Womans Day - Womans Day Easy Everyday Lighter Dinners: Healthy, family-friendly mains, sides and desserts

Foreword

Heres what I hear most often when I ask Womans Day readers about healthy meals:

Healthy? My family wont touch it.

Healthy ingredients are too expensive.

I dont have time to cook special meals.

Yuck! (OK, thats a quote from my older daughter, who basically hates anything green.)

Its no wonder that the idea of cooking nutritious meals drives many of us straight to the frozen pizza aisle. It just seems, well, hard. And who needs hard at the end of a long day?

Thats where our new cookbook comes in. These pages are proof that healthy meals can be quick and easy to cook, and delicious as well. Weve gathered a selection of recipes from our popular Easy Everyday section, as well as special features. These dishes dont call for fancy (or expensive) ingredientsjust wholesome foods you can buy at your local supermarket. Weve paid close attention to fat and calories, but also added recipes that sneak in lean proteins, whole grains, antioxidant-packed fruits and vegetables and other nutritional musts that keep your body strong. Your family wont even taste the difference.

So resist the siren call of frozen dinners and try out these recipes. Weve been loving them in my household (yes, even my vegetable-averse child). Enjoy!

Susan Spencer
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WOMANS DAY

Introduction

Growing up, my family had a few dinnertime rules:

We ate dinner together.

Salad was served at every meal (my brother and I had the choice of eating it before the main dish, which was my fathers preference, or after, which was my mothers).

We had to try everything on the table (even the vegetables).

We ate what was served for dinnerno substitutions.

Monday nights we had ravioli.

These rules taught me that balance is key, and thats something we promote every month in Womans Day. In my home, this still holds true (although ravioli is now fair game any night of the week).

I know that life is busy and getting dinner on the table can be the most hectic part of the day. So we filled this book with easy recipes that you can incorporate into your weekly rotation, and dishes you can whip up on the fly when you dont have a plan. Youll never hear This again! again.

Our recipes are lower in fat and calories, but this is not a book of diet food. Its food that can fill up your family and that you can feel good about serving at the same time. So, whether you are in search of a comforting pasta dish (try the Vegetable lasagna) or a 20-minute meal (Cajun shrimp, spinach and grits is a favorite), we have it. Youll also notice a icon, which marks every recipe that meets our heart-healthy criteria for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. I am proud to say that 53 recipes in this cookbook met this standard.

There are dozens of complete meal options to choose from, but if you are just looking for a side dish to pair with a quick sauted chicken breast we have those too. And what meal doesnt feel complete without dessert? Try any one of the sweet treats in the last chapter (one of my favorites, the Banana oat cookies).

Whether you have ravioli Mondays, taco Tuesdays or pizza Fridays, the WD food team wishes you many wonderful (and healthy!) meals with your family.

Happy cooking,

Kate Merker
FOOD & NUTRITION DIRECTOR, WOMANS DAY

Healthier weeknight eating just got easier. Whether youre looking for a hearty one-pot meal or a fresh no-cook option, youll find it in here.

Turkey meatballs

Turkey meatballs

ACTIVE 35 MIN TOTAL 50 MIN SERVES 6 COST PER SERVING $2.04

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and pepper

cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

cup quick-cooking oats

2 tsp fresh thyme

1 lb ground turkey breast or extra-lean ground turkey

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan

2 cups low-sodium marinara sauce

Green salad, for serving

Heat oven to 425F. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season with tsp each salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes; stir in the parsley.

Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and their liquid is nearly evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, 2 Tbsp water and tsp each salt and pepper. Stir in the oats and thyme. Add the turkey, sprinkle with the Parmesan and mix to combine.

Fold in the mushroom mixture. Form the mixture into 24 balls and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

Warm the marinara sauce in a large skillet. Toss the meatballs in the sauce to coat. Serve with a salad, if desired.

PER SERVING 230 CAL, 4.5 G FAT (1 G SAT FAT), 63 MG CHOL, 357 MG SOD, 26 G PRO, 12 G CAR, 2 G FIBER