With your hectic schedule, going to work and shuttling the kids from school to after-school activities, planning dinner is often a second thought. At the end of the day, ordering a pizza for dinner or making a stop at a fast-food restaurant may seem like the quickest dinner solution for your family, but it doesn’t have to be. There are a variety of quick, healthy dinner meals packed with the nutrients your family needs.
All-American Favorites
Hamburgers and french fries are an easy-to-make meal most family members can’t resist. For a healthy variation of this all-American classic, use lean ground turkey to make burgers. Combine the meat with onions, parsley flakes and other seasonings for flavor. Have kids use the ground turkey to create round patties. TLC Cooking suggests making the turkey burgers at least three-fourths-inch thick. Broil the burgers for five or six minutes on each side.
While the kids create patties, begin slicing red potatoes, sweet potatoes or both. Top them with olive oil, and then season them with sea salt. Cookbook author Martha Rose Shulman suggests cooking the sliced potatoes at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. Before removing the fries from the oven, make sure that they are tender.
Serve a salad filled with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and a light dressing along with the turkey burgers and fries.
Dinner on a Stick
For a fun, quick and healthy dinner idea your family can enjoy year-round, try chicken kebobs. Kids will enjoy eating their dinner on a stick, but they’ll also get a dinner packed with the protein and nutrients they need.
Create these using cubed chicken breast and your choice of fruits and vegetables including red and green peppers, pineapple chunks, zucchini, squash and tomatoes. Customize your kebobs to include vegetables and fruits each family member enjoys. Save preparation time by purchasing precut fruits and vegetables from the produce aisle at your supermarket.
Add chicken, vegetables and fruits to the wooden or metal skewers, seasonings and flavorings such as salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, honey or barbecue sauce. Taste of Home, a cooking website, suggests grilling the kebobs over low heat for nine to11 minutes and turning them often.
Tex-Mex Crunch
Combine the healthfulness of a salad with the crunchy texture of a taco to create a quick Tex-Mex taco salad for dinner. Start by combining garlic and onion until softened, and then add ground beef, chicken or turkey. Eating Well, an online resource for healthy eating, suggests adding tomatoes, canned kidney beans, cumin and chili powder to the mixture. Stir for two minutes, and remove the mixture from the heat. Add sour cream, salsa and cilantro.
