It seems that almost everyone is concerned with the issue of gaining weight. Statistics are showing that Americans, overall, are steadily gaining excess pounds. With quite a few parents pushed for time, the drive-through lane at fast food restaurants are never empty. The good thing about fast food is the fact that the foods fill you up. The bad thing is the fact that they also fill you out. They are not overly concerned about how many calories there are in the hamburgers and fries they serve. Let us not forget those delicious shakes and ice-cream sundaes for dessert. Surely there is a better way to serve a family meal in a timely manner that taste good, fills you up, and is not loaded with fat and calories.
While it may be difficult to get children to eat less meat and more vegetables, it is apparent that Americans eat too much meat at each meal. Without sacrificing meat, tasty meals can be prepared that the entire family will enjoy. The following is a few recipes and ideas for complete and balanced meals that will satisfy every member of your family.
For the main dish at dinner time, try this recipe I call Skinny Spaghetti Delight:
Ingredients
one spaghetti squash about three pounds or a little under
one half pound of ground sirloin
one half cup of each: chopped onion, green pepper or Banana peppers, mushrooms, and sharp cheddar cheese
one cove of minced garlic
one half teaspoon of each: dried cilantro, parsley, dried basil, turmeric
two large tomatoes, chopped
1. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with an ice-cream scoop. Place the cut side of the squash into a baking dish. Fill the dish with hot water to a depth of about one half inch and bake uncovered for thirty minutes at 375*.
2. While squash is baking, cook the sirloin, onions, and peppers in a skillet over medium heat until meat is done. drain
3. Add the mushrooms, spices, and salt and pepper to taste, to the ingredients in the skillet and cook for two to three minutes.
4. Remove skillet from heat and add chopped tomatoes. Set aside until squash is tender and ready to come out of the oven.
5. When squash is cool enough to handle, remove the squash with a fork to create spaghetti strings. Press squash in a colander to remove excess liquid, then add all ingredients together, including cheddar cheese.
6. Fill the squash shells with ingredients and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes at 350*. Yields 4 main dishes when squash shells are cut in half again.
8. After the skillet ingredients are cooked and while waiting on the squash to bake, prepare a garden salad with fresh summer vegetables. Serve fresh strawberries that have been washed and dipped in powered sugar and arranged on serving platter with a small bowl of fruit dip.
Canned chili from the grocery store is loaded with fat and calories. Make your own chili at home with leaner meat and more beans that are packed with protein.
Ingredients
two pounds of chopped sirloin or 88* lean ground beef
one 15 ounce can each of dark red kidney beans, pinto beans, and garbanzo beans, and two cans of chopped tomatoes
use any combination or all of the following spices: one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon turmeric, one teaspoon celery seed, and one teaspoon salt
one 3 ounce package of chili season mix or two teaspoons chili powder
one cup of sliced mushrooms, one half cup Worcestershire sauce and one half cup of chopped onion
1. In a Dutch oven or a four quart pot, cook the meat and drain
2. Add the chili mix or seasoning to the meat and mix well
3. Add all other ingredients, draining the garbanzo beans, but not the other two, and reserve the onions for topping later
4. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat gradually to simmer for thirty minutes or until all beans are tender.
Yields about three quarts or ten servings. Serve with fat-free saltines and top with ingredients your family enjoys, such as sour cream or shredded cheddar cheese. Canned corn makes a great side dish with chili. Serve strawberry jello with fresh strawberries for dessert
A delicious breakfast that is different, full of protein, and easy to make while you get ready for work or school is an old-fashioned custard pie. Use two percent milk and substitute Stevia or Splenda for the sugar. Serve with pre-cooked slices of bacon. Beat four eggs, two and one-half cups of milk and one-half cup of sugar with vanilla extract and a teaspoon of nutmeg. bake at 400* for twenty minutes. Serves six. Put left-over pie in the fridge.