What's To Eat?
By Marcy Kyle, Registered Dietitian

"What's to eat?" asks my fourteen-year-old son as he walks in the door after a two hour football practice and five hours since lunch. My husband calls on his cell before coming home: "What should we have for dinner …should I stop to pick something up?" From a co-worker after a busy morning at work: "What can we order for lunch?"

Sound familiar?

The responsibility of keeping everyone happy and well-fed is sometimes overwhelming but with a few planning tips those after school snacks, quick and satisfying evening meals and saying "no" to expensive take-out for lunch could become your reality.

Let's start with first things first ...shopping. Try to keep the following items on your shelf to assure a healthy base:

• Emphasis should be on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.

• Apples and bananas are usually available year round, and stock up on any fruit that is in season. Year-round vegetables include carrots, onions, potatoes (sweet and white), mixed greens, broccoli and peppers. Frozen vegetables are great when other produce is out of season.

• Keep you fridge stocked with dairy items that are fat-free or low-fat, such as skim milk and yogurt, and low-fat cheese like parmesan and cottage cheese.

• Include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts and chicken or vegetable broth.
  
• Look for items low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.

• Now let's put together some snack, lunch and dinner ideas.

After school – or afternoon break – favorites for all ages are yogurt topped with fruit and dry cereal, mozzarella cheese sticks and apples, low-fat popcorn sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and "gorp" (dry cereal mixed with dried fruit, such as raisins and nuts). On chilly days, offer a cup of soup or cocoa made with skim or low-fat milk (look for the recipe on the side of the cocoa can and you'll avoid the trans fats common in many drink mixes).

For some lunch ideas I have put together five days of menus all similar in calories, fat and carbohydrates. Clip and save these lunch menus – all of them meet the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Dietary Guidelines for Americans representing a healthy diet.

* ½ cup tuna packed in water made with 1 Tablespoon Light Mayo

** 2 Tablespoons reduced-fat natural peanut butter and 1 Tablespoon jam (optional)

*** 2 Tablespoons light Ranch Dressing mixed with ½ cup plain fat-free yogurt

For dinner in a hurry, try my 10-minute stir fry. Cut boneless skinless chicken breast in bite-size strips and sauté for three to five minutes in 1 teaspoon of olive or canola oil. Then add sliced onions, broccoli, green peppers, carrots and any other vegetable on hand. If the produce bin is down to just onions, add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Season with a splash of low-sodium soy sauce or tamari. Serve over a baked potato (microwave for 4 minutes). When you have time for cooking brown rice on the weekend make a double batch and serve during those busy weeknights.

Vegetarian option: substitute tofu or edamame (soft green soybeans, found in the frozen-food section at your grocery) for chicken.

This homemade soup is my family's favorite on a cold night; it's easy on the budget and is as simple as bringing 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Then add all of the same vegetables listed above (fresh or frozen), 1 cup of whole grain macaroni (cook until macaroni is tender) and add a can of well-drained kidney, black or cannelloni beans. Top with parmesan cheese.

Another reason to have a well-stocked pantry your family wants to come home to was reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association by researchers at the University on Minnesota. The study found that adolescents surveyed in high school and then again at age 20 who ate family meals while growing up had better eating habits later in life. These young adults ate more fruits, vegetables and drank fewer soft drinks. For both sexes, the frequency of eating with the family while growing up was associated with young adults eating "real" dinner more frequently, eating more nourishing, structured meals and putting a higher priority on social eating. Instilling good life-long eating habits: What better reason for having the right answer to the question: "What's to eat?"

Marcy Kyle is a Registered/ Licensed Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at the Nutrition and Diabetes Care Center of Pen Bay Healthcare and is Communications Coordinator for the Maine Dietetic Association.