Moderately Healthy Eaters -- a Question

[bolt.]

Our family only occasionally indulges in meals that are over-processed, carb heavy or, you know, just plain bad for us. When we do, what I want is a strategy for lots of side dishes to distract from a very small serving of an unhealthy "main" dish.

 

Today it's ready-processed chicken "breasts" (breaded) and stuffed with ham and "Swiss cheese" -- mmmmmm... But definitely only one piece for DH & I, and half for the kids.

 

I also need a similar strategy for spagetti & brown butter, and other pasta dishes, plus things like pirogues, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled bratwurst -- mmmmmmm... I'm pretty hungry.

 

OK so how do I fill these plates with an abundance of distracting side dishes that are filling, and neither potato nor wheat? Yes, veggies, but what kinds? Any creative preparation methods?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Soup (veggie) or Salad before the meal just like in a restaurant.

Otherwise, roasted veggies of all kinds are always a hit here.  

[LibraryLover]

I add heft to large salads. Cheese, avocado, kalamata olives, chopped cashews etc.

 

I add olive oil as finishing to many dishes.

 

My family prefers saute veggies over steamed. Sometimes a side looks like a stir fry without the protein component.

Roasted veggies are good, too. You can add a nice sprinkling of seasoning and/or olive or coconut oil.

 

Hummus and carrots before dinner.

 

Pasta is easy. I chop up veggies for sauces. Even my pickiest child always accepted chopped spinach, for example,  in red sauces. Also, some organic cream is a way to add mouth feel fat and flavor to even jarred sauce. I am not afraid of that kind of fat, and I supposed there are many who would not think this addition healthy. No matter, it is filling. :)

 

Nut butters and coconut milk can also bump up stir fries +

 

 

 

[lavender's green]

Are you okay with sweet potatoes?  My last-minute Thanksgiving idea was to put baked sweet potatoes in the stand mixer with a bit of butter and cinnamon.  Everyone went crazy for it!  I'm going to try it with squash tomorrow.

 

Another thing I do is frozen peas and mint.  The previous owners of my house put in a huge garden box full of mint.  I put mint and olive oil in the food processor (IIRC it's 2 cups herbs to 1/3 cup oil) and freeze it in ice cube trays and store it in baggies in the freezer.  Then we cook the peas in the microwave or stovetop, and add a still-frozen mint cube once it's done cooking while we're setting the table.  It mostly melts during that time and fully melts with an extra stir or two.  Very delicious!

[Desert Strawberry]

Soup, salad and 2 or three other veggies. And a fruit if you can swing it. I find my family is happier the more dishes are on the table. 

[zoobie]

A big salad before, like Jean said.

 

Sautéed spinach or arugula with pasta. I heat a little oil with a smashed garlic clove, then remove that and add the greens. Sauté briefly and squeeze half a lemon over the top. It's good with a can of chickpeas or cannelloni beans too. Heat those before adding the greens.

 

Roasted broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini are favorites. Toss with a little oil, salt, pepper, roast until desired brownness. You can squirt with a lemon or sprinkle with Parmesan. Broccoli and green beans I will roast from frozen but the others are better fresh. Add shallots, onions, mushrooms, or red/yellow peppers if you like those.

 

There's lots of things on your list that go with cabbage--cheap and filling. Slaw (tons of varieties) or roasted, maybe with some carrots.

[LibraryLover]

Hamburgers can benefit from chopped veggies. I can also pack a lot of finely chopped parsley (very healthy) into a hamburger. If you add a beaten egg or two, a couple or 3 crushed anchovies (think Worcestershire Sauce), you've added nutrients.

 

Now is a great time to cut a couple of acorn squashes in half and bake. It's really easy; you just have to remember to put them in to bake.  :) I am aggravated when I forget.

 

I agree. Cabbages, kales, chards etc are foods you can saute or soup into pretty much everything.  My youngest doesn't like raw arugula that much, but gobbles it up when it's in a stir fry, sauce, or soup.

 

Don't forget those little things that help make foods delicious &  help boost the immune system: onions, shallots, parsley, garlic, cinnamon (delicious in tomato sauce), scallions etc.

[lavender's green]

Another thing we often do is fresh fruit at the end of our meals.  We (Dh, toddler, and I) often share a piece of sliced fruit for dessert/end of breakfast.  I think that little extra something is surprisingly filling.

[Joshin]

Squash, summer or winter, provides a starchy feel without the starch. I like to toss roasted or sauteed veggies with pesto, usually a spinach or kale pesto. Our meals tend to be a protein, salad, and a veggie side. Salad may be a normal garden salad, a warm cabbage salad, a fruit salad, coleslaw, or spinach and strawberries with a balsamic vinaigrette (my favorite). I also tend to add caramelized onions and garlic to plain veggies, because they impart a lot of flavor. 

[Luckymama]

Pretty much any roasted veggie is a hit with my crew---well, except the parsnips and the Brussels sprouts (not together!). Butternut squash, peeled and cubed, tossed with olive oil, smidge of salt, pepper, and rosemary, is the current favorite. It adds a good color punch to the plate, too :)

 

When we have pierogies I serve green beans sautéed with onions as a side dish. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm pierogies....

 

Dd13 isn't a fan of soups (everyone else is). I tend to serve salads as a second vegetable side when the older kids aren't here.

[Shamzanne]

I love this simple salad: chop into similar sized pieces celery, pears or apples, walnuts, and a sharp cheddar. I like little cubes of everything. Serve over fresh spinach with a homemade dijon vinaigrette.

[LibraryLover]

I love this simple salad: chop into similar sized pieces celery, pears or apples, walnuts, and a sharp cheddar. I like little cubes of everything. Serve over fresh spinach with a homemade dijon vinaigrette.

 

Yum!

 

And what if the spinach was sauteed a bit first?  The cheese would melt a little. :)

[KungFuPanda]

Our family only occasionally indulges in meals that are over-processed, carb heavy or, you know, just plain bad for us. When we do, what I want is a strategy for lots of side dishes to distract from a very small serving of an unhealthy "main" dish.

Today it's ready-processed chicken "breasts" (breaded) and stuffed with ham and "Swiss cheese" -- mmmmmm... But definitely only one piece for DH & I, and half for the kids.

I also need a similar strategy for spagetti & brown butter, and other pasta dishes, plus things like pirogues, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled bratwurst -- mmmmmmm... I'm pretty hungry.

OK so how do I fill these plates with an abundance of distracting side dishes that are filling, and neither potato nor wheat? Yes, veggies, but what kinds? Any creative preparation methods?

Pierogis and kielbasa are definitely on my Super Quick/Super Easy Panic Menu. I serve them with a can of kraut and a can of beets :-). I'm guessing steamed cabbage and fresh beets would be better :-/ I also serve them with fried onions and peppers.

 

You don't wanna know about Peirogi Skins. That'll send you too far in the other direction.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

The model you seek sounds like New American Plate.  It's also an awesome cookbook.

[Jane in NC]

Top burgers with slaw and then have roasted veggies on the side.

 

Add spinach or chopped kale to meatballs.

 

Top sausages with sauteed colorful peppers and onions (add some cumin). Serve with salad.

 

My philosophy is not to just serve veggies on the side but to add veggies to the protein--and then more on the side.

 

 

[OrganicAnn]

One thing that might be helpful.   We often have raw veggies cut up and set out before dinner.   It is funny how a plate of cucumbers, carrots, celery will disappear in the 15 minutes before you set down for dinner.  

[helena]

For Mexican meals that are "eh" I thinly slice cabbage, chop cilantro and red onion, squeeze on a lime, salt, and pico de gallo. It makes a nice and fresh topping for everything. Then I don't feel so bad about serving sad, 2 days old stuff. :)