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The Importance of Eating a Healthy Dinner

The Importance of Eating a Healthy Dinner
POSTED
Sep 14
Comments
5

The final week of our September Success challenge is all about walking off your healthy dinner!

While it is important to get in your 4 miles every day, it is just as important to make sure that you are filling up with a nutritious, well-portioned dinner in the evening.

Planning ahead helps ensure this happens, as life during the week can often get extra hectic. When that happens, we are tempted to grab something on-the-go or heat up something frozen, which is often filled with preservatives.

Instead, we challenge you to fill up on fiber-rich plant foods this week, that will not only keep you fuller longer, but will also improve your overall health! When planning your menus, make sure they include:

  • Whole Grains
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Nuts
  • Beans
  • Seeds

Here are some helpful tips to consider when working these high fiber items into your menu:

  • Serving size matters. As Americans, we are used to over sized portions, which lead us to overeat. If serving meat, stick to 3oz and fill the rest of your plate with vegetables and a starch.
  • It is possible to cook the nutrients out of vegetables. Lightly searing vegetables, so they remain crisp, is a great way to ensure they don’t lose their nutritional value.
  • Balsamic vinaigrette, lemon juice and salt and pepper are all great seasoning additions when added to side dishes in moderation.

Plate Portions Graphic

Source

Leslie gives seven great, healthy dinner ideas on the final cooking disk of Walk, Eat, Lose, including a spiced-up veggie burger with seared spinach. If you don’t have the DVD set, here’s a great Fall dinner recipe from Leslie’s book, Eat Smart, Walk Strong, to get you started!

Black Bean and Avocado Chili

  • 2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
  • 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • Garnishes: Cilantro, Monterey Jack, Hot Sauce

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot.

2. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft.

3. Add the tomatoes and juice, beans, corn, chili powder, and salt. Squeeze the lime juice into the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add the avocado and simmer for 5 more minutes.

5. Serve and let people garnish their individual bowls with cilantro, cheese, and hot sauce.

Serves Six

***

What are your favorite healthy dinner options? We’d love to hear from you!

Walk ON!

Header Photo Source

Leslie

Comments

5
April said at
Yum these sound awesome! Thank you Leslie for all these great options!! I also love to make bean and rice burritos. You take a can of rotel and brown rice and heat them together, the rice will cook in the rotel. Then add 1 can of black beans, 1 can of pinto beans, 1 cup of lf or reg shredded cheddar cheese. Stir it all and put it into wraps and enjoy!! :-)
Suzanne Troub said at
Can you buy these in the UK? I personally am not from there but i several people who are and they really want to buy these videos but feel they have no access. And Amazon has so few. Can they purchase them from this site and have then shipped to the UK?
Carol said at
The black bean chili sounds good !! I make my chili by browning a pound of ground sirloin with half an onion, add 1/2 packet of mccormick chili seasoning( the reduced sodium one), 1 tablespoon cumin, 3 tablespoons chili powder, one ssmall can tomato paste ( no sugar added one) one can rotel with habeneros, one large can diced tomatoes and one large can red kidney or pinto beans,the rotel makes it great,it will be hot and spicy so we like to add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream on top.
Diann Graziani said at
Thanks Leslie The chili recipe sounds very good will give it a try.. Got my hubby eating so much more healthy as well. I use red Quinoa and cous cous. So easy to make up what can be a side dish or a entire meal. I saute a diced red, and yellow peppers then a small hot pepper for some kick and red pepper flakes in a bit of olive oil.One onions are translucent I add 4 small zucchini's cubed toss onto onion , pepper mixture sprinkle 1 tsp. of garlice powder over all saute few min dont want the zucchini to get soggy. Add one chopped apple yes apple and small handful of chopped walnuts.. Toss all together add your cooked cous cous salt and peper Add entire small box of Cous cous . I had this for lunch today a cup and one small container 60 cal. of yogurt with strawberrys Fills you up and not out. Sometimes I Add diced chicken to this as well for entire meal or grilled turkey paddie and have 1/4 cup of cous cous on side I play around with and never get tired of it just add different spices to make a whole new side dish
Cool Cardio + Super Strength | Walk at Home said at
[...] work. Over these past 18 days, we’ve chatted with you about healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners to fuel you, as well as provided an introduction into what makes a walk [...]

Let’s hear from you!

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