Drop 10 Fast Dinner Ideas

On the Run:

1. Grilled chicken sandwich (hold the dressing), garden salad with low-fat dressing, skim milk

2. One soft bean or chicken taco, 2 cups tossed salad with low-fat dressing, 1 cup flavored fat-free yogurt (cappuccino is sublime!)

3. Roasted chicken from the grocery store (3 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of a woman's hand), 1/2 cup rice pilaf, 1 cup green beans with 1 teaspoon margarine, 1/2 cup pineapple (fresh, or canned in water), skim milk

Family-Friendly:

1. Spaghetti and meatballs (your portion should include 1 cup of cooked spaghetti about the size of your fist, 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce and 2 large meatballs), 2 cups tossed salad with fat-free vinaigrette dressing, 1/2 cup grapes, skim milk

2. Half a chicken breast (about the size of the palm of your hand), sauteed in a nonstick pan and seasoned with pepper, garlic and basil; 1/2 cup packaged rice mix; 1 cup broccoli (fresh or frozen) topped with 1 teaspoon margarine and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup mixed fruit (fresh, or canned packed in water); skim milk

3. Three ounces grilled steak, 1/2 cup baked sweet potato (sprinkle with cinnamon and add a touch of brown sugar), 1 cup carrots (raw or cooked, your choice), yogurt parfait for dessert (layer 1/2 cup fat-free yogurt, 1/2 cup chopped fresh fruit and 1 tablespoon granola in pretty glasses)

Cheap and Easy:

1. Rice and beans (use 1/4 cup brown rice and 1/4 cup white rice; mix with chopped onion, celery, 1 cup canned kidney beans and tomato sauce to taste), 1 cup cauliflower (serve fresh cauliflower with fat-free salad dressing for a dip; serve cooked cauliflower with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese), 1/2 cup peaches canned in water, skim milk

2. 1 medium baked potato topped with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 ounce shredded low-fat cheddar cheese and 1 cup chopped raw vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, celery, etc.); fresh apple; skim milk

3. Tuna Helper (1 cup portion) made with half the margarine, 1 cup mixed cooked vegetables, 1/2 cup canned pears in water, skim milk

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