Chicken, Broccoli, and Uncle Ben's

You'd think a meal of chicken breasts, broccoli, and rice would be super healthy, right? Nutrition is a lot harder than you'd think. This meal was fine but definitely not up there with my all stars. Still, I am very excited that Nugget appears ready to eat broccoli again. He didn't eat much this tine, but that was because I accidentally made it waaaay too salty. Like, too salty for Trent even, which is crazy salty. Doh.


p.s. The chicken is cheaper than usual because got it for $1.69 a pound at Albertson's with a coupon. That's insanely cheap. It's 60 cents cheaper than Costco, even. They did make me take some rib meat with my breasts, and there was way more fat to trim than I'm used to. Hello squeamish white meat lover, that's me. Poor dark meat loving Trent was aghast when I said I maybe sort of might of tossed some rib meat with the fatty bits ...

p.p.s. I am trying to get myself off the Uncle Ben's, which I seriously love, because I know it's got crazy sodium and not the best nutrition, but I had a coupon! And did I mention I love that shit?

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Boneless skinless chicken breast (sauteed in olive oil)	Protein (27 g), Iron (5%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Phosphorus. Very good source of Protein, Niacin, Selenium	$2.06
Fresh broccoli florets (roasted with olive oil)	Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (43%), Vitamin C (110%), Calcium (3%), Iron (3%). Good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, and Selenium; very good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Manganese.	$0.88
Uncle Ben’s long grain and wild rice	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (6 g), Calcium (4%), Vitamin C (2%), Iron (10%), Thiamin (15%), Niacin (20%), Folate (25%).	$2.75
Total	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (35 g), Iron (18%), Calcium (7%), Vitamin A (43%), Vitamin C (112%).	$5.69

Cost per person: $2.28
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin C; Good Vitamin A; Fair Iron; Poor Calcium and Fiber. Lean protein. Partial serving of whole grains. 

Recipe for chicken breasts here (beware! it might be fried chicken lite! I left out the butter, it was fine.)

Recipe for broccoli: toss broccoli in olive oil and salt, spread on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, and roast for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Pasta with Chicken & Vegetables

Wow. I am amazed at how cheap this meal was. I suppose that's what happens when you use frozen vegetables. This is an all-round success. I didn't even mind the whole wheat pasta. It wasn't as bad as I remembered it. I suppose I should add a caveat to the dollar total here that I don't really know how much the pasta cost ... it's from a batch Trent bought at Costco eons ago that we still have a few boxes of because I thought I hated it.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Whole wheat pasta	Fiber (6 g/24%), Protein (7 g), Iron (8%).	$2
Boneless skinless chicken breast (poached)	Protein (27 g), Iron (5%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Phosphorus. Very good source of Protein, Niacin, Selenium	$3
Frozen red bell pepper	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (25%), Vitamin C (49%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.96
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (77%), Fiber (1 g/3%). Very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.	$0.50
Frozen sweet corn	Fiber (2 g/4%), Protein (2 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (6%), Iron (2%)	$1
Frozen baby peas	Fiber (3 g/9%), Protein (3 g), Vitamin A (20%), Vitamin C (15%), Calcium (1%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Manganese. Good source of Niacin, Folate, and Phosphorous.	$0.75
Parmesan	Protein (11 g), Vitamin A (4%), Calcium (35%), Iron (1%)	$0.35
Total	Fiber (13 g/43%), Protein (50 g), Iron (22%), Calcium (36%), Vitamin A (128%), Vitamin C (70%).	$8.56

Cost per person: $1.90
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber and Calcium; Fair Iron. Lean protein. One serving whole grains. 

Recipe: Saute 2 diced chicken breasts in 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat until opaque. Add vegetables, 1 T water, 1 T white wine vinegar, and salt; cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cooked pasta and serve with plenty of shredded parmesan. Based on a recipe in this book. 

Edamame and Vegetable Fried Rice

 

While visiting my brother for Thanksgiving, we went to a sushi restaurant, where my brother's kids, aged 3 and 18 months respectively, fell upon the edamame and tofu like it was candy. Nugget not so much. But after observing his cousins for a while he did come around to the edamame and ate a ton of it. So when we got home I quickly set about capitalizing on this new source of nutrition. It carried over, even though I bought shelled edamame -- next time he wants it in the pod. The fried rice he wouldn't touch, but while helping me make it he ate a lot of the vegetables (even the broccoli! and it was still frozen!), so it didn't really matter. Brown rice should put this meal up into excellent territory, as soon I get through my five pound bag of jasmine ...

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Frozen Edamame (shelled)	Fiber (5 g/20%), Protein (14 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (21%), Calcium (11%), Iron (10%). Good source of Vitamin K, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper; very good source of Manganese.	$1.96
Frozen broccoli	Fiber (1 g/3%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (6%), Vitamin C (19%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate and Manganese.	$0.49
Frozen red bell pepper	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (25%), Vitamin C (49%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.96
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (77%), Fiber (1 g/3%). Very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.	$0.50
Jasmine rice	Good source of Manganese and Selenium.	$0.88
Eggs	Protein (17 g), Vitamin A (15%), Calcium (10%), Iron (10%). Good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, and Phosphorus; very good source of Selenium.	$0.63
Total	Fiber (8 g/29%), Protein (32 g), Iron (22%), Calcium (22%), Vitamin A (125%), Vitamin C (89%).	$5.42

Cost per person: $1.55
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Fair Fiber, Iron, and Calcium. Vegetarian. No whole grains.

Basic recipe for fried rice here

Turkey Goulash and Bread

I asked Trent what he wanted for dinner and he picked turkey goulash. I threw in some cabbage because I had it sitting around, and it fit in pretty well. The red peppers I had bought at Costco and froze, which seemed to work great, and they cost less than half as much as the red peppers at the grocery store right now. This recipe uses a ton of paprika, but I found a discount brand version at Albertson's for a buck, compared to the four bucks or so that the usual suspects in the spice aisle charge. Even without a whole grain--which I would have had if the bread had been homemade--I think this was good enough to rate an Excellent Nutrition. And it was well under budget! Nugget used to eat this, and everything in it is something he likes, but he wouldn't take a single bite tonight. Maybe next time. It's one of Trent's favorites, it's super easy, low-calorie and low-fat in addition to nutrition-packed, and I enjoy it. We will definitely be eating it again, and again.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Lean ground turkey (93/7)	Iron (10%), Protein (22 g). Good source of Niacin, very good source of Selenium.	$3.41
Fresh white onion	Vitamin C (3%).	$0.45
Frozen red bell peppers	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (25%), Vitamin C (49%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$1.93
Fresh organic baby carrots	Vitamin A (77%), Fiber (1 g/3%). Very good source of Vitamin K and Manganese.	$0.50
Fresh red potatoes (with peel)	Vitamin C (33%), Fiber (2 g/9%), Iron (4%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Potassium	$1.25
Canned organic tomato sauce	Vitamin C (7%), Vitamin A (5%), Iron (5%), Fiber (5%). Very good source of good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Potassium, and Manganese.	$0.64
Organic chicken broth	Good source of Niacin, Vitamin B12, and Selenium.	$0.92
Fresh cabbage	Fiber (1 g/6%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (47%), Calcium (4%), Iron (1%).	$0.32
Paprika	Vitamin A (21%), Vitamin C (2%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Potassium	$0.15
Caraway seeds	Fiber (2%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%).	$0 (part of a wedding present)
Nonfat plain greek yogurt	Vitamin A (5%), Vitamin D (5%), Calcium (8%), Protein (3 g). Good source of Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium, Zinc. Very good source of Riboflavin, Phosphorus.	$1.50
French bread	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (5 g), Iron (8%)	$0 (free with grocery purchase and coupon)
Total	Fiber (6 g/32%), Protein (31 g), Iron (33%), Calcium (13%), Vitamin A (134%), Vitamin C (141%).	$11.07

Cost per person: $2.21
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber and Iron; Fair Calcium. Lean protein source.



Recipe for turkey goulash here. I don't bother with the bacon--it wasn't even in the recipe I originally used in (now-defunct) Cookie magazine--and I throw in a lot more veggies than called for in this write-up.

Macaroni & Cheese with Quinoa and Peas; Spring Green Salad with Cucumber, Orange, and Sunflower Seeds

I pretty much stopped buying salad greens when I started making one meal for the whole family. It seems really unrealistic to me to expect a preschooler to eat lettuce. Maybe that's just an excuse for Trent and I not to have to eat salads ... But my mother-in-law left a big container of spring mix greens at our house, so I felt obliged to eat it. It was a good complement to the macaroni & cheese casserole I made for Nugget. I gave him a bowl of chopped cucumbers with a few leaves of lettuce, and counted it a success that he ate one leaf. It is probably good for him to see us eating salad. Sigh. And in fact it was quite good, for a salad. I dressed it with the juice of 1 lemon, a dribble of olive oil, splash each of white balsamic vinegar and OJ, and a pinch of sea salt, and tossed the greens along with some chopped cucumber, roasted sunflower seeds, and chunks of orange. My casserole, with the quinoa and peas, turned out really well. I loved the nutty taste and creamy texture the quinoa added, and even my pea-hating husband thought the peas were a good addition.

 

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Enriched white flour pasta (Garofalo Rotini)	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (4 g), Iron (5%), Thiamine (18%), Riboflavin (8%), Niacin (10%), Folic acid (18%)	$1
Organic Quinoa	Fiber (3 g/13%), Protein (6 g), Iron (12%), Riboflavin (50%), Phosphorous (23%). Very good source of manganese, good source of magnesium.	$1
Aged extra sharp white cheddar (Tillamook)	Protein (14 g), Vitamin A (12%), Calcium (40%), Iron (4%).	$4.06
Skim milk	Protein (4 g), Vitamin A (5%), Vitamin C (1%), Calcium (15%), Vitamin D (13%).	$0.44
Frozen baby peas	Fiber (3 g/9%), Protein (3 g), Vitamin A (20%), Vitamin C (15%), Calcium (1%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Thiamin, Manganese. Good source of Niacin, Folate, and Phosphorous.	$1
Fresh spring mix salad greens	Fiber (1 g/2%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (40%), Vitamin C (13%), Calcium (4%), Iron (3%).	$0
Fresh cucumber (no peel)	Fiber (1 g/3%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (5%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%). Very good source of Vitamin K. Good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese.	$0.89
Roasted sunflower seeds	Fiber (1 g/5%), Protein (2 g), Calcium (1%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Vitamin E.	$0.33
Fresh Valencia orange	Fiber (1 g/6%), Vitamin A (3%), Vitamin C (49%), Calcium (2%).	$0.53
Fresh lemon juice	Vitamin C (21%)	$0.59
Total	Fiber (11g/42%), Protein (35 g), Iron (29%), Calcium (64%), Vitamin A (81%), Vitamin C (104%).	Mac: $1.40/person Salad: $0.94

Cost per person: $2.34
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C; Good Fiber; Fair Iron. Partial serving of whole grains. Vegetarian. 


Casserole Recipe: Melt 5 T butter in large pot over low heat, adding 3 T flour and whisking; pour in 2.5 cups warmed milk and whisk over low heat 3 minutes; add 6 cups shredded cheddar and remove from heat. Stir in 2 cups (as measured when dry) cooked pasta, 1 cup (as measured when dry) cooked quinoa, 1 cup steamed peas. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Tuna Salad, Bread, Apples, and Cheese

I am still perfecting this tuna salad recipe. I think I'll try using yogurt instead of mayo next. The tuna is really dry, but I don't want to dump a gallon of mayo in there, even reduced fat mayo.

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Chunk white albacore tuna canned in water	Protein (26 g), Iron (5%), Vitamin D (12%), Niacin (60%), Vitamin B6 (20%), Vitamin B12 (20%), Selenium (180%)	$1.50
Fresh red bell pepper	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (27%), Vitamin C (135%), Iron (1%).	$0.97
Fresh cabbage	Fiber (1 g/6%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (47%), Calcium (4%), Iron (1%).	$0.32
Fresh organic baby carrots	Fiber (1 g/4%), Vitamin A (82%), Vitamin C (2%), Calcium (1%), Iron (2%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.25
Roasted sunflower seeds	Fiber (1 g/5%), Protein (2 g), Calcium (1%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Vitamin E.	$0.33
Light mayonnaise	Vitamin A (1%)	$0.25
Homemade bread (with Eagle Mills’ blend of white and whole grain flour)	Fiber (2 g/8%), Protein (4 g), Iron (4%), Thiamin (6%), Riboflavin (2%), Niacin (4%), Folic acid (2%)	$0.27
Jarslberg swiss cheese	Protein (16 g), Vitamin A (5%), Calcium (22%). Good source of Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus.	$0.88
Gala apples	Fiber (4 g/17%), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (14%), Calcium (1%), Iron (1%).	$0.89
Total	Fiber (10 g/43%), Protein (49 g), Iron (17%), Calcium (29%), Vitamin A (117%), Vitamin C (198%).	$5.66

Cost per person: $2.26
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber; Fair Iron and Calcium. Fish as protein source. One serving of whole grains.

Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry over Jasmine Rice, Pineapple

 

Ingredient	Nutrition	Cost
Boneless skinless chicken breast	Protein (27 g), Iron (5%). Good source of Vitamin B6, Phosphorus. Very good source of Protein, Niacin, Selenium.	$3
Fresh red bell pepper	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin A (27%), Vitamin C (135%), Iron (1%).	$0.97
Fresh cabbage	Fiber (1 g/6%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (1%), Vitamin C (47%), Calcium (4%), Iron (1%).	$0.32
Fresh organic baby carrots	Fiber (1 g/4%), Vitamin A (82%), Vitamin C (2%), Calcium (1%), Iron (2%). Very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, and Manganese.	$0.25
Frozen broccoli florets	Fiber (2 g/6%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (10%), Vitamin C (47%), Calcium (3%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Potassium, and Manganese.	$0.99
Fresh white onion	Vitamin C (3%).	$0.31
Canned water chestnuts	Fiber (1 g/3%), Vitamin C (2%). Good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.	$0.50
Toasted sesame seeds	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (1 g), Calcium (7%), Iron (5%). Very good source of Copper and Manganese.	$0.40
Jasmine rice	Good source of Manganese and Selenium.	$0.88
Chow mein noodles	Fiber (1 g/4%), Protein (3 g), Iron (4%). Good source of Manganese and Selenium.	$0.10
Fresh pineapple	Fiber (2 g/9%), Protein (1 g), Vitamin A (2%), Vitamin C (131%), Calcium (2%), Iron (3%). Very good source of Manganese; good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, and Copper.	$2.99
Total	Fiber (10 g/39%), Protein (34 g), Iron (24%), Calcium (17%), Vitamin A (122%), Vitamin C (367%).	Stir fry: $2.22/person Pineapple: $0.35/person

Cost per person: $2.57
Nutritional Goals: Excellent Vitamin A and Vitamin C; Good Fiber; Fair Iron, and Calcium. Lean protein source. No whole grains. 

Recipe for Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry. I recommend doubling the soy sauce (if you're not worried about sodium). The cabbage was a great addition, both nutrition and taste wise, without adding much to the cost.