January 10th

A Too-Healthy Dinner Plus a Bonus Snack

This dinner was way too healthy for my liking, but if you are trying to lose weight, get in shape, or eat healthier, this could be a dinner for you!  Since it was so blah, I felt bad and decided to throw in the recipe for a snack Noelle and I baked earlier in the day.

Mahi Mahi with Spinach

There is no recipe...it's pretty basic stuff.

I really don't like fish very much (unless it's fried, in stick form, or shellfish), but I make it anyway because it's healthy.  Mahi Mahi is not fishy tasting at all, which makes it better than most fish.  This dinner is super simple and super healthy (too healthy in my opinion).  It probably only took me about 15 minutes total to make.

Ingredients:

• Mahi Mahi fillets (I get them frozen from Trader Joes)
• Olive Oil (or you can use coconut oil)
• salt and pepper
• frozen chopped spinach
• butter
• garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Put the frozen spinach in a pot and heat until it isn't frozen anymore.  Stir in some butter and garlic to taste.  Cook a little longer until the garlic has cooked a bit.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.  Salt and pepper the fish.  Add the fish to the pan and saute until cooked through.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Grades:

Megan - C (This dinner was fine.  It's just not something I would ever crave because it's just way too healthy and I don't like fish very much.)

Doug - B+ (Doug likes to eat healthy and likes fish.)

Noelle - A (Noelle loves fish.  She was hesitant to try the spinach, but she knows she has to try at least a bite of everything before she can be finished.  After she tried a bite, she realized she liked it and ate all of it.)

Bonus!!!
Banana Oatmeal Muffins

recipe from: fitandhealthywithdebbie.blogspot.com

Noelle and I baked these muffins together this afternoon and I decided to add them to the blog because they are pretty awesome.  These are probably Noelle's favorite food.  Whenever she is pretending to cook and you ask her what she is making, she always says "banana muffins."  She almost loves making them as much as she likes eating them.

I think cooking with your kids and having them help prepare their food is very important so they not only understand how the food is made and where it comes from, but also get excited about eating since they helped make it themselves!  Noelle is not even two yet, but she helps me make these.  She helps pour the measured ingredients into the food processor, peel the bananas (and tries to eat them), put the paper liners in the muffin tin, and helps sprinkle the chocolate chips on top (even though it's more like...put one chocolate chip on the muffin, eat one, one on the muffin, eat three...)

If you want to get your kids to eat something new, seriously try having them help you make it!

Chocolate chips are not in the recipe, but we sprinkle a few on top because they're delicious and it makes these muffins feel like a special treat even though they are still really healthy.  You could add anything to the top...walnuts, coconut flakes, etc.

These are a favorite healthy snack of mine and Noelle's.  Let me know how it goes if you try making them with your kids (but they're also great for adults.  I have to restrain myself from eating them all!)

Grades:

Megan - A (These are really good, healthy, and easy to make)

Doug - B+

Noelle - A+ (A favorite to make and eat!)