Pup Power Boosting Health with Organic Doggie Dinners

4 Organic Dinners, 1 Easy Grocery List

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4 Organic Dinners, 1 Easy Grocery List

Hi, Organic Valley readers! Daniela here from Waves in the Kitchen and Im sharing a special menu of four delicious recipes using one simple ingredient list. This list of 17 ingredients paired with some kitchen staples you likely already have will lead to four nourishing dinners full of flavor and variety!

How This Menu Works

Too many meal prep plans online consist of a huge number of ingredients that dont always overlap. This often causes waste in the kitchen and makes for a long, stressful grocery shopping experience.

These four family-friendly dinner recipes use overlapping ingredients which means no waste! Although some ingredients will be used in multiple recipes, the flavors of each dish are distinct. Each recipe stands alone and is thematically different, so if you make them all in the same week, you wont be at risk of mealtime boredom.

These recipes and accompanying grocery list helps busy parents streamline their meal planning and shopping, leaving more time for the important things in life (especially during the busy back-to-school season)!

Here, Ill walk you through each dish, share tips and tricks, and highlight the kid-friendly activities in each one.

A few notes before we dive into each dish

• All the recipes are sized for a family of four; however, they can all easily be scaled up or down.
• The animal protein in each recipe can be easily swapped for another. Simply adjust cooking time accordingly.
• The menu demonstrates how to strategically repurpose leftovers from one recipe into another.
• A full grocery list is provided at the end of this article to make this meal plan even simpler for you!

Lets go!

Sheet Pan Caper-Butter Chicken Dinner is low-prep and high-satisfaction.

Sheet pan dinners win the grand prize for being the fastest and easiest dinners to prepare. They are perfect for busy parents feeding hungry kids during the week. This sheet pan chicken requires almost no prep and is perfect for weeknight dinners. The briny capers and fresh lemon add bright and bold flavors to this quick and easy family-size meal!

Kid-friendly activities in this recipe

• Scrubbing the potatoes and tossing them with olive oil.
• Patting the chicken dry and seasoning it.
• Adding the green beans, onions, olives, chicken and lemon slices to the sheet pan with the potatoes and carefully mixing everything around with a spatula (the pan will be hot from roasting the potatoes, but its important to teach kids how to handle hot dishes).
• Drizzling the caper butter over the sheet pan.

Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner Tips and Tricks

If youre planning on making all four recipes in this menu, I would recommend starting with this one!

Make extra chicken. Leftovers can be shredded and used in any of the other three recipes in this menu. Shredded chicken can replace the ground meat in the cheesy baked pasta, replace the salmon in the nioise salad, or replace the chicken in the rice dish.

The recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; however, breast, drumsticks, wings, or any other cut of chicken all work as well. For the juiciest and most flavorful results, use bone-in, skin-on chicken regardless of the cut. Keep in mind that white meat will cook faster than dark meat, and bone-in cuts will take longer to cook than their boneless counterparts. If cooking both white and dark meat on the same sheet pan, simply take the white meat off and tent with foil while the dark meat continues to cook.

Leftover potatoes can be repurposed for the nioise salad.

Any variety of olives can be used, and you can customize with anything else youd typically come across in an olive bar such as peppers, roasted garlic, marinated artichoke hearts, etc.

Both this recipe and the salmon nioise use green beans. You can trim the green beans for both dishes at the same time and simply store the ones you wont be using in the fridge, where theyll remain fresh for three to five days.

Baked mac and cheese with meat and veg is as comforting as it gets!

This baked cheesy pasta is comfort food perfection, and with the addition of a protein and fresh broccoli, it eats like a meal!

Kid-friendly activities in this recipe

• Adding the cheese to the sauce and carefully whisking until the cheese melts.
• Combining cheese sauce with the pasta, broccoli, and ground meat, and stirring until its evenly combined.

Baked Cheesy Pasta Tips and Tricks

Ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork can all work in this recipe, or the ground meat can be swapped for shredded leftover chicken.

Simply swap and follow the rest of the directions.

Leftover mac n cheese can be refrigerated for up to five days, and it reheats very well in the microwave or oven.

Both this recipe and the Tomato Chicken with Rice use broccoli florets. You can cut the broccoli into florets for both dishes at the same time and store the broccoli florets for the other recipe in the fridge, where theyll remain fresh for three to five days.

One-pan dinners like this Tomato Chicken with Rice and Broccoli are perfect weeknight meals.

Crispy chicken bakes on a bed of aromatic tomato rice with broccoli for a delicious chicken dinner that the whole family will love. This dinner comes together in a single pan, is easy to prep and is bursting with savory tomato flavor.

Kid-friendly activities in this recipe

• Patting the chicken dry and seasoning it.
• Adding rice, crushed tomatoes and chicken stock or water to the pan.
• Placing chicken over the rice mixture.
• Stirring in the cheese. Keep in mind the pan will be hot!

Tomato Chicken with Rice Tips and Tricks

If you own a cast iron skillet or another oven-safe skillet, this would be a great recipe to use it. If not, you can sear the chicken on the stovetop in a normal pan and then transfer everything to a baking dish.

Leftover chicken from this recipe can be shredded and repurposed into the other dinners on this menu.

Both this recipe and the cheesy pasta call for broccoli florets. You can prep and cut the broccoli into florets for both dishes at the same time, and simply store the broccoli florets for the other recipe in the fridge, where theyll remain fresh for three to five days.

This Salmon Nioise Salad is packed with veggies and full of flavor.

This riff on the classic salad nioise with roasted salmon is packed with a delicious list of healthy ingredients and is hearty enough for a meal!

Of the four recipes, this one involves the most prep, but the individual steps are all fairly simple. We are blanching green beans, hard-boiling and peeling eggs, and boiling potatoes. This is an excellent recipe to do with kids because there are lots of easy tasks they can do.

Kid-friendly activities in this recipe

• Patting the salmon dry and seasoning it.
• Trimming the green beans with scissors.
• Preparing the ice bath for the green beans.
• Peeling the hard-boiled eggs and cutting them with a safety knife.
• Whisking the simple lemon and olive oil salad dressing together.

Salmon Nioise Tips and Tricks

Leftover potatoes from the sheet pan dinner can be repurposed in this dish. Simply reheat in the microwave or oven (skip boiling them) and follow the rest of the directions.

This salad is endlessly customizable. The salmon can easily be swapped with the other proteins, such as shredded or diced chicken repurposed from either of the chicken dinners, extra ground meat from the pasta dinner, or fresh or canned tuna. Have a leftover piece of steak or another type of fish? Sure! Feel free to use more than one type of protein as well.

Any extra fresh broccoli that may still be lingering in your fridge can also be included here. Either boil, roast or saut the broccoli and add to the platter with the rest of the ingredients.

Repurposing This Dish

There are many ways you can repurpose leftovers from this veggie-packed salmon salad.

Leftover potatoes can be used in the chicken sheet pan dinner. Simply add them to the sheet pan for the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time so they just heat through.

Leftover green beans can be repurposed in the chicken sheet pan dinner or added to the chicken and rice dish. Add at the same time the rice is added.

Leftover salmon can be repurposed in the cheesy pasta. Simply add it to the pot with the cooked pasta and broccoli after mixing in the cheese sauce (fold gently so it doesnt fall apart too much).

Conclusion

This meal plan will help you save time at the grocery store, cook more efficiently, learn to creatively repurpose leftovers, and create deliciously nourishing meals. Plus, our strategic ingredient list ensures that all the ingredients will be used and theres no food waste.

I hope this plan helps you see how to simplify your weekly menu and grocery shopping while still making tasty, nutritious and interesting meals!

Wishing you all the nourishment in the kitchen, and I hope these four recipes with one simple grocery list makes getting dinner on the table that much easier!

Master Grocery List

You can download the printable Master Grocery List here.

Produce

2 pounds potatoes

2 to 4 large heads broccoli (to get 8 cups florets)

2 pounds green beans

Onions: 2 medium yellow, 1 small red

2 lemons

Dry Goods and Condiments

1 pound macaroni noodles (or similar)

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 1/3 cups olives (your favorite variety)

cup nonpareil capers

Protein

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

4 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets

12-ounce Organic Prairie Ground Meat (beef, pork, chicken, or turkey)

Dairy and Eggs

4 large Organic Valley Eggs

2 cups Organic Valley Milk

3 packages Organic Valley Thick-cut Shredded Cheese: 1 package Italian blend or Mozzarella, and 2 package variety(ies) of your choice

10 Tablespoons Organic Valley Butter or Ghee

Pantry Staples and Optional Items

Olive oil

Dried basil

Fresh parsley

Flour

Mustard (variety of choice)

Chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Daniela Gerson is a California-based food photographer, stylist and recipe developer with a prop-filled studio in Venice, Los Angeles. Shes a real food advocate whos on a mission to help people see how sexy vegetables are by sourcing the most colorful produce imaginable from local farm markets and emphasizing the beauty of real food in utterly enchanting food photography. When shes not in the kitchen or behind the camera, youll find sharing her love of surfing with others and traveling the world searching for the perfect south swell.

• Tags:
• cooking & entertaining,
• meal prep

10 Food Boosters You Can Add to Your Dogs Meal to Improve Their Health

Commercial dog food has come a long way in the past couple of decades. Whether you provide dry kibble or wet canned food, its no longer just butchers leftovers!

Today, dog food is specially formulated to provide a balanced diet that closely resembles a wild canines meals.

But of course, theres always room for improvement.

Even the most top-shelf dog food could use a little extra boost. Canine health is complex. A single dog food product cant meet the needs of every canine out there.

While there are specialty foods to address specific concerns, your best bet for full customization is to use a booster.

Food boosters are simple ingredients or supplements you can add to your pups standard meals.

A booster can take commercial foods to a new level. Not only do boosters make food more delicious for your pup, but they can also provide a slew of health benefits.

As always, its important to consult with your doctor before you make any major changes to your pups diet. Boosters can do a lot to improve your dogs health. But, they will only do that if you use them correctly.

Most vets will recommend replacing no more than 25 to 50 percent of the commercial food with boosters.

Even then, you must plan accordingly and only provide the ingredients that will actively support their health.

Here are some of the best food boosters you can add to your dogs meal to improve their health.

10 Health Improving Foods You Can Add to Your Dogs Regular Meal

#1. Raw Eggs

Youd be hard-pressed to find a snack that has as much nutrition per gram as raw eggs.

Eggs cover a lot of bases. Theyre an excellent source of calcium, provide a boost of protein, and give your dog a myriad of nutrients. They contain selenium, iron, Vitamin A, folate, and more.

Adding a raw egg to your dogs meal every once in a while can do a lot to improve their health. Plus, most dogs cant resist the taste that runny eggs have to offer!

Feeding raw eggs to dogs is a point of contention for dog owners. Most dogs are perfectly equipped to deal with the bacteria in raw eggs.

The stomach acids kill off bacteria and make quick work of the whites, yolk, and shell. However, there are still some risks if youre not careful.

Always source your eggs from a reliable farm. If youre still on the fence, you can always cook the egg first. It loses some of its nutritional value, but its better than not having any eggs at all.

#2. Sardines

Yes, those polarizing fish you see on pizzas every once in a while make for great dog food boosters! There are a couple of reasons why you should consider sardines.

For one, they are a fantastic source of omega fatty acids.

Omega 3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA can do a lot to improve your dogs overall health.

It boosts the circulatory system, nourishes the coat, and is said to help regulate the immune system.

The fatty acids can also reduce inflammation and improve brain health. Who doesnt want that for their dog?

Sardines also contain taurine, an essential amino acid that dogs cannot synthesize independently.

Canned sardines are pretty cheap and easy to source.

Make sure to provide this booster sparingly. Too much of it can certainly lead to weight gain if you overdo it!

#3. Digestive Enzymes (goats milk)

The term digestive enzymes covers a wide gamut of boosters you can provide. Essentially, its an ingredient that can improve your dogs gut health.

Were talking about foods like plain yogurt and goats milk.These foods are chock-full of probiotics.

What are probiotics? Well, theyre essentially live bacteria that support the gastrointestinal tract.

While it doesnt sound appealing to feed your dog bacteria, this is the good bacteria that your dog needs to process foods efficiently.

Goats milk is the preferred choice if its available. The milk is easier on the system and a much better choice for dogs who are lactose intolerant.

The milk is hypoallergenic and provides all the gut-healing benefits your pooch needs.

#4. Fruits and Vegetables

Of course, you cant go wrong with fruits and vegetables.

Commercial dog foods are very protein-focused. While dogs are largely carnivores in the wild, theyre not obligate carnivores.

They can eat fruits and vegetables to get some extra health benefits.

Many commercial foods lack fruits and vegetables, so providing some extras is a great way to supplement your dogs diet.

Use all-natural and organic foods to provide essentials your pooch might be lacking.

For example, you can offer up some fibrous vegetables for dogs with loose stool issues or sweet berries for those that need some antioxidants.

Make sure to avoid all of the known toxic ingredients like onions and garlic.

Its fine to feed plant-based foods raw. But some dogs will not touch them unless its incorporated into the meaty part of the meal.

If thats the case, try steaming them for a soft and mushy texture.

#5. Pumpkin Puree

You cant go wrong with pumpkin puree!

Were not talking about the sweet stuff you taste in pies. Were talking about unflavored and all-natural puree here.

Pumpkins are an excellent ingredient that many dog foods utilize. Its a complex carb that helps to regulate blood sugar levels and glucose absorption.

Not only that, but its high in soluble fiber!

A bit of pumpkin in your dogs diet will firm things right up, keeping them more regular.

Pumpkin is high in antioxidants and vitamins, too.You can provide puree with the kibble raw. Or, you can use it to make some tasty treats

#6. Bone Broth

Have a dog thats not super keen on drinking water? Bone broth is your friend!

Bone broth is basically water thats boiled with animal bones. The essence of the bone infuses with the water, creating a flavorful elixir with a slew of benefits.

This broth is said to heal gut issues, promote proper digestion, and encourage liver detoxification. It may also help with joint pain!

More importantly, however, is its ability to hydrate your dog. You can pour it onto your pups meal to create a tasty soup.

Alternatively, you can freeze it up and provide some cubes as a tasty snack. Whatever the case may be, it gives your pup a nice boost of hydration.

#7. Healthy Oils

When most people think of oil, they automatically picture unhealthy fats.

While its true that excess fat is a big no-no, your dog needs some fat to stay in good shape. Beneficial fats like coconut oil, salmon oil, and flaxseed oil are the way to go.

A couple of teaspoons go a long way! These healthy oils contain omega fatty acids that can support skin health and boost the immune system.

They can also address inflammatory issues and help keep allergic reactions at bay. Pair that with the integrated antioxidants and brain support, and you have a must-have booster!

#8. Apple Cider Vinegar

This might sound a bit smelly and unpalatable, but hear us out!

Apple cider vinegar is a powerful supplement that can work wonders on your dogs digestive health. We see it all the time in human health, so why not extend its benefits to your dog?

You see, apple cider vinegar works to lower the pH level in your dogs gut.

Canine stomachs are naturally acidic, which is how they can handle raw meats without missing a beat.

Unfortunately, some medications and foods can make the gut environment too alkaline.

Apple cider vinegar keeps the acidity in check and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria. The vinegar has naturally antibacterial properties and acts as a constipation reliever, too.

Its also said to reduce gas- a perk everyone can appreciate!

#9. Kefir

Kefir is a unique drink thats usually made of fermented cow or goats milk. We already went over the benefits of adding digestive enzymes. But, kefir is so powerful it deserves its own unique mention.

Many refer to kefir as the grain of life. Its potent and comes with many supposed benefits.

The substance is chock-full of probiotics and beneficial yeasts. Not only does this help improve the gut environment, but it helps to keep fungal infections at bay.

Bad yeast infections are pretty common in dogs because of the high carbohydrate content of commercial foods. Kefir balances things out a bit.

The good yeasts fight the bad, putting an end to major fungal problems.

Kefir may also address allergies, fight bacteria, and more. Plus, it has tons of great nutrients and vitamins.

#10. Raw Meats

Finally, we have raw meats. Another controversial topic in the dog community, youll hear a lot of differing opinions about raw meat. Some avoid it completely, while others feed raw meat exclusively.

The truth is that raw meat from a reliable source has a lot to offer. We must emphasize the reliable part! Questionable byproducts and mystery meats are a no-go!

Healthy meats, however, are perfectly fine!

As we mentioned earlier, your dogs gut is primed to take care of bacteria. All wild dogs have access to is raw meat, so its not a major issue for most dogs.

Raw meats help to supplement the protein content of commercial foods. They can also help with joint health.

High-cartilage meats from poultry are particularly beneficial. All the connective tissue and sinew can benefit the joints and help reduce the effects of arthritis.

Conclusion

Have a conversation with your vet about which food boosters are best for your dog. These natural boosters can give your dog a well-rounded diet thats catered to their needs.

Use them to customize a meal plan and help your pooch reach optimal health!

Also Read:10 Mistakes to Avoid When Storing Dog Food