Smarter, Not Harder
While you may well be on your way to becoming a Master Faster, the rest of your family might have less of a need (or a want) to jump on board.
One of the reasons is the bee’s knees, is because of it’s flexible (and also our recipes are pretty scrummy in anyone’s eyes!). Eating in line with your new lifestyle doesn’t mean cooking different dishes for all the members of your clan; there are countless ways of tweaking your family’s favourite recipes to allow them work double duty and save you from preparing multiple meals.
Crowd Pleasers
Spaghetti Bolognese
Everyone loves a good spag-bol and there are easy ways to make it work for the entire fam. Firstly, use a lean mince, such as turkey, instead of beef and make your own sauce rather than one from a jar (it’s not much more effort and you’ll avoid so much unnecessary sugar and salt). Fry onions and garlic in an olive oil blend, add mince, a can or two of chopped tomatoes and as many veggies as you can camouflage from your kids. Grated carrots, frozen spinach, peas, grated zucchini, and anything you can scrounge up will suffice. Season with traditional Italian flavours; oregano, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme and S&P to taste.
As a bed for your bolo, try to get the others on board with low-carb alternatives. But if they won’t, you can enjoy zoodles, spaghetti squash or konjac pasta while they stick to the classics and your sauce will pair well with both.
Leftover ideas:
- Shepherd’s pie with mountain bread crust and celeriac mash
- Cauliflower-based bake
- Sloppy Joe sambos and jaffles (for the kids)
Tacos
Tacos are an excellent option for fussy family members, as everyone can assemble their own dish and choose which toppings to include and which to leave out. Decide on a protein that everyone will enjoy such as turkey mince, marinated chicken strips, pan-fried white fish or grilled prawns. Season with fresh herbs, spices and other veggies; onion, kidney beans, mushrooms, garlic, chili, coriander, paprika and cumin. Finish with a hearty squeeze of fresh lime. Give your gang toppings such as shredded cabbage or lettuce (try for darker leaves over iceberg), chopped tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, green capsicum, onions, carrot ribbons and choko matchsticks. Finish with chunky salsa, homemade guacamole (smashed avo, red onion, coriander and lemon juice) and, as an alternative for sour cream and cheddar cheese, use crumbled low-calorie queso fresco. Lettuce cups are a low-calorie option for you, while they can stuff their corn or flour tortillas with the same filling.
Leftover ideas:
- Taco salad
- Toasted wheat wraps
- Taco pizza with cauliflower crust
- Nachos (for the kids)
Bangers and Mash
Graduate from boring bangers to sophisticated sausages such as curried chicken and turkey and sage or; if you have picky eaters, skip the seasoning but keep the meat lean.
Substitute potato for a healthier mash made from cauliflower, celeriac, sweet potato or rutabaga (or even experiment with mixing a few together). Remember that what you add to your veggie of choice is a big factor in how healthy the dish ends up; stay away from mixing in cream, butter and cheese; instead opt for a non-dairy milk, olive oil, almond cheese and herbs to season. Serve with an array of steamed veggies to round out the dish.
Snack Attack
Frittata Finger Food
Mix eggs with an assortment of veggies; sautéed onion and mushrooms, asparagus, peas, chopped tomatoes (or whatever is around), a splash of skim milk and seasoning to taste. Bake in a muffin pan that’s been sprayed with oil and enjoy any time of day!
Devilled Avocado Eggs
A twist on a mayonnaise-packed old fave; substitute mayo for avocado. Season with lime juice, garlic powder, S&P and top with fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of paprika.
Easy Caprese
Slice and alternate fresh skim mozzarella cheese with heirloom tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of S&P
Ants on a Log
Spread natural nut butter along a celery stalk and top with a chopped up dried date or sultanas.
Mezze Method
Assorted raw veggies; think carrots, celery, capsicum, broccoli, snow peas and cherry tomatoes, with healthy dips such as hummus and tzatziki.
SFD-Friendly Sushi
The word sushi actually means ‘vinegar rice’ and has nothing to do with whatever else goes with it. Swap the rice and seaweed of traditional sushi for cucumber ribbons and wrap your fave lean protein up in bite sized bundles.
For other meal ideas and more detail, you can check out our recipe library for more super healthy (and family-friendly) eats.
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