Getting a healthy meal on the table is both an art and a science. Balancing your family’s preferences, energy needs, and filling nutritional gaps can lead to productivity-stalling overwhelm. Today, it’s more important than ever to ensure your family has at least one healthy, gut-friendly meal.
The oversaturation of processed foods and snacks means that digestive systems are constantly on defense. With school meals and snacks in the mix, it’s important to fill nutritional gaps that childhood taste buds can otherwise reject.
Learn how to prepare several gut-friendly, nutritious, and delicious meals that your family will happily eat. With these meals added to your repertoire, you’ll feel confident that your family is getting the powerful nutrition they need.
Protein-Packed Salmon, Fiber-Rich Vegetables, and Energizing Grains
Fish is often heralded as the protein powerhouse of dinner time. Salmon is full of powerful nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids that support muscle growth; salmon also enhances hair, skin, and nail strength.
Neutral in flavor, salmon can be transformed with teriyaki, savory with garlic and herbs for maximum flexibility. Pair salmon with hearty grains, like rice or millet, and complementary vegetables. This three-part formula makes meal prep easy and flexible, meaning your family will enjoy multiple iterations without complaint of repeats.
Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation in the body. Grains like quinoa and vegetables like broccoli provide fiber which aids digestion.
Shop for these items in-store or use a meal kit delivery service to make meal times quick and easy. Healthy meal kits come with all the ingredients and spices you need, leaving guesswork for another day.
Satisfying Soups That Sneak In Extra Nutrition
There’s nothing like a good soup — it’s comforting, hearty, and packs a nutritional punch. Whether you’ve planned to prepare a soup or are working with a mismatch of ingredients, a good soup is possible.
Sauté onions in butter or olive oil to caramelize and set the flavor tone for your soup. Onions are rich in prebiotics, which support gut health. Prebiotics act as natural food for healthy bacteria in your gut.
Sear protein-rich, bone-in chicken to maximize the flavor of your soup. Once seared, remove the chicken and add chopped carrots and celery to complete the Holy Trinity and add nutritional fiber.
Add your bone-in chicken to the pot and add enough water to build your broth. Bring the mixture to a boil to create flavor-packed liquid and complete cooking your chicken. The bones will impart a richness to your broth and keep your chicken tender.
Remove the chicken from the pot and, after cooling, separate it from the bone. Toss the chicken back in and add wild rice for enhanced texture, fiber, and nutrition. Serve with fresh sourdough bread for a probiotic boost, while enjoying the anti-inflammatory, protein-rich, comforting soup you’ve created.
Take Taco Tuesday to a Bicrobiome-Loving Next Level
One helpful meal planning trick is to label days of the week with a meal type or cuisine. One of the most popular go-tos is Taco Tuesday. Tacos are flexible and fun, imparting a variety of proteins, vegetables, and spice levels.
Basic ground beef tacos are crowd pleasers and can be cooked in less than five minutes. Fajitas elevate prebiotic onions and peppers and pair well with practically every protein. Mix it up with different tortillas and applications, like burrito bowls, or nachos.
Make your meals transfer to the next day’s lunch or another dinner by batch cooking rice and meat. Challenge your taste buds by taking a Korean twist on tacos, topping Bulgogi beef with kimchi. Kimchi is a flavor-packed probiotic fermented food that imparts a satisfying crunch, welcome tanginess, and an elevated flavor profile.
Top children’s portions with small shreds of kimchi to give them exposure to this gut-loving food. For skeptical types, mixing small shreds of kimchi into the beef can help reduce uncertainty toward new flavors.
Mix It Up with Protein-Packed Breakfast for Dinner
When all else fails, find creativity by doing the opposite. Instead of dinner foods, make breakfast in the evening. Mornings are hectic enough, even on the weekend, so your favorite big breakfast may have been ages ago.
The extra time that the evening might impart gives ample time to sizzle up fiber-rich potatoes for a satisfying hash. Toss in leftover potatoes from another meal to enhance the flavor and reduce food waste. The vegetables from Tuesday’s tacos get a new home at breakfast time.
Top your hash with eggs for protein and satiating, natural fat. Trick your kids into thinking they’re having dessert with a healthy twist on apple crisp. Slice apples with the skin on and toss them with maple sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in a pan topped with a blend of whole oats, maple sugar, and a few tablespoons of butter. Baked to perfection and served with yogurt, you’ve created a probiotic, protein-packed, fiber-rich breakfast treat. Served at dinner, breakfast feels more indulgent, and allows time to savor your meal, and allows for healthy digestion.
Make Mealtimes the Best Times
One of the best things you can do for your family is share a mealtime. Make space for your meals on both your schedule and within your physical home.
Dress it up or keep it casual — whatever works for your family and keeps it fun. What matters most is spending time together while nourishing your body and microbiome. This special connection time can deepen your relationships and distract skeptical eaters from new dishes.
Try to serve the same meal to all family members, adjusting the percentage of new or adventurous items. By preparing one meal and adjusting per plate, you’ll reduce the complexity of meal time, introduce new foods, and broaden palates. The results will reinforce your efforts — Happier, healthier families nourished with good nutrition and strong bonds.
