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A hearty dinner with healthy foods will keep you going until morning and help you avoid snacking in the evening.

Dinner should include foods that are healthy and that you enjoy eating. Eating a filling and nutritious dinner will help cut down on nighttime snacking and keep you feeling full until morning. You should include three to four foods from different food groups.

Make half of your meals, vegetables or salads. Include a mix of types and colors during the week because different colored vegetables have different nutrients. Extra vegetables can easily be added to sauces, stews and casserole dishes.

Eat some whole grain bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. Whole wheat options provide the best energy. The amount you need depends on your age, gender, size and activity level.
Include small amounts of poultry, such as chicken or turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, beans or meat. Try to eat fish, preferably oily fish, twice a week. Minimize processed, salty meats such as sausage, bacon and ham, as too much salt can raise blood pressure, which is a major cause of stroke and heart disease.

Each meal should include a glass of water or milk to help you stay hydrated. Find out more about why drinking alcohol during the day is important.

Dinner Ideas
Here are some meal suggestions to help you get started.

If you need to make dinner in a hurry, omelettes are great. You can add vegetables, leftover meat or cheese as a filling. Check out our basic omelette recipe.

Omelets use very little fat. It’s a great way to use up leftover meat and include lots of vegetables in your meal. Check out our favorite stir-fry recipes.

A roast or fish can be ready in 20-25 minutes. If you have a tiered steamer, put your potatoes on the bottom and your veggies on top, allowing you to steam them while you roast the meat or fish.

Pasta is a versatile food – serve it alone with tomato sauce or add different types of vegetables and meats. If you’re buying pre-prepared tomato sauce, choose the variety with the lowest salt content indicated on the label.

Cooking Tips.
If you’re short on time and budget, here are some ideas for cooking and planning.

Doubling recipes or cooking multiple meals at once and then freezing portions for later can help plan weekly meals, reduce waste and cut bills. Learn more about batch cooking.

Keeping your cupboards filled with canned foods, herbs and spices, pasta and rice means you always have some ingredients to cook with.

How you cook is just as important as what you cook. Grill and steam your food instead of frying or baking it in oil or fat. Get more tips on how to keep cooking healthy.

Serve meals with side salads as a quick way to increase your vegetable intake.
You can also try substituting vegetable toppings for potato toppings on dishes such as shepherd’s pie, or try using half vegetables and half potatoes.