What's a great, healthy side dish?

Question

Watch me in a video about this question on Answers on the Street at: http://answersonthestreet.yahoo.com/question/23/Whats-a-great-healthy-side-dish/

Answer 1

Sweet Potatoes....with a twist!

The health benefits of sweet potatoes are somewhat over looked. Sweet potatoes are high in antioxidants, they have tons of daily vitamin value, especially vitamin A(beta carotene) and Vitamin C, they are known as an anti-diabetic food because they carry enzymes that stabilize blood sugar levels not to mention they can reduce inflammation and the effects of arthritis!

Everyone knows that sweet potatoes have become a staple of thanksgiving feasts, but with all the sugar and sweet stuff added, who could eat it and feel good!?

Well, I will tell you a great, tasty sweet potato recipe that you can actually feel great about!


Get some (about 6) sweet potatoes and boil just like regular potatoes.
Now slice them up and throw them in a large frying pan.
Add about about two or three TBSP of low or non-fat margarine.
Now add about a cup of honey
Finally add about a TBSP of ginger and a tsp of cinnamon.

The sweet potatoes will provide all the above mentioned benefits.
Plus hardly any calories are added from the non-fat margarine.
You will also get the added health benefits of honey, the natural sugar, which contains tons of your daily essential B vitamins, may help prevent seasonal allergies, and it is low in calories (40% lower than sugar) and because of it's structure, it turns to energy, not weight! It also is a powerful antioxidant and may help with blood formation and make your brain function better.
You will also get the health benefits of the cinnamon, which is known to lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, sooths arthritis, boosts brain function and memory and provide a source of iron fiber and calcium.
Not to mention Ginger's health benefits, which include relief of inflammation, pain related to arthritis and menstrual pain and ulcerative colitis, soothes sore throats, helps to aid digestion, and provides relief from migraines.

The best part is, it tastes just like the original sweet potato dish, but it gives you body a serious health boost at the same time!

Answer 2

SWEET POTATOES! Buy them fresh and you can cook them much the same as you would cook regular potatoes. Boil and mash them with a little butter and cinnamon. Mix in some applesauce for a little sweetness. Great side dish with pork. Scrub and bake them then add butter and a little cinnamon if you like. They're even better if you add a little brown sugar or maple syrup or brown sugar substitute or sugar-free maple syrup.. Cut them into french fries then toss with a little olive oil and spread on a cookie sheet and bake until tender.

Answer 3

MOST DEF I would make greenbean casserole. I swear it is the best thing ever!
Here is the recipe:
4 cans of green beans (or 2 bags of fresh greenbeans)
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 scallion
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
*** french fried onions*** 1 can spinkle half the can on top and half the can in the mixture and bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees.

It is so yummy I want some right now!!

Answer 4

Cous Cous. It is a power packed grain, kind of gritty but kinda pasta like. it is full of nutrients and said to be one of the most healthiest, nutrition packed grain. it can be found at most grocery stores, usually by the rice and stuff. look up recipes on how to prepare it. If you want a healthy side dish, this is the cherry on top. It also goes with any protein of your choice. Try it, it tastes excellent too.

Answer 5

im not sure if you mean hors d'oeuvres or side dishes but heres what i think:
-mashed potatoes are everyone's favourite, but spice it up and make it more healthy with sweet potatoe and seasonings. use milk in your potatoes (once theyve cookes, while youre mashing them) to make them extra-creamy.
-rice. wild rice is definitly my fist choice.
-soups always good. especially for this weather (canada)
-noodles (depending on the theme of your main dish, make a really yummy noodle salad with shrimp, cheese, cilantro, and milk sauce. yum!)
-potato salad.
-veggie sautees are fun and easy.
-salads (depending on what you think of salad as its own dish or not). I make my own salads and theyre delicious. Basically what i do is i add the whole contents of my frigde and pantry. Ive never had a salad disaster yet.

Answer 6

Salad! The trick is to make it interesting by adding things like red onions, eggs, pieces of fruit, seeds and nuts, you get the picture. Make it your main dish by adding grilled chicken breast or tuna. If you buy the veggies and cut them up and have them ready whenever you want a salad you'll be more likely to use them.

Answer 7

My Roasted Brussell Sprouts

About a pound of sprouts (approx. 15)
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 good shakes of Rosemary
Salt-n-Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (f) mix everything, and roast for about 35 minutes.

Answer 8

Lightly steam any veggie! here are some healthy topping to add:

steamed green beans: A little salt, pepper and toasted almond slivers. Or toss with a rosemary based seasoning blend.

Asparagus, Brussel sprouts, or broccoli: lemon pepper

Answer 9

Saute some broccoli in some olive oil, a few squirts of fresh lemon juice, some minced garlic, salt and pepper, Add some crushed red pepper flakes if you prefer a little heat n your food.

Answer 10

Mashed sweet potatoes with apples. Just boil the sweet potatoes as you would regular potatoes. Mash them with apple juice instead of milk. Add a little brown sugar and pinch of cinnamon (if you like) and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Sweet potatoes have loads of viatmins and are high in iron ... and kids will eat them!

Enjoy :)