Containers to pull out and use at any time.

I use : http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf
Good ideas and not hard to make.

My favorite cookbook is a Pampered Chef cookbook called 29 minutes to dinner. Most of the recipes are so easy, and they are all very tasty. The best part? There are pictures for every meal! I'm very visual, so that is a great help for me. If you don't have a Pampered Chef Consultant, mine is Joan Autry at www.pamperedchef.biz/joanoskitchen. She's super sweet, and would love to help you out in any way she can.

Here's a quick and easy recipe and the only way my son would eat broccoli for a while. It's all in one pot too:

3-4 red potatoes
broccoli cut up into bite size pieces
pesto sauce (great to make your own--recipes online or just buy some at the store)
penne pasta or spirals (this recipe originally calls for linquine but my son loves tube pasta or spirals.
parmesan

Start out with enough liquid in your pot to last through all the ingredients.

Boil the potatoes until tender - remove to cool on a cutting board
bring water to a boil again and boil the broc. until tender
remove and put into a bowl
Boil pasta according to package

While pasta cooks, cut up the potatoes into bite-size chunks and mix with broccoli and pesto. Add cooked noodles and serve with passed parmesan. Use cooking water to moisten if needed.

I enjoy cooking from Rachel Ray's books. I have found her recipes to be easy and turn out delicious. Also, some of my favorite recipes come from those little paperback books- Betty Cocker, Kraft, etc - you find in the checkout line at grocery stores. Good luck in your search for healthy eating.

K.
Changing eating habits are the hardest for adults. Planning out a weekly menu helps a lot. I can totally relate to your husband though. Betty Crocker's Healthy New Choices cookbook has some great realistic ideas. We also like some of the recipe's in the South Beach cookbooks. We have three girls who are very picky so I don't always get to cook healthy all the time. Eliminating some of the junk is the hardest. Good luck I hope this helps.

S. stey-at-home mom three girls 12,8 1/2 and 4 1/2

Deceptively Delicious. Great cookbook.

Everyday Food is a good subscription to get (it is also at the check out stand but you can get a year (10 issues) for $20). It is a handy sized little magazine, the recipes are straightforward without 20 ingredients per recipe. Every month they have a section titled "Have you tried...." and then give recipes that include the item. I have gotten the magazine for two years, have made tons of stuff from it, have given it as a gift to four people now, and have not had anything bad from it yet.

I have also been married for 7 1/2 years. I have a 2 1/2 yr old daughter and a 9m month old. My husband and I have been also trying to eat more healthy and create meals for the whole family. I have found my crock-pot to be a life saver for a busy mom.
I can prepare dinner during nap time and leave it to cook without fussing with it. There are great recipes online and crock pot cookbooks. Some of my favorites are so easy, steak fajitas, chicken soup and chili. You can make all of these very healthy and still taste good. I also put lean meats (chicken breasts or pork chops/tenderloin)and fresh veggies with a can of diced tomatoes (for flavor and moisture) and a little salt, pepper and garlic in in all the time.
One other source we use for recipes is mens health and other such magazines. We tear out the easy recipes and give them a try to keep things interesting.
Good luck!

K., iVillage Food has been a lifesaver for me. I subscribed to their e-mail list, and was getting a recipe from them once a day. The recipes were easy, tasty and fast. I never made one of their recipes that we didn't like (I didn't like all their recipes, but the ones I made were fantastic!).

Good luck, my son is easy too, but I still hate the meal prep and shopping and all that. I really want us to eat healthy but it is such a strauglle to know what to make.

It sounds like you know what to do to be healthy. You already have a great start with what you're feeding your son. My advice would be to avoid the prepackaged food as much as possible. Do your grocery shopping on the outer aisles of the grocery store. Introduce a lightly dressed salad to your meals. As for cookbooks, a lot of them will have advice on how to stock your pantry beforehand so the obscure ingredients will become more familiar to you. If you want to "trick" your hubby into eating heathier, you could try Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook. It's meant for hiding healthfood in your kids food, but the recipes are pretty simple and tasty. Another huge thing is to make sure you're only eating your food. It's easy to fall into eating your kids' food if they don't finish. Stay active and healthy and be the example you want to be for your kiddo. Good luck! ...mol

Rachel Ray's various 30 minute meals books and Sunset have lots of yummy, healthy, easy to prepare recipes.

Rachael Ray: http://www.powells.com/s?kw=rachael+ray&x=0&y=0

Sunset: http://www.powells.com/s?kw=sunset+cookbook&x=0&y=0

K.,

sorry I don't have much advise about the healthy,easy foods. Most things that I have found that are to help you start eating healthy instead of the "dieting" thing are really complex recipes and you need lots of ingredients, spices, fresh herbs and stuff so I have had a hard time myself trying to find things like that. Someone needs to invent a healthy eating recipe book for people who don't have a lot of time and money to spend trying to prepare meals. Anyway the reason I was writing you was because I have been trying to find a workout/accountability partner to go to the gym with. I currently go to the YMCA in Spokane Valley, is that the same gym you go to? If so, when do you go, do you take any of the classes they offer or just go workout? Do you do cardio or weight training, or both? Let me know if this is something you would be interested in doing. Good luck with the recipes!

B.

Hi, K. -
I checked out the JOY cookbook from the library and I love it! I wish I had it years ago when I got married.
One thing I do to feed my family healthy is to avoid boxed, packaged foods, unless I know they are healthy ones. Focusing on whole foods is definetly a good way to go. Eating together as a family is also very important. We eat almost every meal together at the table as a family.
Another way we stay healthy is not to waste our money on junk food. Pop, chips, etc. If it's not in the house, you won't eat it, and will be less tempted to snack. If I have junk in the house, it gets eaten. That simple. Hope all goes well!
V.

I love that people want to help their children eat healthy. I think it's crazy how we as adults want to eat healthy but then we will give our kids fried food, french fries and all sorts of processed stuff. I am totally a snack person so my kids get all of the snack pack stuff like 100 cal. I know all of that can't be great, but it's good for me when it's quick.
I make trail mixes and put them in zip locks for my 3 year old to go and grab herself. I put nuts, cheerios, dried fruit, yogurt covered raisens,pretzels just a variety of things. Dinner time, we always have veggies with our meal. We make homemade pizzas with whole wheat flour. I hope some of these things will help.

Hello, not sure if anyone suggested Taste of Home's Light and Tasty magazine. They have delicious easy to prepare recipes in a bi-monthly pulication. I have been getting it for about 5 years and haven't had a bad experience. Next time you are at the store check the magazine rack. I (unfortunately)have picky eaters and I always find something. Hope it helps!

www.pecanbread.com click on recipes
www.GlutenFreeEugene.org
1 in 4 have gluten issues and should e off gluten. Many kids all should be off gluten as they are saying that wheat causes many problems. You will never go hungry eating this way. Much support and recipes. The book is called Breaking the vicious cycle diet

Try "Six Ingredients or Less: Cooking Light & Healthy". You can order it on Amazon.

I couldn't rave enough about cashew gravy & sauce! I've been eating them since I was little. They are yummy tasting, easy to prepare, they store well & they are very versatile. Plus, they are super nutritious!
The only perhaps "far out" ingredient is nutritional yeast. If you don't want to add it you could probably get away with just adding a bit more salt. It is easy to find at Winco in the bulk foods section. It also is really good for you, providing lots of B vitamins.
Anyways, here are the recipes.
Cashew Sauce
1 c water
1 c raw cashews, rinsed (found also in bulk section at Winco)1 t salt
1/4 c oil
1/3 c lemon juice
2 4oz jars pimientos OR 1 whole fresh red bell pepper (you have to blend for a bit longer to get it to be smooth if you use the fresh pepper)
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
3 T Nutritional Yeast

Whiz cashews, water & salt in the blender. Add oil slowly. Add lemon juice, pimiento/bell pepper & seasonings. Blend until creamy & smooth. Check for salt & add more if necessary.
This sauce is great on noodles in a dish like Mac & cheese. It thickens when it is heated so it works well on pizza instead of cheese. I love it in lasagne! And it makes a great dip for chips or veggies. It also freezes well.

Cashew Gravy
1 c washed raw cashews
1 c water
2 T Nutritional Yeast
1 T soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos for more nutrition
1 T onion powder
salt to taste

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Can be heated to thicken. I like it on potatoes, baked or mashed. You can heat it in a pan & add frozen peas & then serve it over toast in a dish called Peas on Toast. And I love it on turkey & stuffing instead of traditional gravy!

Hi K.,I subscribe to the Light and Tasty magazine from the Taste of Home group. Most recipes are easy to fix and have common ingredients. Also I use a crock pot a lot. I use the Fix It and Forget It cookbook. Sometimes I substitue lower fat ingredients to make them healthier. I hope this helps. Best of luck on your new lifestyle.L.

allrecipes.com is great. They have nutrition information and you can build an online cook book with your profile. Each recipe is reviewed so you will be able to know you have a good one before you start.
I try to buy 1 new food each month at the produce Dept. Often times things I have never heard of. My picky husband has found fresh veggies that he loves and will even snack on during the day. He also knows that once a month is not so bad if he has to have PB and J for dinner ;)
Some easy things to start with;
-Stir-fry - left over meat and a varity of veggies with your favorite household seasoning over brown rice.
-Crock pot stews- add more pepper and reduce the salt. Half (or quarter) the amount of potatoes by adding parsnip, turnip, jicama.
-Serve some sort of salad with everything!
-Bags of frozen veggies make microwave dinners easy. Just a bit of margarine and cajun seasoning over the top, maybee some cheese.
-Pull out the blender- A smoothie is wonderful with dinner. Frozen fruit, 1 TBS dream whip, a bannana and some milk will make a tall glass for all of you. You can sneak in some veggies in here too.

Hi K., It's always hard to change lifestyle, especially where food is concerned. But well worth the effort for a healthier life for the whole family. Not long ago, my husband decided the same thing and decided to do all of the cooking (yes I am in heaven) He descovered a magazine called "Eating Well". The recipes are normal, quick, and easy. But better than that, they are really tastey. You can get recipes from their website also: www.eatingwell.com
Good luck and hope your family appreciates your efforts. J.

you should look at mealsmatter.org, i have used it to get ideas on meals and my husband is pretty simple meat and potatoes too, well much less since we got married, but i think that is becasue my parents are in to all kinds of foods so he has been exposed to authentic japanese food and that is pretty weird to him. But the website has tons of good ideas, that are healthy and you can share your recipes too for other people who are looing for something different.

The Dr. Phil cookbook is great--Simple low fat recipes. He uses slot of herbs that really flavor the food. I substitute some of the spices if I don't have exactly what the resipes call for.

The Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld is also really good for kids--I have a freezer full of the pureed veges to add to things--I am learning what you can add into other foods I prepare that aren't in the cookbook too.

Check out this website http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/recipes.htm
It tells you how to start eating healthier and how to make meals that are budget friendly and good for you. I have eliminated almost all processed food from our diet and it has made a really big difference. We seem to have more energy and I know that I am providing my family with the best that I can do right now. Hope this helps and good luck.

I have 3 children, and a husband that works nights so it's important to get a quick, easy and healthy meal on the table so we can all eat together before he has to go to work. I have a subscription to the magazine Quick Cooking. It has easy, inexpensive meals that you can make with ingredients on hand. If you want to try it before you subscribe you can go to the grocery store and pick up a copy.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

My husband bought me a cookbook one year for my birthday that is just great it is called Vegetables by James Patterson. It shows you how to prepare and cook all sorts of vegetables and has many simple recipes inside. BTW for a picky eater there are many ways to disguise vegetables by pureeing them and adding them to sauces, meatballs, broths etc.)
The idea of one new thing a month is great!
I would also suggest when you find recipes the whole family likes make a double recipe or even a triple one and save the leftovers in single serving containers in the freezer then you have an easy dinner. It is always easier to make a double recipe than to make the same recipe twice!
Casseroles, stews, and stirfries all freeze really great!
I would also recommend getting a crock pot this makes healthy soups and stews a snap and also produces leftovers for freezing and reheating!
:) Have fun cooking!

Get the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Wonderful, healthy kid friendly recipes that my whole family loves.

I would highly recommend "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld, in which you puree vegetables and add them to your meals. It's tailored specifically for children, but most of the recipes are ones that adults can enjoy as well. It takes some time to get into the habit of pureeing foods, but I love it. You can check out her website before you buy the book so you can try a couple of recipes first. www.deceptivelydelicious.com

C.

Hi K.!

I am new to this sight and I saw your post. One thing I love is food that is healthy and easy to prepare. I have collected lots of recipes over the years that I think you might be interested in. Some are more complicated than others so i'll just give you a few of the easier ones.

Ham and Cheese Stromboli

1 loaf( 1 lb.) frozen wheat bread dough, thawed.
1/2 lb. sliced swiss cheese
2 C. shredded colby/jack cheese
1/2 lb. thin sliced deli ham
1 pkg.(16 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli,thawed and drained
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

On a floured surface, roll dough into an 18X12 in. rectangle.
Layer with swiss cheese, ham, cheddar jack and broccoli to within 1 in. of edges.Sprinkle with garlic powder. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Seal seams and ends.

Place seam side down on a greased 15X10X1 inch baking pan. Bake uncovered at 400' for 20 min. Cover loosely with foil and bake 15- 20 min. longer. Let stand 10 min before slicing.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 servings

4 corn tortillas( 6 in.)
1/2 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks.
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth
1 cup of favorite salsa
1 C frozen corn

Chop tortillas. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a lg. sauce pan and cook chicken on med.-high heat for 5 min. Add tortillas, broth, salsa and corn. Bring to boil then reduce heat to med.-low and let simmer for 20 min. Ladle into bowls. Serve with your choice of toppings........shredded lettuce, avocado, crushed corn chips, shredded cheese, olives. Or enjoy as is.

Tortellini Spinach Salad
12 servings

12 C fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 C. cooked cheese tortellini
3/4 C. shredded parmesan cheese
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3/4 cup favorite light salad dressing

Combine ingredients and serve. This is good as a warm or cold salad( warm- put in tortellini just after it's cooked and drained).

Hope these are what you are looking for:0)

I'm a huge fan of the magazine Cooking Light. I lost some weight on Weight Watchers a few years back, and this was one of the few sources that I enjoyed that had recipes whose points weren't too large. Now, not all of the recipes are quite properly balanced for weight loss, but they are awesome for weight maintenance and have as much flavor as recipes from other sources. The magazine has a section called dinner tonight which has at least four quick and easy meals to put together. They also have sections in the front on exercises and healthy living. I personally like it for the non-meat and potatoes sorts of recipes they have (plus, they have a vegetarian section and my husband recently became vegetarian), but my mom has been using it for years for the more standard recipes.
They also have an online website: www.cookinglight.com
I find the magazine much more fun to page through and get ideas from, but the website does have all the recipes on it as well.
Good luck!