I have several friends who look at the quick and healthy recipes on my website, and say, “Gosh, they all look so good, but my husband is so picky, he wouldn’t eat them”. This does make meal planning a little more difficult, but with a little creativity, you can still enjoy many delicious, healthy meals - even with the pickiest husband or family!

Here are five delicious ideas you can try:

Meal #1: Believe it or not, pork tenderloin is quite lean actually comparable with chicken breast. Marinate a pork tenderloin with some delicious flavorings, grill or bake and serve with brown rice and steamed green beans. Keep it healthy by minimizing butter.

Meal #2: Meatloaf is an old-standby that can be modified to make it lighter, yet still tasty. Make a meatloaf with ground turkey or extra lean ground beef. Again, eaten in moderation with mashed potatoes and peas, you’ll be sticking to a balanced diet and still satisfying your meat and potatoes eaters.

Meal #3: While deep-fried chicken strips can be delicious, you might be surprised at how good they can be baked in the oven. This meal consists of baked chicken fingers, reduced fat packaged biscuits and a tossed green salad. For a tasty baked chicken recipe, dip in buttermilk and roll in crushed lowfat chips, crackers or breadcrumbs.

Meal #4: The basic burger! As with the meatloaf, use extra lean ground beef or ground turkey. Serve on whole wheat buns, with light mayo, lettuce, and tomato (add some sautéed onions if desired). For side dishes, bake some frozen steak fries (lower fat than others) and vegetarian baked beans (they’ll never know the difference!).

Meal #5: Tonight you’ll be enjoying steak, baked potatoes and steamed broccoli. Just serve a lean cut of beef, keep your own portion small (around 4 ounces) and this meal easily can fit into a healthy diet. Try topping your potato with a fat-free butter spray or sprinkles, fat-free sour cream, lowfat cheese, or salsa.

Once you find some meals your family enjoys, add them to your regular menu rotation (don’t forget about them) and also try variations on ingredients and flavorings. A little creativity goes a long way!

© Health-E-Meals.com, 2003

This article may be reprinted with permission if the following resource box is included: