Source

Whoever said healthy eating was boring obviously didn't know what to put in the cooking pot. You don't have to put your heart at risk or your weighing scale out of whack to satisfy your taste buds. Healthy meals can be just as filling and finger-licking good.

However, we'll all agree there are picky eaters in every home. They need cheesy burgers and pizzas to satisfy their cravings. But don't worry, head-chef-of-the-house! We have some healthy main course ideas right here that'll make these people ask for seconds.

Ready to blow everyone's minds? Let's get simmering.

Fish Pie

This traditional English meal has a ton of protein and omega-3 fatty acids and is super easy to prepare. You can also make it ahead of time and pop it in the oven before dinner.

Here's how to cook it:

·       Set your oven to 350 degrees and grease a pie dish.

·       Melt butter in a skillet and fry chopped onions until golden brown.

·       Add your fish fillets along with white wine, cream, parsley, lemon juice, and seasonings. Cook until the fish turns flaky.

·       Prepare mashed potatoes (either by boiling and mashing or buying a pre-made version).

·       Layer the pie dish with the cooked onions and fish fillets, top it off with mashed potatoes, and bake for 40–45 minutes.

Once it's done, serve the golden-brown fish pie with a salad and watch your family go gaga over it.

Persian Beef Stew

Looking for something healthy and hearty? Say hello to beef stews. These slow-cooked meals are perfect for feeding a crowd while maintaining the nutrition balance.

One such fabulous beef stew is Ghormeh Sabzi. It’s a delightfully fragrant Persian dish made with shoulder-cut beef, kidney beans, fragrant herbs, spices, and oil.

Follow the recipe below for some good food in the tummy:

·       Cook your clean and dried herbs in 2 tablespoons of oil until wilted, and transfer to a small bowl.

·       In the same pot, sauté onions and add your meat. Sprinkle the seasonings and cook until your beef turns brown on all sides.

·       Now, pour four cups of steaming hot water, kidney beans, lemon juice, cracked-open dried limes, and cooked herbs.

·       Bring everything to a boil and then simmer for 90 minutes.

You can serve this mouth-watering dish with a hot plate of steamed basmati rice.

Vegetable Lasagna

Kids and vegetables? That's a tough nut to crack! The only vegetable that the young ones will happily gobble down is potato! But you can't add potatoes to everything. These yellow-brown starch-loaded balls of joy are full of carbs that raise blood sugar and insulin levels like a hot air balloon.

So, instead of handing them a plate of fried potatoes, make a veg-version of their ever-favorite main course: lasagna.

Here's a quick recipe for you:

·       Take vegetables of your choice and cook them in a skillet until softened. You can add broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, and onions. Spinach and peppers make great additions too.

·       Prepare red sauce using tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and oregano. Pulse them together in a food processor to get a smooth paste.

·       Now blend your cottage cheese and shift it to another small bowl.

·       Mix your cottage cheese with the vegetable mixture and add seasonings of choice.

·       Now, layer your vegetable lasagna the usual way and bake in a preheated oven for 18 minutes, covered with foil, and 10 minutes without foil to brown the cheese.

Turkey Burgers

You can't keep burgers out of the menu if you want to keep the family happy. Although burgers are a grab-and-go snack, they can also be transformed into a complete meal with the right ingredients.

Since we are all things hearty and healthy today, we'll keep the saturated fat content low by replacing ground beef patties with turkey patties.

Here's what you have to do:

·       Mix thin apple slices and cabbage with lime juice, honey, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper to make the slaw. Set it aside.

·       Make your burger sauce with mayonnaise, Sriracha, and lemon juice. Set that aside too.

·       Next, mix your turkey with soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. You can also add onion bits and chili paste.

·       Make patties now and cook them on the stovetop for 5 minutes per side.

·       Now spread some burger sauce on the bottom buns, place the patties, and top them with the slaw. Cover with the top buns and serve.

You can use whole wheat buns to make the burgers healthier and more filling. Also, serve air-fried sweet potato fries on the side for a full-blown meal.

Wrapping Up

When it comes to healthy cooking, it all boils down to the ingredients you pick. So, look up the health benefits of each ingredient you're adding, and make sure to balance your meals with the right proportion of proteins, carbs, and fats. Now, get creative!

You can make cooking a breeze by picking easy recipes that require minimal prep time. Also, engage the kids by tasking them with simpler steps like mixing and measuring ingredients.

We hope you try these recipes and have a great time feeding your family. Enjoy cooking!