(swooshing)
A lot of times when we plan date nights,
we think of them as an escape from healthy eating.
But today we're going to show you how to make
those special meals delicious and nutritious
when you're enjoying some time at home
with the one you love.
(soft rhythmic music)
Joining me is registered dietician, Maggie Michalczyk.
Now Maggie, when we're thinking about planning
that special meal for date night,
it doesn't have to be over the top and heavy
and full of fatty foods to be special.
- So there are so many fun and nutritious options
that you can make in your very own kitchen.
They're flavorful, they're easy to make.
You can add special touches for date night
that make them feel a little bit more fancy,
while you're getting really good nutrition with them.
- Why is it important to stick with healthy eating,
even on special occasions?
- because it's going to help make you feel good.
It really goes a long way for your longterm health as well.
There's some fun ways that you can incorporate vegetables
into a lot of these meals
that normally wouldn't have veggies
if you were getting it at a restaurant.
Vegetables are such a wealth of nutrition.
We're getting so many good vitamins and minerals,
not to mention fiber.
Fiber is super important because
it's great for our digestion, it helps to keep us full.
And most of us are not getting enough fiber.
- How are we adding flavor to these meals
to make them feel extra special?
- Yeah, so we are adding things like capers.
We are adding herbs to get a ton of flavor
and you can actually get away with adding
less salt that way as well.
- Why is it important that we bring attention
to the salt that's added?
- We know that we want to keep our sodium low.
Sodium can go on to affect blood pressure
and different things like that, different health conditions.
So it is important if you are cooking at home
to find other ways to flavor your dishes,
besides adding a bunch of salt.
- [Jane] Maggie has some great ideas
on what to include in your healthy date night meal,
starting with a nutrient-packed version
of a charcuterie board.
- This is just a really fun way to add more nutrition
into your date night at home,
because you can totally go beyond
just your typical meat and cheeses.
You can add veggies that you have on hand,
cut up some fruits.
Here I have nuts and blueberries
and of course cheese and some crackers and hummus.
So I'm getting mix of protein and fiber for these things.
- [Jane] Another great way to make things
healthy and special is to change up your pasta dishes
by adding more veggies.
- It feels really indulgent, like a restaurant dish.
However, it is a little bit healthier
because we're adding the different veggies in there.
So that's exactly what I did here
with this lemony, big white wine,
pasta with zucchini noodles, fresh tomatoes.
- [Jane] If you're looking for simplicity, Maggie says,
just use the healthy ingredients you already have
and cook them on a sheet pan.
- This is a no-fuss, easy meal for two.
Here I've got asparagus, which is in season.
I've got sweet potatoes that I've roasted on here.
And then I did a turmeric roasted cod.
- [Jane] And finally, go for natural sweetness
in your date night desserts with this simple mug cake.
- Combine just a few simple ingredients all into this mug.
And there's a little bit of almond milk in here.
A little bit of peanut butter
and just a touch of maple syrup.
And then I cooked it in the microwave in that mug.
There's just a little bit of maple syrup in there
and the rest is just sweet naturally with banana,
and it tastes like cake.
- I think really what we can take away from today
and talking about healthy meals during date night
is that it doesn't have to be indulgent.
It doesn't have to be all these heavy, rich sauces.
There are great recipes.
We can cook healthy that are good for us
and they taste great.
- There are many different ways
that you add flavor and fun to your meals
that make them feel fancy for date night,
all the while getting in some really good nutrition,
so you can feel good knowing that it's adding your health.
- Maggie, such great information.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
If you have a delicious and healthy date night meal
you want to share with us,
let us know on Instagram @livinghealthytv.