Dinner serves as the final meal of the day and is often the final opportunity to meet the day's nutritional requirements. Depending on the amount of time available for preparation, a wide variety of healthy dinner ideas are available. Serve food on a small dinner plate to reduce the risk of consuming too many calories.
Salmon
Dr. Michael F. Roizen, in an interview on the Epicurious website, recommends eating wild fish such as salmon. Marinate a salmon fillet overnight in a mixture of 1/4 cup orange juice blended with a tablespoon of honey. Grill the salmon on a griddle along with sliced purple onion, zucchini and yellow squash. Top the salmon with fresh, minced parsley and serve with a whole-grain roll and green tea.
Vegetable Stir-Fry
Enjoy a meat-free dinner several nights a week. Heat 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil in a wok or skillet. Add baby carrots and cook until slightly softened. Add broccoli florets and button mushrooms, again cooking until the newly added vegetables are slightly softened. Add quartered white onion and diced cabbage leaves. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned and season with low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp. of brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. of ginger. This can be served with a glass of red wine or skim milk.
Chicken
The American Diabetes Association recommends that people mentally divide their dinner plate by adding nonstarchy vegetables to one-half of the plate, grains or starchy vegetables to one-quarter of the plate and a meat or meat substitute to one-quarter of the plate. A glass of milk and a piece of fruit should then be added to the meal. A baked chicken breast served with boiled asparagus spears and a small baked sweet potato topped with cinnamon makes a healthy dinner. It can be accompanied by a glass of skim milk and a large plum.
Turkey Sandwich
A turkey sandwich makes a quick, healthy dinner. Begin with two slices of toasted whole-grain bread. Add turkey, a slice of mozzarella cheese, Romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles and mustard. Add a small serving of baked beans, a banana half and a glass of iced tea for a nutritious meal.
Spaghetti
A spaghetti dinner is a filling option when hunger strikes. Whole-grain spaghetti noodles can be boiled while mushrooms, yellow onions and green peppers are sauteed in a large skillet. When the vegetables are browned, carefully add spaghetti sauce and heat until bubbly. Serve on top of the spaghetti noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. A small glass of grape juice makes a healthy accompaniment for this Italian dinner.
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