(Family Features) Making the decision to eat better doesn’t mean you have to stock your fridge exclusively with carrot sticks and lettuce leaves. There are plenty of healthy and delicious meal options that will have your taste buds cheering.

Fill up your fridge

How many times have you raided the fridge, only to eat the first thing you could find? Arrange your fridge so everything at eye level is packed with nutritional benefits. The top shelf is prime space for fresh fruits, berries, vegetable sticks, string cheese and hard boiled eggs.

Keeping lean proteins on hand is another way to take proactive steps towards creating healthy meals. Lean proteins, like the protein found in soy, can help families feel fuller longer and can also help lower the chances of childhood obesity.

Pick the perfect protein

During dinnertime, entrées featuring beef, pork or chicken are often the star of the plate. However, meat proteins can supply your recipes with unwanted saturated fats and cholesterol. Instead of asking your family to forego their favorite meat dishes, try swapping out meat proteins with meat alternatives, using soy protein. Soy is a high-quality vegetable protein that is easy to incorporate into your family’s diet. It can support muscle strength and is an especially good choice for managing healthy weight for the entire family.

MATCH® premium meat alternatives provide the taste, texture and nutrition meat lovers want, without the saturated fats and cholesterol. Look for great flavor matches like ground pork, Italian sausage, ground chicken, crab and ground beef at www.matchmeats.com.

Find recipes for family favorites

Quick, easy and delicious have to be a part of every family’s meal on busy weekdays. Breakfast Burritos are sure to be a family favorite. Simply fill tortillas with MATCH® Italian Sausage, eggs, cheese, salsa and fresh herbs for a hot, tasty start to your morning. Another sure crowd pleaser is Beef Tacos. Just swap out traditional ground beef for MATCH® Ground Beef and spoon your favorite taco ingredients into soft or hard shells. Homemade Beef Sloppy Joes are equally as easy to make. This recipe is a tasty way to get your whole family fed and out the door in time for evening activities.

Once you’ve picked the perfect recipes and filled your fridge with lean proteins, like soy protein, eating well will become a healthy habit the whole family will love.

Beef Tacos

Makes: 6 to 8 tacos

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups yellow onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
• 1 pound MATCH® Ground Beef
• 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 jalapeno, diced with seeds
• 6 to 8 hard or soft taco shells
• Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, taco sauce or your other favorite toppings

1. Add olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until clear but not brown. Add garlic. Sauté for one minute.
2. Add MATCH® ground beef and break apart with fork. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add taco seasoning and cumin. Increase heat to medium/high and continue browning MATCH® ground beef until outside is crispy.
4. Add black beans and reduce heat to medium. Add jalapeno.
5. Serve with your favorite taco shells and your favorite toppings.

Beef Sloppy Joes

Makes: 6

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound MATCH® Ground Beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cups green pepper, chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon basil, dried
• 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 buns

1. Heat oil in large skillet. Sauté MATCH® ground beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat until browned.
2. Add zucchini, mushrooms and green pepper. Cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Serve on toasted buns. Can freeze for future use.

Italian Sausage Breakfast Burrito

Makes: 6 burritos

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound MATCH® Italian Sausage
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 to 10 flour tortillas
• 3/4 cup salsa
• Sour cream (optional)

1. In non-stick skillet, heat canola oil. Sauté MATCH® Italian sausage and break up as you cook. Cook until golden.
2. Add whipped eggs, green onion, salt and pepper. Cook eggs through.
3. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheddar cheese.
4. Fill tortillas with egg mixture, spoon salsa over filling and wrap. Serve with side of sour cream.

Endless possibilities with potatoes

(Family Features) Delicious and nutritious, it’s no wonder potatoes are a menu staple for many. Everyone craves meal variety, and potatoes offer a perfect canvas to inspire new flavor exploration so you can enjoy something different every day. From russets, reds, yellows, whites and purples to petites, fingerlings and more, there are multiple varieties to keep dishes interesting.

You might be used to preparing this kitchen staple mashed, baked or fried, but these inventive recipes show how easy it is to incorporate flavors and techniques to create new potato dishes for any meal of the day in 30 minutes or less.

Find more meal ideas featuring a variety of potato preparations at PotatoGoodness.com/explore.

Fiesta Potato Smashers

Yield: 8
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

• 5 small yellow potatoes
• 5 small red potatoes or potato of your choice
• 1 pint sweet mini peppers (red, orange and yellow)
• cooking spray
• 4 tablespoons fat-free sour cream or fat-free Greek yogurt (optional)
• 8 sprigs cilantro, picked from stems
• salt, to taste
• chili powder, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Place whole potatoes into microwave-safe, covered dish.
2. Microwave on high 3-4 minutes.
3. While potatoes are cooking, cut mini peppers into 1/4-inch slices. Spray nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat to medium. Add peppers and saute until they start to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Remove potatoes from microwave and with layer of paper towels covering each potato, smash on cutting board until 1 3/4-inch thick.
5. Spray saute pan with cooking spray, heat on high and add smashed potatoes. Cook 1-2 minutes until potatoes start to brown.
6. On plate, place potatoes and layer with sour cream or yogurt, if desired, peppers and cilantro. Dust with salt, chili powder and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Nutritional information per serving: 50 calories; 350 mg sodium; 0.7% vitamin C; 1 g fiber; 1 g protein; 293 mg potassium.

Steak and Potato Tacos with Poblano Chiles

Yield: 12
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
• 12 ounces white potatoes, quartered lengthwise then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 flank steak (12 ounces)
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• salt
• pepper
• 12 corn tortillas (6 inches each)
• chopped fresh cilantro
• pico de gallo salsa
• hot sauce

1. In heavy, large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and chiles and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer onion mixture to bowl. In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and saute until golden brown and tender, about 12 minutes. Return onion mixture to skillet with potatoes and keep warm.
3. Sprinkle both sides of steak generously with garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. In heavy, large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook until browned on both sides, turning once, about 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer steak to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes.
4. While steak rests, heat tortillas on griddle or over gas flame until warm, turning frequently with tongs.
5. Thinly slice steak. Top tortillas with steak and potato mixture; sprinkle with cilantro.
   Serve with pico de gallo and/or hot sauce.

Nutritional information per serving: 167.9 calories; 6.3 g fat; 13 mg cholesterol; 19.1 mg sodium; 6.8% vitamin C; 20.9 g carbohydrates; 2.5 g fiber; 7.1 g protein; 147.4 mg potassium.

Potato Prosciutto Waffles

Yield: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

• 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
• 3 medium russet potatoes (or 3 cups mashed potatoes)
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for salting water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly lay prosciutto on paper. Bake 10-15 minutes until prosciutto is crispy. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. Peel and cube potatoes. Place in pot of salted water and bring to boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to rapid simmer and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Strain potatoes from water and transfer to large bowl. Mash potatoes with fork or potato masher.
4. Add milk, butter, eggs, cheese and thyme to potatoes. Stir to combine.
5. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add to potato mixture and stir until just combined. Crumble prosciutto and fold it into batter.
6. Heat waffle iron. If required, grease with cooking spray.
7. Spoon about 1 cup batter onto waffle iron and cook according to iron’s instructions until waffles are golden, about 4 minutes. Keep waffles warm in 200 F oven until all waffles are cooked and ready to serve.
8. Serve with touch of butter, sour cream or poached or fried egg.

Nutritional information per serving: 332 calories; 16 g fat; 109 mg cholesterol; 1,138 mg sodium; 13% vitamin C; 32 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 15 g protein; 653 mg potassium.

Source: Potatoes USA

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