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Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

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Summer Traveling the Healthy Way

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The kids are out of school and the  temperature is rising; that can only mean one thing–summer is here! The first thing that comes to mind about summer is vacation and travel.   Whether traveling for work, vacation or sporting activity make sure to pack healthy on-the-go snacks.
Here are some great examples of quick and easy snacks to take on the go this vacation season.

On-the-go snacks (non-pershible)

Chasing stripes on a black top road, messy back seats, a ridiculous car load of luggage, and the inevitable boredom snacks! We want you to be fully prepared when you take your annual summertime trip. We want to avoid empty calories such as potato chips, candy bars, and sodas. Keep your snack bag full of these grab-n-go ideas:

  • Raisins and whole grain pretzels
  • Squeezable apple sauce
  • Trail Mix- make your own with nuts, seeds, unsweetened cereal and dried fruit
  • Granola bars
  • Peanut butter or almond butter snack packs and whole grain crackers single packs.

Cooler Snacks

Don’t forget to pack an iced down cooler. We want to be sure that it is kept 40* or below to avoid food borne illnesses, so keep it iced down. While snacks are important, so are your drinks. Don’t forget to ice down bottled water, sparkling water, fruit juice, or bottled tea. Here are some nice cooler snacks:

  • Reduced-fat cheese sticks
  • Greek Yogurt squeezable yogurt tubes
  • Cut-free fruit such as grapes, cherries, mandarin oranges, etc.
  • Turkey Bell Pepper Roll Ups- Take a one slice of lower sodium turkey and 3 slices bell peppers and a 1 teaspoon spreadable cheese.
  • 100 calorie snack packs of guacamole and carrot sticks
  • Sliced citrus fruits for infused water

Hotel Snacks

  • Instant oatmeal- my favorite is to add a teaspoon of peanut butter and jelly to unsweetened oatmeal. It tastes just like like a PB & J sandwich!
  • To- go soups
  • Whole-wheat tortilla (warmed) and lemon pepper tuna
  • Microwavable popcorn

Airplane/Airport (TSA Approved). Remember the fluid limit of 3.4 oz in carry on bags.

  • Dried fruit or all natural fruit strips and nuts
  • Jerky
  • Protein bars
  • Empty water bottle- this way you can save some cash and stay hydrated

Look for some great recipes of quick and easy snacks this week via Dinner Tonight’s Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest page.

Thanks to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for these summer snack ideas

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All About Pasta

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Selecting the right shape of pasta in your dish has the ability to take your meal to a level beyond your imagination. The following information will help you to make the right decision in order to create a delicious meal! Choosing the right shape for your dish can be challenging but we want to make it easier for you! See the guide below:

Soups:

  • Farfalline, Pastina, Fideo, Fusilli, Tripolini, Ruote, Orzo

Salads:

  • Linguine, Fusilli, Tubini, Rotini, Ziti, Tripolini, Rocchetti, Penne, Vermicelli

Casseroles:

  • Figli, Lasagna, Orzo, Fusilli, Rocchetti, Rotini, Spaghetti, Radiatori

Stir-Fry:

  • Ziti, Linguine, Penne, Mostaccioli, Rotini, Spaghetti, Vermicelli, Tubini, Farfalline

Sauces:

  • Fettuccine, Tortellini, Linguine, Fusilli, Penne, Orzo, Gemelli, Vermicelli, Rigatoni

Baked Dishes

  • Tubini, Ziti, Farfalline, Manicotti

Stop the presses because pasta doesn’t last lifetime! Contrary to what you think, pasta does have a shelf life and it matters! The following information will definitely help you get your money’s worth.

Shelf life matters! Here are the shelf lives for dry noodles:

Egg Pasta Noodles & Vegetable:

  • 1-2 years depending on the best by date

Non-Egg:

  • 3 years depending on best by date

 

Are you making the most out of all the pasta you recently cooked? Follow these tips to ensure your food is safe to eat for you and the entire family!

Leftover Pasta 101: Keep in refrigerator for only 3 to 4 days Planning your meals will help you utilize your leftovers better. Keep food at peak quality by immediately portioning into smaller containers to avoid bacteria growth Reheat food to 165 F When in doubt, toss it out

Leftover safety 101!

  • Keep in refrigerator for only 3-4 days
  • Planning your meals will help you utilize your leftovers better.
  • Keep food as peak quality by immediately portioning into smaller containers to avoid bacteria growth.
  • Always reheat food to 165 Degrees F.
  • When in doubt, toss it out!

Which pasta should you pair which sauce?? Heres our guide from Escoffier. 

Long and round: (spaghetti, linguini, vermicelli, and angel hair)
Olive-oil-based sauces work best with these long noodles. They coat the thin surface and cling to it without having too much noodle to drown out the sauce.

Long and flat: (fettucine, tagliatelle, pappardelle, linguine)
Creamy sauces like ragu and bolognaise. They require bigger surfaces in order to stick to the noodles and not just fall to the bottom of the serving dish. Look for ones that are wide and flat, like pappardelle?, for rich, hearty sauces. Alfredo sauce is great on fettucine because it doesn’t require as much noodle to stick to. If you are working with a meaty or heavy sauce, also chose a wider, flat noodle like tagliatelle to hold up the thicker sauce.

Short pasta: (ziti, campanelle, penne, rigatoni)
Short pastas are super versatile. They have plenty of surface to hold creamy sauces but they also work well with chunky ones because meat and veggies get stuck inside them or on them. Pastas with the word “rigate” in them have ridges. This makes them excellent candidates for light sauces like pesto or creamy alfredo.

Large, wide noodles: (lasagna, manicotti, giant shells)

Lasagna noodles are perfect for baked pasta dishes. They layer well with sauce, meat and cheese and give the dish structure. Shells and manicotti can be stuffed with all your favorite ingredients and baked to perfection.

Spiral noodles: (rotini, fusilli, cavitappi)
Looking for a pasta that will hold thin sauces like alfredo but can also handle meaty, heavy varieties? Look for a spiraled noodle like rotini, cavitappi or fusilli. The texture of these types of pasta allows them to gather a lot of sauce and not let it slip off. Plus, they can be easier to eat (no slurping) and are a major favorite with kids. You can also use bigger ingredients with these noodles, like cheese chunks, chickpeas and diced tomatoes. These larger items would fall away from a spaghetti noodle but work well with shorter, more textured options.

Short shapes: (bowtie, wagon wheels, cavatelli)
Noodle shapes that are short and thick have a more dense bite. They work well in pasta salads and with larger ingredients. They have ridges, curls and ruffles that make them sturdier and work well with hearty, meaty sauces.

Here are some of our favorite pasta recipes to use all your new knowledge!

 

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