Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

High Protein Recipes

by

Lean protein is an essential component of a balanced diet, providing numerous health benefits for both adults and children. Incorporating lean protein into daily meals can support overall health, growth, and development.

What Is Lean Protein?

Lean protein refers to protein sources that are lower in fat and calories but rich in essential nutrients. Examples include:

  • Beef and pork trimmed of extra fat
  • Ground beef and pork that is 93% lean or more
  • Skinless poultry
  • Fish and seafood
  • Legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
  • Low-fat dairy products (e.g., yogurt, milk, and cheese)
  • Eggs
  • Plant-based alternatives

Benefits of Lean Protein

Supports Growth and Development
Protein is vital for building and repairing tissues, making it particularly important for children during growth spurts. It also supports the development of muscles, bones, and organs.

Maintains Muscle Mass
For adults, lean protein helps maintain muscle mass, especially as they age. Preserving muscle is key to maintaining strength and metabolism.

Promotes Healthy Weight Management
Protein is highly satiating, meaning it keeps you feeling full longer. Including lean protein in meals can reduce overeating and support healthy weight management for all age groups.

Provides Essential Nutrients
Lean protein sources often come packed with additional nutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins, which are critical for energy production, immune function, and brain development.

Heart Health
Substituting lean protein for high-fat meats can lower saturated fat intake, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Daily Protein Recommendations

The amount of protein needed varies based on age, sex, and activity level. The 2020-2025 and 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend:

  • Children aged 1-3 years: 13 grams per day
  • Children aged 4-8 years: 19 grams per day
  • Adolescents aged 9-13 years: 34 grams per day
  • Adults: 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, adjusting as needed based on your individual caloric requirements.

Including lean protein in a healthy diet benefits adults and children by supporting growth, muscle maintenance, and overall health. A focus on lean options also helps manage calorie and fat intake while providing essential nutrients.

Here is a list of over 130 recipes that are high in protein, 20 grams or more, per serving. We hope you enjoy these recipes!

Sources:

Grilling Safely

by

How to Grill Safely

Español (Spanish)

Food poisoning peaks in the summer months when warmer temperatures cause foodborne germs to flourish. Follow these steps for a safe and enjoyable grilling season.

Separate

When shopping, pick up meat, poultry, and seafood last, right before checkout. Separate them from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags. To guard against cross-contamination, put packages of raw meat and poultry into indiv

idual plastic bags.

Chill

Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until ready to grill. When transporting, keep below 40°F in an insulated cooler.

Clean

Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wash work surfacesExternal, utensils, and the grill before and after cooking.

Check your grill and tools

Use a moist cloth or paper towel to clean the grill surface before cooking. If you use a wire bristle brush, thoroughly inspect the grill’s surface before cooking. Wire bristles from grill cleaning brushes may dislodge and stick into food on the grill.

Don’t cross-contaminate

Throw out marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat juices, which can spread germs to cooked foods. Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill.

Cook

Use a food thermometerExternal to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. When smoking, keep temperatures inside the smoker at 225°F to 300°F to keep meat a safe temperature while it cooks.

  • 145°F – whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal (stand-time of 3 minutes at this temperature)
  • 145°F – fish
  • 160°F – hamburgers and other ground beef
  • 165°F – all poultry and pre-cooked meats, like hot dogs

After Grilling:

  • 140°F or warmer – until it’s served

Refrigerate

Divide leftovers into small portions and place in covered, shallow containers. Put in freezer or fridgeExternal within two hours of cooking (one hour if above 90°F outside).

Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here. 

Grilling Safely

When the warmer weather hits, there’s nothing better than the smell of food on the grill.

Seven out of every 10 adults in the U.S. have a grill or smoker*, which translates to a lot of tasty meals. But it also means there’s an increased risk of home fires.

In 2011 – 2015, fire departments went to an annual average of 9,600 home fires involving grills, hibachis or barbecues per year, including 4,100 structure fires and 5,500 outside or unclassified fires.

Watch this video below for safety tips!

https://youtu.be/65RCHLNIKa8

Learn more from the National Fire Protection Association here. 

Salmon Bowtie Pasta

by

This recipe features salmon and spring vegetables and flavors that all compliment each other. This light alternative to heavy pasta is perfect for the warming weather!

My family and I used to take big shopping trips to Houston once a year and we would eat at the same restaurant every time. This was my absolute favorite dish to get and when they took it off the menu I was devastated! I decided to try and recreate it and make a healthier version to share with you! It tastes the exact same!!! I hope you all enjoy as much as did for many years!


Salmon Bowtie Pasta
Votes: 7
Rating: 4
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Add to Shopping List
This recipe is in your Shopping List
Servings
8 1.5 cup servings
Servings
8 1.5 cup servings
Salmon Bowtie Pasta
Votes: 7
Rating: 4
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Add to Shopping List
This recipe is in your Shopping List
Servings
8 1.5 cup servings
Servings
8 1.5 cup servings
Ingredients
Pasta
Dressing
Servings: 1.5 cup servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Wash your hands and clean your preparation area. Rinse asparagus spears under cool water.
  2. Preheat your oven to 400 Degrees F.
  3. Place salmon, skin side down, on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until salmon reaches a minimum internal temperature of 145 Degrees F.
  4. While the salmon is baking, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dill in a small bowl.
  5. Boil a pot of water for pasta, cook pasta according to package directions. The last 3 minutes of the pasta boiling, add in the asparagus and peas. Drain and place in large serving bowl and toss with the olive oil dressing.
  6. Flake the salmon to pieces, removing from skin, and place in the serving bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine and coat with dressing. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

Salmon Springtime Pasta Nutrition Facts Serving size 1.5 cup (226g) 8 Amount per serving Calories 390 % Daily Value Total Fat 11 g 14 % Saturated Fat 2 g 10 % Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 30 mg 10 % Sodium 260 mg 11 % Total Carbohydrate 50 g 18 % Dietary Fiber 3 g 11 % Total Sugars 5 g Added Sugars 0 g 0 % Protein 22 g Vitamin D 6 mcg 30 % Calcium 57 mg 4 % Iron 4 mg 20 % Potassium 379 mg 8 %

What Not to put Down the Drain

by

Certain foods can cause major problems with your drains by clogging them up. Keep your drains and your kitchen in tip top shape by remembering not to pour these things down the drain (even if you have a garbage disposal!):

  1. Cooking Oils (this includes mayo and salad dressings that have a high oil content!)
  2. Butter and Margarine
  3. Grease and other Fats
  4. Egg Shells (look into composting these!)
  5. Coffee Grounds
  6. Pasta
  7. Rice
  8. Flour
  9. Produce Stickers

These ingredients may seem harmless but overtime they can get sticky and create residues and build up that can cause some serious havoc in your pipes! Keep your kitchen ready for healthy cooking with these tips!

For more information on composting check out this factsheet from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 

Source: foodandwine.com

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email