Skillet Meals Are Quick!

In surveys to health professionals, answers to the question, “What is your greatest challenge?” always include, “getting people to spend time in the kitchen preparing a healthy meal.”One of the solutions is skillet meals where starch, vegetables and protein are all cooked in one pan- the nonstick skillet.For starch, a small pasta such as macaroni works well; additionally, instant rice and couscous cook very quickly. Fat free frozen hash browns are very convenient since potatoes are peeled, cubed and precooked. See the chart above to determine the amount of liquid.The liquid possibilities are many thanks to new products such as: low-sodium V8, lowfat low-sodium chicken broth, lowfat low-sodium soups such as lentil or vegetable and low-sodium condiments (look for Angostura, Lee & Perrins and Lawry’s brands) such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, steak sauce, worcestershire and chicken saute sauces.Vegetables can be fresh for those who don’t mind chopping. For those cooks in a real hurry, the freezer section of the grocery store has a lot to offer and the fresh produce section is offering  more ready-to-cook produce. Canned tomatoes with herbs save time and add flavor.Protein can be plant based by the addition of beans (found in the freezer section or canned good aisle for those who don’t want to cook dried beans) or tofu. Lean poultry, seafood and lean meat are also good. These items come precut and preseasoned for greater convenience.Onions and garlic should be sauteed with a vegetable oil spray. Remaining ingredients can go into the skillet in the order they cook; in most cases, they can all be put in at the same time.Boxed Meals Made HealthySubscriber Joelle Wolden, RD, CD asks, “Many patients tend to eat boxed foods such as Rice-a-roni and macaroni & cheese. How would you make these convenience foods lower in fat and sodium and higher in fiber?”Most of these boxed foods are low in fat as packaged. Oil, butter and margarine can be omitted while skim milk can be substituted for whole milk. Reading the label before you buy can help you keep the sodium per serving below 700 mg.; furthermore, adding 2-3 cups steamed mixed vegetables adds fiber and nutrients.Here’s what we did with some popular brands:• For Hamburger Helper: substitute ground, skinless turkey breast for ground beef. Use skim milk where milk is called for. Add steamed veggies as a garnish on half the plate.• For Tuna Helper follow the reduced fat directions on the box. Using lowfat, low sodium tuna will help keep the sodium from going significantly higher.• For macaroni & cheese dinners, we found Kraft to be lower in fat and sodium of the ones on the market. We made the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner with 1/3 cup skim milk used in place of the margarine and whole milk called for on the box. It was served as a small side dish with baked chicken and a half plate of steamed vegetables or salad.• Rice-a-roni meals are "remade" by dry-sauteed the rice mixture using a cooking oil spray in a nonstick skillet in place of the margarine. We added 2 cups of beans and 1 cup broccoli florets at the end of the cooking process.•  With Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad boxed meals follow the lowfat directions on the box.• Lipton Golden Saute Chicken with Broccoli is easy - simply omit the butter called for in the recipe and use skim milk instead of water.• Pasta-roni has directions for less fat, saying to reduce margarine and use skim milk. We would recommend adding  steamed veggies here (2 cups).