Nutrition Tidbits for Families

Nutrition Tidbits for Families

By DaniRenouf, RD

Top 5 Quick Dinner Ideas

Dinner time can be very hectic with a busy family, and it's easy to stick to the same menu week in and week out. Once taste fatigue sets in, families tend to increase the amount of take-out or fast food meals they have at dinner, which can add extra sodium, saturated fat, and preservatives to the family diet. Here are my top five tips for preparing healthy, fun, and quick dinners that everyone at your table will enjoy.

1) Rotisserie Chicken: On its own, rotisserie chicken from the supermarket is tasty enough, but try drizzling lemon juice on top, and baking it on low heat in the oven with some apples, celery, carrots and onions. That way, you have your roasted veggies ready at the same time. Add a rack in the oven of cut up potatoes or yams with olive oil for oven fries in a flash!

2) Melts: Any protein, veggies, and bread can be topped with shredded cheese for a quick oven melt. Try sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, olives, and black beans topped with mozarella and parmesan cheese and finished with a drizzle of olive oil for a Mediterranean flair.

3) Breakfast: Yes, you can have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Turn the routine upside down by having pancakes or waffles (add 2 tablespoons of ground flax meal to your batter for added fibre) with a berry sauce made from frozen berries, gently heated in a pan, and a dollop of Greek yogurt on the side. A tip is to prepare the pancakes or waffles in a batch and freeze the extra portions for a quick dinner feast.

4) Sandwiches: They are beautiful and they are fine. Try adding shredded cabbage to leftover rotisserie chicken on a French baguette and using avocado instead of mayonnaise for that extra bit of flavor.

5) Kitchen Sink Salads: If you have vegetables in your fridge that are in need of some TLC, try roasting them and marinating them in balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a marinated roasted vegetable salad. Frozen corn and peas, or canned beans, lentils or chickpeas, also make a great topping that adds vitamins and fibre to the standard green salad.