Tag Archives: dinner

Chipotle-Spiced Pork Recipe Inspires a Creative Halloween Dinner Menu

By Alison Lewis with IngredientsInc.net

Since the kids start talking about which Halloween costume they are going to wear three months ahead of time, it seems like there would be plenty of time to come up with a creative Halloween dinner menu. It’s so fun to have friends over or host a neighborhood get-together on Halloween night. It’s something you and the kids will remember, and it starts the night off on the right foot.

Halloween doesn’t have to be one of those holidays where you get off track with all of the sweets and candy. Look to fall produce such as pumpkin, butternut squash, cranberries and fresh vegetables for wonderful healthy, fresh recipes. Start with this simple Chipotle-Spiced Pork recipe. It’s easy, fast (only 10 minutes), low fat and high in protein. It makes a great entrée for Halloween night with its spicy orange color.

Chipotle-Spiced Pork

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced pork loin chops
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper seasoning
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1. Season pork evenly with chipotle seasoning, lemon pepper and salt. Sauté pork in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. (more…)

Posted on October 27, 2023 by Health Buzz

Creating a Healthy Dinner in 10 Minutes or Less

I try, as much as I can, to have dinner plans made well in advance of the evening hustle. It’s my goal to, at the very minimum, know what I’m making for the evening meal, and many times if I have time I will prepare the dinner in the afternoon. Last Tuesday, life had a very funny way of getting ahead of me and I found myself at 5:15pm scrambling for something to feed my family.

We’d left an afternoon workout and were headed home, and I knew that we had just about 45 minutes before we needed to leave the house for a different class. Everything that could have created a meal was still frozen, and there was precious little in the way of fresh produce. I did not want to stop at a fast food restaurant, didn’t want to resort to sandwiches or breakfast for dinner, and so I stopped at a grocery store. Walking around, I spotted the traditional last minute dinner choice – a rotisserie chicken – but I wanted something new and different. Happily, there were many choices available and we grabbed a fast and nutritious dinner that gave us energy to complete the evening.

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Posted on October 17, 2023 by Carmen

Join the Anderson 5 Day Family Dinner Challenge

On a recent episode of Anderson Cooper’s daytime talk show, the personable host talked about his own issues with food, and brought up a topic that has been much discussed of late: the family dinner. He began a 5-Day Family Dinner Challenge. What’s the challenge? For 5 nights in a row, cook and eat dinner together as a family. He set the following ground rules:

1) No one can be late
2) No TV or cell phones
3) Everyone has to try everything
4) Every night during dinner, play one game.

For busy moms and dads out there, this type of challenge can seem overwhelming. Many of us struggle to get a balanced meal on the table in a timely fashion, never mind making sure that each member of the family is present and accounted for. Also, Norman Rockwell paintings aside, I’ve yet to see a family with teenagers that doesn’t include at least one sullen face, accompanied by short, terse answers. It’s not exactly a formula that cries out success, is it? Don’t despair – the challenge is not as tough as it seems, and it can be downright fun! Here are some great idea to get you started, and if you’ve decided to take the challenge, let us know!

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Posted on September 29, 2023 by Carmen

Six Vegetarian Main Dishes Fit for the Grill

When you’re planning a picnic or cookout, creating a perfect menu can be challenging when you have vegetarians coming to dinner.

Though most vegetarians eat a varied, balanced diet, carnivores might have a difficult time coming up with inventive main dish options for guests with dietary restrictions.

Rainbow Sandwich: If cold cuts are on the menu for your next picnic, don’t relegate the vegetarians to cheese sandwiches or peanut butter and jelly. Tomatoes, avocado and pesto make for such a delicious sandwich that even your meat eaters in the group will want one.

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Posted on July 28, 2023 by Maris

Healthy Main Dishes for Picnics and Parties

Summer is in full swing and many of us have the sunburn and mosquito bites to prove it. If you’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors then odds are, you’ve attended a picnic, backyard party or cook out under the sun and are beginning to tire of hamburgers, hot dogs and grilled chicken.

Next time you’re planning the menu, look for inventive new dishes that will kick off your party on the right note. Whether you’re in the mood for light lunch fare like salads or sandwiches, something hot off the grill or a stick-t0-your ribs meal that will stand up to the heat, you don’t need to ditch your diet to have fun this summer.

Salads & Sandwiches:

Arroz con Pollo Salad: Chicken and rice sounds like a heavy meal but not when you put it into a refreshing salad form. If you’re entertaining in your back yard this is a great option for anyone who wants to indulge without the guilt.

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Posted on July 14, 2023 by Maris

Easy Family Meals for Game Nights

We’ve all been there: Kid #1 has a soccer game in one part of the town, kid #2 has a lacrosse match two cities over at the same time, and somehow, you’ve got to get everyone fed a quick, nutritious meal to fuel them right.

Sure, you could hit a fast food drive thru – if you want a meal full of fat, calories and goodness knows what else. It’s a great idea to have a few tried and true meals that are easy on the wallet and high in both taste and nutrition in your rotation.

Here are some of our favorites here at DietsInReview:

  • Brandi Koskie, Director of Publishing, loves to make a Pulled Pork BBQ. Place a pork tenderloin – one of the best cuts of pork, as it’s low in fat – in a crock pot for several hours. When it’s finished cooking, shred it, mix in some BBQ sauce and serve on a whole wheat bun. Served with cut up veggies and fruit, this is a meal that can be on the table literally in minutes.

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Posted on July 1, 2023 by Carmen

An Olive a Day: 5 Ways to Eat Olives

Jen Fuchs is a member of the Lindsay Olives marketing team. She is based out of Lafayette, California. To learn more about Lindsay Olives and recipe ideas, visit www.lindsayolives.com/recipes.

As summer approaches, many of us switch from savory cooking to quick, cool meals. Here at Lindsay Olives, we support the philosophy of eating olives every day. These flavorful little fruits meet many dietary needs including vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and dairy free. They also contain no cholesterol. Try adding olives to your summer fare for a satisfying burst of flavor and an easy answer to snack and meal options throughout the day.

Need a few suggestions? Here are five ways to add olives into your summer diet in a day.

Breakfast

Olives for breakfast? Why not? Try adding a serving of medium black ripe olives to a veggie omelet. Egg whites, olives, asparagus and summery fresh tomatoes topped with a bit of feta cheese will make your first meal of the day a tasty one. Full of veggies, this meal will feel light and fresh.

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Posted on June 25, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo with Healthier Mexican Fare

Cinco de Mayo, which many Americans know as an excuse to drink Coronas and eat guacamole, is a day that has a great deal of significance in Mexican history. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s unexpected victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

In Mexico, the day calls for great celebration, and Americans have adopted Cinco de Mayo as a celebration of Mexican culture that often centers itself around food and beverage. We all know that it can be difficult to stick to a diet or healthy lifestyle on holidays that revolve around salty snacks, cheese-drenched main dishes and caloric alcoholic beverages, so we put together a round-up of our favorite Mexican-style recipes for your own celebrations that won’t break your calorie bank.

This year, you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo without forsaking any of your cravings – or expanding your waistline.

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Posted on May 2, 2023 by Maris

Your Royal Wedding Watch Party Checklist

It seems the whole world is anxiously waiting for the upcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. If you are one of the many planning a royal wedding watch party for your friends and family to witness the sure to be beautiful ceremony, make sure you have everything you need to throw the perfect royal wedding bash.

Thankfully, we have compiled a list of all the ingredients for a perfect royal wedding watch party that might get you talked about more than the wedding itself.

First off: the food. You can’t celebrate a royal English wedding without traditional English food. Check out our delicious list of Healthier Royal Wedding Watch Party Recipes for main dishes, side dishes and desserts that make you feel like you hopped the pond- without breaking your calorie bank.

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Posted on April 27, 2023 by Kelly

Healthier Royal Wedding Watch Party Recipes

No royal wedding watch party is complete without Yorkshire pudding!

With the royal wedding just a few days away, it seems that most cooks have UK fever – and the desire to cook like British royalty. While British cuisine is typically simple and unfussy, home cooks and professional chefs are pulling out all the stops in light of Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s upcoming nuptials.

If you are hosting a watch party for your friends and family to celebrate the royal wedding, opt for healthier versions of favorite English-inspired meals and snacks that will keep the atmosphere authentically British without leaving your home.

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Posted on April 27, 2023 by Maris

Creative Cooking with Matzah During Passover

Growing up, my half-Jewish family didn’t keep kosher during Passover but we still ate a lot of matzoh [or matzah, matza or matzo]. With Passover upon us, it’s time to start talking about creative ways to eat the unleavened, oversize crackers.

While they are fun to munch on alone, perhaps topped with butter and salt, that certainly doesn’t lend to the most diet-friendly snack. If you have more matzah than you know what to do with, think outside the box. Luckily, matzah is a versatile food that you can turn into a variety of delicious dishes that won’t even leave you craving bread or pasta.

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Posted on April 19, 2024 by Maris