Plan Your Dinner

What is a For the Love of Food meal?
There are literally hundreds of components that can make up a good meal but two principals standout.  
 
First fill half your plate with vegetables. This diminishes the calories, sodium, and saturated fat in a meal while adding potassium, fiber, vitamins, and volume. Such a meal lowers blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol and promotes a sense of fullness that prevents obesity. Very young children may get too full on low calorie foods if they ate half their plate as vegetables; offer children a serving of fruit or vegetable at meals and include a fruit or vegetable at snack time.


Second seat everyone at a table. This promotes community, a sense of well being and satisfies both appetite and hunger. Eating at a designated area, with the TV off can help portion control and prevent snacking. For children it defines the eating time allowing them to eat enough to feel full but not too much. 
 
Why just two principles?
They are simple to remember making them easier to practice and research shows they work. People who sit at a table and eat three meals per day control weight better because it prevents hunger and reduces snacking. Eating at a table instead of the living room and not watching TV or while on the computer prevents mindless eating which leads to excessive food intake. When people eat together the quality of their meals is better. Eating more fruit and vegetables adds disease preventing nutrients and replaces foods that are less nutritious.
 
 
 
 
What if I want to serve a soup, casserole or lasagna? 
 
 Go ahead but fill the plate with half vegetables. For example a one cup portion of lasagna or casserole could be pared with 1 cup Italian green beans. A hamburger soup could work if the vegetables were increased to about 1 cup for every 3-4 ounces of beef called for in the recipe.
 
What exactly do you mean by “Fill half your plate with vegetables”?
 
The best way to do this is to take the directions literally; cover half the plate with vegetables. If you want to be more specific try this ratio:
for each 3 ounce portion of protein or equivalent pair it with ½ cup starch and 1 cup vegetables.
 

For example 3 ounces chicken, ½ cup rice, ½ cup carrots, ½ cup green beans.
For a larger serving:
6 ounces protein plus 1 cup starch and 2 cups vegetables.
For example 6 ounces chicken 1 cup rice, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup green beans 
 If you’re making an omelet it might be a three egg omelet filled with ½ cup mushrooms, ½ cup tomatoes and 1 slice of toast.
 

What to Do:
Invite 4-6 friends or family to dinner; keep the group small so everyone can have eye contact at dinner. Have a seat for everyone- make sure your guests know this is a “chain” dinner party. See a suggested invitation at http://www.fortheloveoffood.org/sample_invitation.html
 
Plan the menu
Create a menu that includes: appetizers that are vegetable- based, half the dinner plate is filled with vegetables and serve a fruit-based dessert.
 
 
The meal- Imagine a plate filled in the following way ¼ proteins, ¼ starch, ½ vegetables. The important part in menu planning is to keep the ratio of meat/starch/vegetable in balance. Go to Vegetable Sides for inspiration and ideas http://www.fortheloveoffood.org/vegetable_sides.html
 
Dessert- chose a dessert rich in fruit such as fruit salad, apple crisp, or blueberry cobbler Go to Desserts for fruit- based desserts http://www.fortheloveoffood.org/dessert.html
 
 
Sample Menu
Appetizers
Quick and Easy Artichoke Dip*
Roasted Cauliflower*
 
Baked Chicken
Steamed New Potato
Roasted Carrots with Olives*
Asparagus with Creamy Greek Dressing*
 
Free Form Fruit Tart*
 

* recipes can be found at www.fortheloveoffood.org