Healthy three-course
dishes can be made at home by paying attention to the ingredients you use and your methods of cooking. Eating three-course meals means you will eat less at each course and eat a wider variety of flavors and nutrients than if you fill up on one main course. There are many healthy yet tasty appetizers, main dishes and desserts to choose from, and most favorite dishes can be adapted to make healthier versions.
American Cuisine
Classic American favorites can be used to make a healthy three-course meal. A basic green salad is a healthy appetizer. It is low in fat if you avoid creamy dressings and ingredients such as cheese and bacon. Soup also can be a healthy appetizer. Whether you make your own soup or buy it, choose clear soups rather than creamy ones. If you make your own soup, you control the nutritional value of all the ingredients and you can make a soup from vegetables and broth that is almost entirely fat-free.
Favorite American main courses, such as hot dogs and hamburgers, have healthy alternatives that include turkey burgers, grilled chicken breasts and fish cakes. Pay attention to the condiments you choose as toppings and go for mustard, ketchup and pickles instead of cheese or mayonnaise. A healthier version of French fries is baked potato wedges. Scrub the potatoes, chop them into wedges, coat with a little olive oil and bake them in the oven until they are crispy. Wedges are as tasty as fries but considerably lower in fat.
If you like ice cream for dessert, substitute a fruit sorbet or a low-fat frozen yogurt as a healthier alternative.
Italian Cuisine
If you avoid cheese- and cream-based dishes and choose tomato-based ones instead, you can eat a healthy three-course Italian meal. Bruschetta makes a delicious low-fat appetizer; try topping toasted bread with olive tapenade as an alternative.
To make a healthy pizza, purchase or make your own pizza dough and top it with fresh tomatoes and vegetables. Low-fat cheese, a small amount of cheese or none at all will cut down on the fat content. Also, use vegetable toppings instead of fatty meats. A side salad will help you eat less pizza and more vegetables but still have a filling meal.
Tomato-based pasta dishes are a healthy option, especially if you make your own sauce from fresh or canned tomatoes and sauteed onions and garlic. If you add meat, use skinless chicken breast or shrimp instead of beef or sausage.
A fruit terrine makes a relatively healthy dessert to follow an Italian meal.
Asian Cuisine
Asian cuisine lends itself to fresh, healthy ingredients flavored with bold seasonings, such as garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Clear broth soups are an Asian staple and if they're homemade, they can be low in fat and calories. Marinated fish, shrimp or chicken skewers make tasty low-fat appetizers too.
For the main course, a stir fry made with lots of finely chopped vegetables packs in lots of nutrients and requires only a small amount of oil for cooking. Cabbage, bean sprouts, bell peppers, snap peas, mushrooms and canned water chestnuts and bamboo shoots are appropriate vegetables to use for an Asian-flavored stir-fry dish. Boiled plain noodles or white rice can make a complementary low-fat carbohydrate element.
For dessert, consider a fresh tropical fruit salad made from pineapple, mango and kiwi fruit.
Tags: make your, appetizers main, healthy appetizer, healthy three-course, Italian meal
