What if I told you there was a cookbook out there guaranteed to solve your biggest dinnertime dilemmas: lack of time, finicky eaters, and the lure of heavily-processed convenience foods. Would you jump for joy? I bet you would, which is why I invited chef and registered dietitian, Michelle Dudash, RDN, onto the show this week.

Michelle joins me this week to dish about her new book, Clean Eating for Busy Families: Simple and Satisfying Real-Food Recipes You and Your Kids Will Love. Michelle takes us into her clean eating pantry for recipes like Four Seasons Fruit Pizza (her daughters’ favorite), Turkey, Vegetable, and Oat Mini-Meatloaves with Marinara Sauce, and Hoisin Beef and Edamame Lettuce Wraps in a Hurry.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Michelle’s background as a dietitian and a chef, and her life in Carmel, Indiana with her husband and two daughters, ages 5 and 9
• A crazy chef story about how Michelle once served Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and how he taught her how to brew a proper pot of tea
• Why Michelle wrote a book about clean eating
• “Clean eating” and how Michelle defines it as whole foods in their least processed state, which means they have more nutrients, no added sugar, more fiber, and no trans fats
• How some processed foods, like canned beans, are actually a good nutritional choice
• Michelle’s extensive recipe testing process when she writes a cookbook
• Michelle’s daughters’ favorites: Four Seasons Fruit Pizza and “Meatball Cupcakes”
• How to get kids to try new foods:
  • Keep it low pressure
  • Help them to learn to enjoy food
  • Focus on the healthy things they WILL eat, and keep those on hand
• Michelle’s recipe for Turkey, Vegetable, and Oat Mini-Meatloaves with Marinara Sauce: finely chopped mushrooms, onion, garlic, dry rolled oats, and lean ground turkey
• Why dry rolled oats are a wholesome recipe swap for bread crumbs
• Hoisin Beef and Edamame Lettuce Wraps: use Boston Bibb lettuce as a “cup,” and a sauce made with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, and Chinese mustard. Sear the ground beef with onion, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, frozen edamame, and canned water chestnuts. Stir in the sauce and serve in lettuce cups.
• How to get Michelle’s Clean Eating Grocery List as a free download
• Michelle’s favorite go-to weeknight dinners:
• Whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, ground beef or chicken, veggies, seasoning, and olive oil
• Stir-fry with leftover veggies, onion, garlic, tamari sauce or reduced-sodium soy sauce, and dark sesame oil (Michelle’s secret ingredient for Asian dishes)
• Marinated Chicken Thighs with apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, seasoning, and oil (great for grilling or baking)
• Tips for healthy snacking for kids and adults: whole fruit, cheese sticks, hummus with seeded crackers, hard-boiled eggs, natural microwave popcorn, raisins, and nuts
• Date Night recipes from Michelle’s book:
  • Chicken Piccata: chicken breast pounded thin and lightly sautéed in olive oil with a silky lemon and butter sauce
  • Halibut in a parchment paper pouch
• A wholesome sweet treat: Peanut Butter Brittle Bars with Dark Chocolate Drizzle, made with graham crackers, honey, butter, and dry roasted peanuts

Resources:

Michelle’s website:  https://www.michelledudash.com/

Find Michelle’s book: https://www.michelledudash.com/clean-eating-for-busy-families/

Find Michelle on social media: https://www.instagram.com/michelledudash/

https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDudashRD/

https://twitter.com/michelledudash  

www.superhealthykids.com

www.parentsondemand.com

Cookbook Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win Clean Eating for Busy Families: Simple and Satisfying Real-Food Recipes You and Your Kids Will Love. This giveaway is for Canada, the US, and Europe. To enter, post a comment in the comments section at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite wholesome, easy family dinner recipe (your go-to when you want a quick win!), or tell me why you want to win the book. Giveaway ends on May 22, 2019.