7 Wholesome Dinners to Nourish Your Body and Honor God

This is an easy, quick dinner, one that serves well for a week-long meal prep, too:

Take raw organic chicken tenders (I recommend at least 2-3 per adult) and place them in a bag.

Drench them in your favorite brand of Italian dressing (I prefer Newman’s) and let them marinate—anything less than 4-5 hours, and the meat absorbs significantly less flavor. It’s best to marinate overnight or the morning of.

After the chicken has marinated, bake or grill until cooked through.

Serve on a bed of rice (I recommend long-grain jasmine rice) with a green veggie or salad of your choice.

Tip: If you’re meal-prepping, consider marinating other pieces of chicken in different dressings/bastes to change up the flavor throughout the week.

2. Shepherd’s Pie

This is a hearty, filling meal that was traditionally served in low-income homes (hence “shepherd’s”), but it’s a classic dish packed with protein, healthy carbs, and veggies. (It’s a quick, easy prep, too!)

Brown lean organic ground beef in a pan over medium-high heat, adding salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce to taste. (A little Worcestershire goes a long way. Be sparing when adding.)

Once the meat is cooked and drained, return it to the pan and add green peas and chopped carrots. This combo serves as the base of your pie.

Next, layer the meat and veggies with fresh mashed potatoes. Russet or golden potatoes work best—and organic potatoes are significantly less likely to be filled with heavy metals or pesticides due to their natural, organic soil.

Since this is meant to be a heavier meal, our family adds a whole stick of butter (4 ounces) to our potatoes. (I recommend a clean, natural brand, notably Truly—believe it or not, organic butter is far healthier for you than mainstream news broadcasts. Do a bit of research through farming websites to discover butter’s incredible benefits.)

Our family shies away from most of your pork-based deli meats, sausages, and bacon, at least when it’s cured and preserved from a grocery store. The nitrites and nitrates they use to preserve the pork—even the celery powder that is meant to be a “cleaner” option—undergoes such a heavy chemical process that these preservatives are labeled a Level One carcinogen.

However, many of your thicker pork options, like pork chops, aren’t preserved in the same way, leaving an opportunity for a lean, healthy red meat to change up your dinner choices. Bonus points when you can buy pork from a local butcher!

Our family loves making lemon-pepper pork chops as a quick, easy dinner. It serves really well for picky eaters, too.

Take 1-2 raw pork chops per person and douse both sides in melted butter or oil. (I think butter has a richer flavor.) Coat both sides with lemon pepper seasoning, then bake for about 20 minutes at 415 degrees. You can flip them in the oven at 10 minutes for a more even cook.

These go great with a healthy starch, like potatoes or rice, and a side salad.

4. Steak Kabobs

I love steak kabobs in the summer! They are fresh and light yet high in protein.

Grab enough metal skewers for everyone to have at least 2-3 kabobs and layer them with raw, cut pieces of steak (chicken and shrimp are possible combos, too) and bell peppers. You can also layer onion pieces or any other vegetable you would like.

Grill the kabobs until the meat is cooked through. Temperature and time depend on the meat you choose. (Shrimp cooks incredibly fast.)

Serve with white rice and grilled corn on the cob. (For extra fun flavor, coat corn in butter and add a ranch-style seasoning.)

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Prostock-Studio

My husband is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. It takes less coercion to feed my toddler a veggie than him. However, he truly loves zucchini chips, so this recipe is an easy way to get the greens in for those picky family members.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil or butter, then arrange thinly cut zucchini on it. I recommend using a potato chip cutter because uneven thickness can cause some chips to bake too long or too short.

Take oil or butter, depending on your taste preference, and coat the chips. Next, sprinkle grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, along with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, on top.

Slow-bake the chips for 3-4 hours at a low temperature. We do 215 degrees. Check them often, especially for the first time, as each oven cooks through at a different pace. Take them out when the chips are golden and crisp.

Serve the chips over grilled steak pieces and a bed of white rice—again, jasmine rice tastes best!

6. Bonnie’s Traditional Chicken and Rice

Though this is an ultimate comfort food, it serves as a wholesome (easy) meal that’s a guaranteed crowd favorite. It’s my grandmother’s own recipe, and it’s my go-to for big crowds, hectic nights, or any other time I want a very filling dinner for the family.

In one large stovetop pot, combine 1 stick of butter (4oz), 4 cans of organic precooked, shredded chicken (totaling roughly 15-18 oz), 1 cup of rice, and 32 oz of chicken broth.

Bring the ingredients to a boil, adding salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking on a medium-high to high setting, stirring often. Once the chicken broth dissolves and the rice is cooked through, your main dish is ready.

I serve this with a green veggie, usually English peas, and bread. It also pairs great with a fresh salad.

This one is a nutritious winner as it packs on the good, protein-based calories, leaving everyone full in the best way.

Sometimes, dinner has to be taken on the road. That’s the crazy, fast-paced world we live in. On those days, it helps to make a simple protein shake that tastes great, has all the good nutrition, and won’t take up a ton of time or make a huge mess.

A classic, simple protein shake requires few ingredients. In a standard smoothie blender, combine 1-2 scoops of organic protein powder (I recommend Nature’s Sunshine pea powder blend) with 1 cup of organic whole milk, 1 frozen banana, and several tablespoons of peanut butter.

Blend evenly and serve!

The Gift of Food

Frankly, food makes me happy. It’s a monumental part of my travels, it’s what brings my family’s life group together each week, and it’s simply delicious! What an honor to know that God wants even the necessary things, like nutrition, to be enjoyed.

As you feed your family, I pray you remember to nourish each heart and soul. Use dinner time to pray, ask each other about your day, and enhance family bonds. Put away phones and devices and protect this time for true human interaction.

You’ll find that so many of life’s biggest blessings are resting at your dining room table.

Related:

7 Heart-Healthy Meals Your Family Will Love and Your Heart Will Thank You For

7 Ways to Build Healthy Habits That Honor God