Why Make Two Meals?

Let's face it, with rising food costs and dwindling paychecks, it's hard to feed a family right now.  It's even harder when one or more members of your family have to follow a special diet.  But there are things you can do to incorporate dietary needs into your food without having to make two meals.  Let's say, for example, you are making a Tuna-Noodle Casserole for your family's dinner tonight and you are making something else for that member of the family who is diabetic or dieting, etc.  We can make that casserole suitable for each member of the family.  It's really not that hard.  Just by making a few simple changes it can be a healthy dish for all.  Instead of using white pasta, use a whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta.  There are even some now that are whole-grain and low-carb too.  Use fat-free cream of mushroom soup and fat-free milk.  Make sure that you always use canned tuna in water only.  Add some veggies to the casserole.  Use low-fat or fat-free cheese.  This makes the Tuna-Noodle Casserole much healthier and everyone in the family can eat it.  Now I don't suggest eating casseroles every night for those who are diabetic.  It does make keeping track of your food exchanges a little more difficult, but it is fine on occasion and just make sure to eat a smaller portion and add a green salad to the meal.  This can be done with many types of casseroles.  Just swap the gravies, sauces, and cheeses for low-fat or fat-free replacements and use whole-wheat or whole-grain pastas and you have a much healthier meal that the whole family can eat.  Simple replacements or additions can be made to any meal to keep you from having to cook two.  If making tacos, use the soft, whole-wheat tortillas or some of the low-carb ones instead of the crunchy ones that have usually been fried.  Use lean ground beef, white-meat ground turkey or white-meat chicken.  If using the lean ground beef, make sure to use less meat and fill the tacos up with lettuce, tomatoes, onions or other types of veggies your family likes to use.  Use fat-free sour cream, low-fat or fat-free cheese.  Add a green salad or a vegetable and you have a healthier taco meal for all of you.  If you are making the kids baked french fries or tator tots for dinner, put some sweet potato fries on the baking sheet too.  You can find them in the frozen-foods with the other fries.  You never know, they may like the sweet potato fries too.  These are just some of the many things you can do to make it easier at meal time and healthier too.