How to Get Inspired to Make a More Nutritious Dinner

If you haven’t focused on cooking a nutritious dinner every night in the past, it’s never too late to start. Even if you don’t live near a health food store, you can find plenty of nutritious options at your local supermarket. By making good decisions most of the time – and having one night to be “bad” per week – you’ll be on the way to a healthier you, and be much more relaxed at meal times.

A colorful variety of foods at dinner will ensure that you and your family are getting the right mix of nutrients. Think of green veggies, wild rice, and darker veggies such as spinach, asparagus and broccoli. You can never eat too many veggies at dinner. Just make sure that you cook them in olive oil instead of heavy cream or butter – your heart will thank you.

A nutritious dinner will cover as many food groups as possible and will include some kind of protein and some kind of whole grain. For example, refried beans and low-fat cheese on wholewheat or corn tortillas can provide the foundation for a simple dinner – just be sure to add fresh chopped tomatoes and red onions for extra nutrients.

Berries and yogurt make for a simple, nutritious dessert. Or you can try sliced banana in whole milk with a light scattering of brown sugar for a delicious and healthy treat your kids will love. Other nutritious desserts include mixed melon balls in their own juice – mix cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew for a dessert so tasty your family won’t believe it’s actually a zero-fat, ultra-healthy option!

You can experiment with different ethnic foods for dinner. Hummus on pitas and brown rice with beans are both tasty, easy options. Even carnivores like the taste of veggie burgers, so try Boca burgers on whole grain buns for dinner instead of fatty beef burgers on white processed buns.

If you eat the same kind of food every night for dinner – like pizza or fast food – you’ll really be missing out on key nutrients. It’s fine to have pizza once a week for dinner, but the other six nights should be more nutritious. Your heart and other major organs need a variety of foods in order to stay in top operating condition, so give them a break, and get creative in the grocery isle!