Women, listen up, do you sound like a broken record when trying to get the man in your life to eat healthier?? We’re aiming to make sensible choices but our men sideline our efforts with their pizza-loving, meat and potato dinners. You may have resorted to hiding broccoli in lasagna or squash in a casserole, just to get him his 5 servings of veggies.
I know you ladies can agree, red meat and potatoes cannot be on our dinner plate 7 days a week, and pizza is not a major food group. So to help you in your efforts to a healthier household here are some things to keep in mind when making some Man-Approved meals:
(1) Large Portions – create meals that have a lot of volume but contain fewer calories. Whole grains are your most nutrient dense, low calorie choices. Look for recipes that contain brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and oats. Continue to sneak vegetables into dishes. Mix mashed sweet potatoes with white mashed potatoes. Shredded zucchini can be baked into almost any dish to create volume. If you haven’t tried the Veggetti yet – you are missing out on the coolest kitchen gadget to help you sneak vegetables in dishes.
(2) Don’t speak in terms of “health” – men typically don’t care if the recipe is low fat, low carb, Weight Watcher-friendly, or Paleo-based. Often these words alone can change their opinions about the foods before they have even tried them. Keep all the healthy terminology to yourself until he cleans his plate then deliver the heart-healthy news.
(3) Get him involved in food choices, even if is it subconsciously – When you’re making the grocery list ask him what foods he would like to eat this week. See if he wants to try new things. You might find that your man likes yogurt or granola and you didn’t even know. Let him choose to educate himself by leaving nutritional information scattered around the house. Have the book Eat This Not That as the bathroom reader, or change the coffee table book to a “clean eating” cookbook. He might just pick them up one day and make it his idea to change the household eating habits.
(For the ladies whose men do all the cooking – well then please share with me your secrets to getting him to cook what you want. I would be lucky to get a decent egg omelet from mine. But don’t tell him I said that)
Along with those tips above, give these Man-Approved recipes a try. Each recipe is full of bold flavor, sure to bring those taste-buds variety for the meat & potatoes kind of guy.
Twice-Baked Jalapeño Poppers makes 3 servings
Swap out those fried poppers with this spicy appetizer option
Ingredients
- 6 whole jalapenos
- 2 tbsp of plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp of fresh salsa
- 1 squeezed lime wedge
- 1/2 avocado
- Season to taste with – garlic powder, Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle, Cayenne pepper, paprika etc.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise to make a boat shape out of each half.
- Scrap out the seeds and ribs from each jalapeno with a spoon.
- Place pepper halves on a nonstick cookie and bake in oven until they begin to crisp around the edges approx. 15 minutes.
- In the mean time prepare stuffing ingredients by mashing up the avocado and combining it with greek yogurt, salsa and your choice seasoning
- Take peppers out of the oven and let cool until you can pick them up and stuff them with the avocado mixture – optional – sprinkle paprika on top of each pepper
- Place peppers back on cookie sheet and put them back in the oven at 400 degrees for an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve with additional fresh salsa.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving = 4 pepper halves
Calories: 63 Fats: 5g Sodium: 29mg Carbs: 5g Sugars: 1.5g Protein: 1.5g
Manly Mac n’ Cheese makes 8 servings
Baked delicious goodness with half the cheese of traditional recipes
- 4 whole eggs
- 3 cups whole-wheat elbow noodles (makes 4 cups cooked)
- 1 & ¼ cup of 1% milk
- 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup of whole-wheat bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp of whole-wheat pastry flour
- 2 tbsp of goat cheese
- ½ tsp of garlic powder
- ½ cup of whole-wheat bread crumbs
- ¼ tsp of ground mustard
- ¼ tsp of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions:
Follow cooking directions on the whole-wheat noodle package
Meanwhile shred your sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Drain cooked elbow pasta and rinse with cold water and set aside
In a medium sauce pan combine milk and whole-wheat pastry flour
Simmer at a low heat and whisk continuously until mixture thickens.
Once mixture thickens reduce heat and add cheeses and spices
Continue to stir and once cheese melts gradually add in cooked pasta
Add mac n’ cheese to a 6-cup Pyrex casserole and top with bread crumbs and crack the 4 eggs on top of the dish
Bake for 20 minutes until crumbs are golden brown and egg whites are cook throughout – if you prefer to cook the yolks throughout you may need additional cooking time
Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving
Calories: 313 Fats: 9.6g Sodium: 136mg Carbs: 38g Sugars: 2.5g Protein: 15.5g
Bubba Bison Burgers makes 5 patties
Ground bison is a lean, yet flavorful alternative to ground beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb of ground bison
- 1 egg
- ½ cup of mushrooms, diced
- ½ large sweet onion, diced
- ¼ cup of walnut pieces
- 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed
- 2 tbsp of Mrs. Dash Steak Seasoning
- 2 tbsp of low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp of minced garlic
- 1 tbsp of sesame oil
- ½ tsp of each – ground mustard, garlic powder, cumin
- Toppings of choice (pictured with smashed avocado and fresh salsa)
Directions
In a large nonstick skillet heat sesame oil on medium high
Toss in diced onions, mushrooms, garlic, and soy sauce and sauté until onions turn golden brown
Set aside
In a large mixing bowl combine ground bison, egg, ground flaxseed, spices, and walnut pieces
Slowly add the sautéed veggies to ground meat mixture and form into 5 patties
Heat a grill to medium-high heat and cook on each side for approx 10-15 minutes
Serve on a whole wheat English muffin with toppings of your choice
Nutrition Facts: 1 Patty
Calories: 305 Fat: 21g Sodium: 250 mg Carbs: 6g Sugars: 1g Protein 22g
Aside from the spicy appetizer, these recipes will be great for the whole family – even the little ones. I am not a mom (yet) but I know how much kiddos love mac & cheese and burgers so I am sure these would be a hit.
And who am I kiddin’ women love burgers just as much as men
Where’s the Beef??
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