Nutrient-Rich Sunday Suppers

Welcome to week 1 of the Texas Beef Council’s Healthy Meals to Fuel the Family series.   I have added all the beef lovin’ badges to the bottom of this post just in case you need one :).

Feeding the family is more than simply providing meals, it is about fueling a healthy, active lifestyle to keep you and your loved ones going strong!   One key to eating right is choosing nutrient-rich foods.   These power foods supply fuel and essential nutrients that help power your body and brain.   Focus on naturally nutrient-rich foods like colorful fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains and lean meat for your next Sunday night supper and all week long!

Below you will find the following:

• Three suggested Sunday dinners to try with your family with nutrition & recipe tips plus online resources
• Nutrient-Rich Shopping List
• Shop the Perimeter of the Store Chart
• Childhood Nutrition Tear Sheet
• Holly’s Notes

Let’s start with the recipes!

Three Great Sunday Suppers featuring Beef

1. Porcini Mushroom and Beef Bolognese
2. Chipotle Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Coleslaw
3. Scechuan Beef Stir-Fry

Nutrition Tips

Nutrient-rich foods are a delicious way to maximize your nutrient intake while minimizing excess intake of fat and sugar calories. With tasty options you can fill your nutrient gaps and get the nutrition power your family needs to feel better and be stronger!

Follow this cheat sheet next time you visit the grocery store to ensure that you’re choosing nutritious foods to fuel your family through an active day:

• Whole grains for fiber, folate and energy. Your local supermarket is full of flavorful options like whole wheat bread, oatmeal, multi-grain pastas, brown rice and light microwave popcorn. Look for products marked 100 percent whole grains .
• Fruits and vegetables for vitamins A, C and potassium for healing and fighting illness. The most nutrient-rich produce is brightly colored: blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.
• Dairy for calcium, vitamin D and potassium for strong bones. Today’s dairy case has lots of lower-fat alternatives, like fat-free and reduced-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Lean beef for zinc, iron and protein to help keep you lean and strong. Lean beef is a satisfying source of many nutrients, including B-vitamins and selenium. A 3-ounce serving of one of the lean cuts (like top sirloin, brisket, and T-bone) has fewer than 200 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving.

Recipe Tips

When purchasing ground beef, look for lean or extra lean in your grocery store.   If you buy beef that is less than 90% lean, you can reduce the fat content by up to 50% by using a simple rinsing process. (Oftentimes 80/20 is more economical so this is a great way to get more nutritional bang for your buck!)

After browning the ground beef use a slotted spoon to remove beef crumbles onto a plate lined with paper towels.   Let it sit for 1 minute and blot the top with more paper towels.   Next, place beef in a colander over a large bowl and pour very hot (not boiling) water over the beef.   Drain for 5 minutes.

If your recipe calls for browning ground beef with onion or garlic, these items can be added during the cooking process.   Rinsing the beef mixture after cooking results in minimal flavor loss, and the good news is that draining and rinsing ground beef will not decrease the beef’s vitamins and minerals!

Online Resources

Smart Nutrition Plans from the TBC Healthy Living Section

All the great nutrient-rich information and tips can be found here – http://www.txbeef.org/healthy_living/smart_nutrition_plans

 TBC Video “ 3 Easy Steps on the TBC YouTube Channel

Three easy ways to enhance your beef meals with nutrients – http://www.youtube.com/user/TexasBeefCouncil

 Nutrient Rich Shopping List

Here is a pdf version of this:   TXBeef Nutrient Rich Shopping List

Shop the Perimeter of the Store

Here is a pdf version of this image:   TXBeef shop the perimeter of the store

Childhood Nutrition

and

*The pdf file is too large to add here*

Holly’s Notes:

Can I put in a really good word for the Chipotle Sloppy Joes?

Of course I can!

I have made these quite a few times and wrote about it here:   The Best Thing I Ever Made

So have a yummy week!

Please publish your post by Thursday at noon and add the link to the comments below.

I will be writing a post round-up each week and including thumbnail pics from your posts in a collage and links to everyone’s yummy articles.

Once I see your link, I will also be tweeting them with the #TXBeef hashtag and we will be pinning them over on Pinterest {here is mine}.

Thanks so much!

Holly

And now for some badges: