How to Make Dinner Healthier

Most of the days' calories should be eaten during the day with a light dinner eaten a few hours before dinner. Eating a heavy dinner close to bedtime can make it harder to sleep. I tend to stick with some sort of protein, like chicken, turkey/ground turkey, ground beef/steak or black beans with a small salad, a cooked vegetable and sweet potato. Once in a while I substitute gluten free pasta for the sweet potato. Gluten free pasta made from quinoa or brown rice is a better choice than gluten free pasta made from corn and potatoes, so be sure to read the labels. Aldi's has spiral and penne gluten free pasta made from quinoa. I also like red lentil spaghetti noodles. Spiralized zucchini is also a great alternative to traditional or gluten free pasta. A simple, small salad might consist of quality dark greens like spinach and/or spring mix, cucumber, green/red/orange or yellow bell pepper, red or yellow onion, tomatoes, avocado and/or black or green olives, all drizzled with olive oil and balsamic or red wine vinegar and sprinkled with black pepper. For a traditional burger and fries dinner, you can substitute large pieces of lettuce like romaine or iceberg for the roll and air fried or baked sweet potato fries for regular deep fried fries. Another roll substitute I like is making a small batch of almond flour bread in a mug. You just cook it in the microwave, pop it out of the mug and cut into a couple of slices. The internet also has a bunch of full sized alternative flour bread recipes that might also work well. I love breakfast for dinner, so I make coconut flour pancakes covered in blueberries, butter and a drizzle of maple syrup, with turkey bacon or sausage and an egg cooked in coconut oil to make a healthier version. A few other healthy dinner ideas:

• Black bean tacos, get extra nutrition by wrapping in lettuce instead of a taco shell
• Salmon or chicken with a side of cooked vegetables like asparagus, spinach or green beans
• Pick one of each of your choice: a protein, 2 vegetables - cooked or raw, sweet potato or gluten free pasta or zucchini noodles cooked however you like

All dinners should be paired with a small salad for an extra boost of nutrients. Challenge: Pick a night and make burgers, chicken patties or black bean tacos for dinner and substitute the roll/bread/taco shell with large pieces of romaine lettuce. #ads Dinner Recipe Books