Why is Eating and Cooking Healthy such a pain the...?

Striving to keep everyone well fed and happy but also healthy is, well, a challenge.  I find that there are two serious roadblocks when it comes to cooking and eating healthily: taste and cost.  Many cookbooks claim that their recipes, though low in calories and fat don't lack in taste.  But after trying these "too good to be true" recipes I find that they just plain fail.   Also, healthy food is more expensive!  Its cheaper to buy frozen vegetable counterparts and Costco doesn't always cater to the wonderful world of weight watchers.  In my house I have another challenge.  I am a lactose intolerant vegetarian and thus difficult, and expensive, to feed.  It doesn't help that my husband is a veracious carnivore.  So every meal I cook becomes a dance to commingle taste, low calories, fresh food and necessary nutrients.  Fish (yes I eat fish) is a good compromise.  It can't be too "fishy"  but Salmon (only wild, the farmed stuff is just nasty and not good for you) and a couple other varieties work well.  


Tonight's Menu: 


Honey-Soy Glaze Salmon - Recipe from RealSimple http://t.co/i22df3D


Ginger Garlic Green Beans - From Epicurious.com (Gourmet Sept. '09)http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ginger-Garlic-Green-Beans-354956 


Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots - Cooking Light http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000107525


The whole meal should come in under 450 cals if correct portions are eaten (knowing my husband, however, easier said than done)...


RESULTS:


Everything was tasty.  I didn't get the "mmms" that the richer meals evoke but still good.


I changed the salmon recipe a little bit.  Instead of honey I substituted maple syrup because I like maple flavor better (same amount of calories).  I also added half a tsp. of minced garlic and half a tsp. of minced ginger for a little more complexity.  I marinated the salmon in the mixture for 2 hours instead of adding it at the end.  I find the salmon caramelizes better that way.  I had to cook the salmon for 5 more minutes than the recipe tells you to.

The green beans were yummy.  My husband said they needed "more salt" but then, that's the compromise.  The low-sodium soy sauce keeps the recipe sodium light but, alas, hubby missed the salt.  I on the other hand thought they were delightful and could have kept eating them.

The potatoes were also very good.  I think that there is a misconception that yams need to be sweet but that's why I liked this recipe, they were a little sweet and more savory and balanced well with the salmon.  I didn't have any scallions so I used a small yellow onion with a tsp. of garlic and it worked very nicely.  

I would definitely make all three recipes again, but save some of the salmon sauce for dipping next time.


I didn't make dessert...we already had way to many left over Halloween goodies and cupcakes.