Preparing healthy food for my family has always been a priority. Although, sometimes I don’t watch our fats and carbohydrates well enough. So at least for the first few months of this year, I’m concentrating on providing healthier options. For instance, we’ll use more olive oil and less butter. I’ll try, though it will be very hard, to skip the cheese all together. I’ll also cut down on breads, rice and pastas, instead serving vegetable replacements.

I’m focusing on meals that have only 4 ozs. of protein and a side of fruits and/or vegetables with absolutely no carbs. I’m also cutting out dairy except yogurt. I wonder if I can make it through February.
Eating boneless skinless chicken breasts and vegetables can be pretty boring. However, last weekend I made two meals that followed the plan and the recipes are good enough to share.

Vegetable Minestrone Soup
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can tomato bits
8 oz. frozen spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions, carrots and celery in olive oil in a large pot. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add bay leaves, thyme and oregano, continuing to cook until the onions are translucent. Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes and spinach. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper if it absolutely needs it.

Normally I’d suggest garnishing with lots of parmesan cheese, but instead use chopped basil or parsley. The beans provided protein and the white beans helped me feel like I was getting pasta. I was satisfied and my family certainly had the option to garnish with cheese. Remember to apply portion controls.

Sunday afternoon I made a slow-cooked roast in the crock pot. I started the night before by marinating a lean roast. The next morning I patted the roast dry, seared it reserving the marinade and added the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot.

Slow-cooked Roast and Vegetables
3 lbs. lean beef roast
marinade
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
Marinade:
1/4 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. A-1 sauce
1 Tbsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk ingredients together. I marinated the roast in a zip-lock storage bag placed in a shallow pan in the refrigerator. When I woke up about 2:00 a.m. (like I always seem to do), I turned the bag over to make sure all sides of the roast were exposed to the marinade. The next morning I removed the roast from the bag and patted it dry.

Chop the vegetables and place in the crock pot. In a large pan on high heat, sear all sides of the roast. This helps lock in the juices and it makes a pretty brown roast instead of a dry gray piece of meat. Turn off the heat and place roast on top of the vegetables. Deglaze the searing pan with the reserved marinade and 3/4 c. water. Stir around to loosen the brown bits. This helps clean the pan but more importantly, it adds great flavor to the dish. Pour that sauce over the roast and vegetables.
Set the crock pot on low and cook for 4-5 hours. I made smashed potatoes for my boys, but I did without. Instead I cooked a little cauliflower, mashed it and stirred in unsweetened almond milk. It almost looked like potatoes – kind of.

Both dinners provided several servings. Healthy meals that follow the plan are great to have as leftovers, especially with all the temptations out there. Individual meals can be refrigerated or frozen for later in the week. It’s also a good idea to have fresh fruits, non-starchy vegetables and nuts handy too. And again, remember to apply portion controls.