Healthy Dinner Ideas

Dinner tends to be one of the harder meals to figure out. After a long day at work or school, the last thing anyone wants to do is cook a gourmet meal. As a result, dinner tends to be the meal we’re either more inclined to skip, or opt for picking up a few burgers and fries from a fast food restaurant rather than cooking something healthy, which can lead to weight gain and other health problems.

The best way to ensure you’re having a healthy dinner is to prep your meals for the week. By doing this, you’re more likely to eat healthier and won’t be left scrambling to figure out your meal at the last minute.

Below are just a few healthy dinner ideas suggested by Vancouver physician Dr. Ali Ghahary.

Poultry

Poultry such as chicken and turkey are great for those following a low-carb diet and contain fewer calories than other meats. Both chicken and turkey have great health benefits. They are high in proteins, vitamins and minerals, which can help boost the immune system.

When choosing poultry it’s important that you pick leaner cuts (chicken breast, for example) as they tend to be lower in fat. While ground poultry might seem like a healthy option, physicians and dietitians in Canada recommend avoiding it as it can contain more fat.

When preparing poultry, trim off any visible fat (including the skin). However, if you are going to be roasting your poultry, it’s okay to leave the fat on while cooking, just be sure to remove it prior to eating. You can also marinate your poultry in low-fat sauces, herbs or spices. Using marinades can help to tenderize the poultry while it’s cooking.

Remember to roast, grill or broil your poultry rather than frying it.

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted vegetables go great with poultry and can often be cooked in the oven at the same time. Some great vegetables for roasting include butternut squash (simply drizzle it with some olive oil and place it in the oven), green beans, carrots and cauliflower. Aside from roasting vegetables, you can also boil or steam them. Roasted vegetables tend to be crispier in texture, while boiled/steamed vegetables tend to be much softer and easier to chew. This is something to keep in mind when feeding young children as well as seniors in order to avoid choking.

Soup

Soup is a quick and easy meal to make, and is especially good to have on a cold day. When you’re suffering from a cold or the flu, nothing beats a bowl of chicken soup. It can help soothe a sore throat, can break up congestion, and it also has anti-inflammatory properties. Chicken soup can be made in a variety of ways – with or without noodles (although Dr. Ali Ghahary suggests skipping the noodles to keep it low-carb) – and you can also make it with your favourite vegetables, which only increases its’ nutrient content, and that’s never a bad thing!

Don’t forget to check out Dr. Ali Ghahary’s other articles on healthy eating by clicking here, as well as his articles on ‘Healthy Breakfast Ideas’ and ‘Healthy Lunch Ideas’.