Ranking the Top 10 Most Popular Dinners
Back on day 13, we did a breakdown on the top 10 most popular breakfast meals. The next part of the 40FRESH Challenge involves changing our dinner eating habits. So how does your favorite dinner rank? In today’s roundup, we’re taking a look at the top 10 most popular dinner meals to see how they fare against the 40FRESH Rules.
Today’s Checklist
If you’re following along with the 40FRESH Challenge, here’s your homework for today:
Read this post
Continue to drink 40FRESH
Continue to snack 40FRESH
Continue to eat 40FRESH breakfast
10. Steak & Potatoes
You might be surprised to find that this meal can be made in a 40FRESH friendly way. The detail is all in the preparation. There’s a couple of ways that this can fall off the rails and turn into a Nope:
Sauces
Dressing up that steak with some A1 or Heinz 57? Topping with a packaged gravy? You can certainly add fresh or dried herbs and salt and pepper. Even a bit of butter. Watch out for other toppings though to ensure you keep this one in line with the 40FRESH Rules.
Potato Preparation
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a freshly baked potato or some oven roasted potatoes drizzled with olive oil and herbs. On the other hand, instant mashed potatoes and frozen potato mixes or fries are typically full of preservatives, making them a Nope. Most homemade mashed potato recipes (while delicious) violate the moderation rules for @Home ingredients.
Alternatives
No alternatives needed on this one as long as you’re sticking to the 40FRESH rules for food!
9. Macaroni & Cheese
Without a doubt, any sort of boxed macaroni and cheese dinner is going to be firmly in the Nope category. Whether homemade macaroni and cheese is acceptable depends on the ingredients you’re using. Ingredients like panko crumbs should be avoided. Watch out for pre-shredded cheeses, too, as these often contain Nope ingredients.
However you make it, you can’t avoid the cheese. Since cheese is a Limited ingredient, you’ll need to balance this with the rest of your day. You want to have a 1 to 5 ratio of Limited ingredients to Always ingredients and this dish is more like a 1 to 1 ratio.
Alternatives
Homemade mac and cheese is certainly an option if you really have a craving. Just make sure you’re balancing out this meal with meals that don’t include Limited ingredients. Consider adding some Always ingredients like tomato, bell pepper, and peas to make this a healthier selection.
8. Beef Stew
Canned stew? Definitely a Nope. Homemade? Well, it depends on how much time you have. The most challenging ingredient in beef stew is actually the beef broth. Pretty much all the packaged stuff has added coloring, preservatives, and/or flavors.
Assuming you have a slow cooker, you can make your own ahead of time. It takes a while to release all of the nutrients from the bones (12+ hours), so it will definitely require a bit of advanced planning.
Alternatives
You can definitely keep this meal in your lineup as long as you’re prepared to spend a bit of extra time making your own beef broth! If you want a quicker soup recipe that’s just as hearty, try a split pea soup like this one, which can be made with water instead of broth.
7. Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese with tomato soup is a childhood classic! Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to make this one without it being a Nope. Most breads are Nopes and American cheese is most certainly a Nope. The amount of butter or oil most people use to fry up the bread also violates the moderation rules for @Home ingredients.
So does that mean it’s off limits? Well, not necessarily… Technically, if you’re making your own bread, using a fresh cheese that’s not pre-shredded (typically a Nope), and using butter or oil in moderation, you can make this into a Limited item. That said, we think it’s best to skip this item and choose a healthier alternative.
Alternatives
Need your cheese fix? You’ll use up your Limited budget for the day, but you’re better off with a homemade mac and cheese using Always and @Home ingredients. Alternatively, consider making a fondue and dipping fresh veggies, fruits, and cooked meats like chicken or steak.
6. Chicken Pot Pie
This meal can be made in a 40FRESH friendly way, but it will take you a bit of work. Given the work involved, it’s not likely something you’ll want to prepare on a weekday or when you’re short on time. This is owing to the two ingredients that you’ll need to make from scratch to avoid Nope ingredients: crust and chicken stock.
Similar to the beef stock above, you can make chicken stock using a slow-cooker using a recipe like this one. It’s not too hard to make your own crust. Just make sure you use a recipe that doesn’t call for shortening, like this one.
Alternatives
There are certainly healthier meals to consider if you want a hearty chicken dish. Consider making an oven roasted chicken with a side of rice and vegetable as a healthier alternative.
5. Fried Rice
Of all the meals on this list, fried rice is actually one of the healthiest options! Soy sauce is a Limited ingredient, but pretty much everything else is from Always and @Home ingredients. There’s a ton of fresh veggies you can mix in along with proteins like egg and chicken.
The only piece of caution here is that you’re going to have to make this one at home. Those frozen mixes you get from the store have preservatives and flavors that make them a Nope.
Alternatives
None needed! Just make sure to prep this one from scratch.
4. Chicken & Dumplings
Unfortunately, we have to say Nope to this Southern favorite. All the recipes we looked at had two or more Nope ingredients that needed replacing (e.g. shortening, bullion, evaporated milk) in addition to ingredients that would need to be homemade (e.g. broth). The stuff you find in meal kits and cans at the grocery store is definitely a Nope.
Alternatives
We did find a vegetarian alternative that uses vegetable broth instead. The good news is that you can make vegetable broth in under an hour, so this alternative won’t sap up your whole day with cooking!
3. Meatloaf
For many of us, meatloaf makes the list of ultimate comfort foods. However, the comfort we find comes at a price. Whether it’s breadcrumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, or barbeque sauce, chances are you’re putting something in your meat brick that falls into the Nope category. We think it’s best to skip this comfort food favorite.
Alternatives
If you really need a red meat fix, we suggest going with a steak instead. To save money, try thinly sliced flank steak infused with a savory marinade that simultaneously tenderizes the meat.
2. Burgers
We love burgers! We only wish they loved us back as much as we love them. Between the condiments, bun, and sometimes meat and cheese, however, these are pretty much a Nope all around. Even if you omit the bun and condiments and stick with a fresh cheese (or no cheese), you still need to be cautious of the meat. Pre-formed patties often contain additives and preservatives. If you’re making them at home, make sure not to use breadcrumbs. Better yet, find a healthier alternative.
Alternatives
While you could opt for a steak similar to the meatloaf above, another option to consider is Korean beef rice bowls. Not only do you get the ground beef, but you also get the starch of the rice to balance it out.
1. Pizza
For many, pizza tops the list of favorite foods. It’s right up there with mashed potatoes and bread. We love our pizza! In the United States alone, we consume about 3 BILLION pizzas per year. Are we eating 40FRESH when we toss back that slice? Sadly, no…
Crust, sauce, cheeses, and toppings alike are all highly likely to be made using Nope ingredients.
Alternatives
Real talk? If you have a huge pizza craving, any substitutes we provide are likely to fall short of expectations. That said, stuffed bell peppers offer a nice blend of starch, tomato sauce, meat, and cheese. They’re a little heavy on the Limited ingredients, but definitely a healthier alternative to pizza.
Up Next...
Between the snacking and drinking habits and your newly formed breakfast habit, you’re well on the road to healthy eating! Tick off another well-deserved X on your accountability calendar. Tomorrow we’ll start exploring some weeknight dinner recipes, so keep your food journal nearby.
Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!