Themed Dinners That Will Spice Up Family Mealtime

Dreading that 5’oclock conundrum of what to serve your hungry household? Take a little tip from the restaurant industry and plan a week (or more) of themed nights, like a spicy and festive “Taco Tuesday” complete with all the fixings.

Michelle Dudash, a Scottsdale-based registered dietitian, Cordon Bleu-certified chef and author of “Clean Eating for Busy Families,” says themed dinners are a terrific way to put quick and healthy meals on the table while “keeping things fun and letting family members tailor the meal the way they like to eat it.” If you’re stocking a taco bar, for example, consider offering ground turkey in addition to ground beef as a filling and, providing taco shells and tortillas so diners can customize their creations.

While Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday and Friday Fish Fry are some of the more popular themes and their alliterative names make them fun, themes don’t need to match up with a specific day. Likewise, themes like “A Night in Italy” or “Chili Bar” work well anytime.

The first thing to do, of course, is talk with your family, Dudash says, and get some suggestions about what they’d like to eat. At the same time, don’t be afraid to offer up new foods. She says her husband wasn’t sure he’d be a convert to Meatless Monday, but through the years, he’s learned how eating less meat impacts one’s health positively and has come around to doing so.

“He won’t eat tofu,” she says, laughing. “But I make this great vegan pasta with mushrooms in it. As long as it tastes great, your family’s going to eat it. Just don’t make a big deal about it.”

As with so many aspects of cooking, planning is key when putting together a themed dinner. Dudash is a big fan of the slow cooker, so she would, for example, look for a taco meat recipe that could simmer all day. She says she also likes to make her time in the kitchen count; she tries to cook for two meals whenever possible, making double batches of, say, a meat or a sauce that can be used in different meals.

“If you don’t plan, that drive-through gets way too tempting,” she says. “You have to plan. It’s just a necessity of being a parent.”

So, how does the mother of two young kids handle Meatless Monday? There are countless menu options, but some of her favorites include the following:

Grilled (yes, grilled!) pizza or any kind of pizza

“I don’t think people really miss the meat when it comes to pizza,” Dudash says. She recommends using whole-wheat pizza dough, adding sauce and then topping with cheese and a variety of veggies. If you haven’t grilled before, check out a few websites like SimplyRecipes.com to learn the technique.

“I like grilling it because you get this great taste in the crust, like if you went to a place with a brick oven,” she adds.

Vegetarian chili

By substituting beans for meat, you can make a satisfying meal in the slow cooker, then top with avocado slices, cheese shreds, diced tomatoes and scallions.

Veggie-covered noodles

Dudash sautés onions, garlic and mushrooms together until tender, then near the end of cooking, adds in broccoli florets that get softened and steamed by the mixture. She then tops the veggies with a tomato-based spaghetti sauce, heats the ingredients until the sauce is warmed, and pours the veggies-and-sauce mixture over cooked noodles (whole grain is preferred).

Now, what about the rest of the week? Dudash can help get you started with that as well with some well-loved standbys.

On Italian night, let young diners build their own pasta dishes. “The more they can get involved, the more likely they are to eat it,” she says.

Provide a sauce (white or red, and with meat if you prefer), a pasta (try different shapes or colors, whole grain if possible) and Parmesan cheese. Kids love garlic bread, so serve that as well—just opt for whole grain there, too, if you can, she says. If you choose plain bread, again, look for a whole-grain version and dip the pieces in olive oil, which is a better nutritional choice than butter.

For an Asian-inspired night, stir-fry your family’s favorite vegetables, mix in pasta and top with sauce. Encourage youngsters to try using chopsticks; kid-friendly versions are available at most Asian restaurants, too. Or, whip up some lettuce wraps, she says. Sauté ground turkey (or ground chicken or ground beef) with soy sauce, garlic and ginger, put the ingredients in a lettuce leaf and top with edamame, shredded carrots and sesame seeds. Serve on or alongside brown rice and sliced cucumber “coins.”

Mix up the typical fare and offer breakfast at night, a wholesome meal that’s also pretty economical, she says. Scramble some eggs, offer up whole-grain bagels or toast, serve chicken or sausage turkey, and add a nice fruit bowl on the side for a well-balanced meal.

Lastly, don’t forget what’s often the best part of the meal: Talking with each other. Dudash likes to start off conversations with, “What was your favorite part of the day?” Relish the time together because it can be just as nurturing as what’s on the table.

Story // Gremlyn Bradley-Waddell

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