Nothing makes me feel more accomplished as a wife and mother than cooking a meal that everyone devours: no complaints, no dinnertime drama, enthusiastic requests for seconds, and clear plates at the end.
Unfortunately, that happens most frequently when I serve things that aren’t terribly healthy.
But I know that nutrition is important, so in between those well-received family faves I try to serve more nutrient-dense meals to fuel my children’s growing bodies and brains. Because while proper nutrition is important for my husband and I, it’s even more important for my kids during this period of their lives, as this period of rapid physical and cognitive development during the school-age and adolescent years sets the stage for optimal health and reduced chronic disease risk during their adulthood.
This post is sponsored by the Washington State Beef Commission.
Studies show that nutrient deficiencies are alarmingly common during this important life stage. In fact, many children, including adolescents, fall short on consuming essential nutrients to support learning, activity, and development such as high-quality protein, iron, zinc, choline, and vitamins B6 and B12, which are all readily available in beef. Beef deliciously enhances nutritious meals—making it easier for growing children to enjoy key nutrients that fuel optimal physical and cognitive development, as well as immunity.
Strong Kids Balanced Plates
And the great news is my kids love beef in any form. That’s easy nutrition to get into their bodies. But what about the other stuff? Kids need a balance plate, and I know I’m not the only mama to struggle to get veggies into my kids’ bellies. So I’ve found some ways to craft well-balanced meals that provide the protein and nutrients for their developing bodies and brains through the beef that they love, rounded out with the veggies they need in a way they’ll actually eat. Here are my three “rules”:
- Anchor each meal with a food your family loves. Beef is an easy choice because there are so many cuts and it’s so versatile. Ground beef, roasts, steak, stir-fry, stew…you’re bound to find something your family will be excited about eating. Plus I feel good about feeding it to my family because it’s one of the most protein-dense meat options available and gives them essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and choline.
- Avoid the temptation to hide veggies. This works to get nutrients in your kids in the short-term, but doesn’t do anything to make them less veggie-averse in the long-term. With kids and their nutrition, you’re playing the long game. To help them accept veggies throughout their whole time in your home, make sure they know they’re eating veggies so they learn they’re not so terrible.
- Get rid of the all-or-nothing mentality. Let me put this in perspective. I’m an adult, and I care about my health. But even with my health-conscious mindset, spaghetti squash is not the same as spaghetti, zoodles are not equal to noodles, and don’t even get me started on cauliflower rice. But when I temper my need for perfection and get rid of the all-or-nothing mindset, I can find ways to serve these things to my family in a way they’ll receive without completely eliminating the food they love.
Here are some examples:
Ground Beef and (Cauliflower) Rice Skillet
Tons of flavor, plenty of rice, and enough riced cauliflower to make you feel good about what you’re feeding your family. Don’t be shy – tell them that 1/3 of the rice in their dinner is cauliflower, and when they realize they can’t taste the difference they’ll be more apt to try the veggie next time, too!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (I use 93%)
- ½ onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup rice (uncooked)
- 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
- 1 can (2.5 cups) chicken broth
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 2-4 Tbs. taco sauce
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Desired toppings (salsa, sour cream, avocado, shredded lettuce)
- In a skillet (with a lid), brown the ground beef and onion.
- Stir in the rice, chicken broth, riced cauliflower, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes – until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the taco sauce (to taste). Top with grated cheddar cheese and return the lid until the cheese is melted.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Veggie-Packed Sloppy Joes
I used the sauce recipe and seasonings from this recipe, but started with two cups of finely chopped miscellaneous veggies from my refrigerator that I sautéed until soft before adding the ground beef. At the end I stirred in an additional ½ cup of frozen corn. The end result was a satisfying sloppy joe with visible veggies that all tasted like the sauce. The fam was a little hesitant because they could see there were vegetables, but when they realized everything tasted the same, they learned that veggies don’t have to taste like veggies.
French Onion Soup Pasta with Zucchini Ribbons
Who doesn’t love a comforting pasta dish? By adding wide zucchini ribbons in addition to (rather than instead of) the egg noodles, your family will enjoy a dinner they love and see that zucchini really does have a place in the noodle world.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (I use 93%)
- ½ pkg. wide egg noodles (about 6 oz.)
- 1 can condensed French Onion soup
- 1 can low-sodium beef broth
- 1-2 medium zucchini
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 oz. cream cheese
- 1 tsp. salt
- freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- Brown ground beef seasoned with onion powder and garlic powder in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- While beef is browning, use a potato peeler to make wide zucchini ribbons. Cut the zucchini ribbons in half so they are not as long. Toss them with salt, and place them in a strainer so they will release excess water.
- When the ground beef is browned, add the French Onion soup, beef broth, cream cheese, and pasta to the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, turn down the heat. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Squeeze excess water out of the zucchini ribbons. Stir them into the pasta; the heat will soften them a bit but they will retain a good “bite” to blend in texture-wise with the egg noodles.
- Serve immediately; garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.
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