Nutritional balance - Tomato sauce dishes

[mandyky]

I am having sloppy joes for dinner tonight, do I need a vegetable? I am gonna oven bake some 'fries' because my son likes them. But if I added cheese wouldn't sloppy joes cover most of the food groups?

With spaghetti sauce I add a lot of veggies - peppers, onions, zucchini. Do I need a side vegetable?

[Warpy]

1. Adding extra veggies on the side when you're serving a veggie

laden tomato sauce is overkill, if you're going for balance. However, Italian green beans or a salad would be nice with the spaghetti, so why the hell not?

Sloppy Joes generally don't have enough veggies in them to qualify as veggie dishes and adding cheese to them is overkill when you're considering protein content. However, if you want cheese, use cheese.

Nutritionists have found out that our bodies are very forgiving. We need essential nutrients every day, but we don't need to get all of them at every meal. As long as we get them during the day, our bodies will use them as efficiently as possible.

[grasswire]

2. you can make up for it at snack time or another meal

Give him some raw veggies to munch on. Carrots, broccoli, pea pods, radishes -- all full of nutrients.

Or you could round out the meal with an orange julius or purple cow drink. Kids love 'em. In the blender put about half a can of undiluted orange or grape juice concentrate. Add a tablespoon of vanilla, eight or so ice cubes, and two cups of milk. Blend on high speed until the ice cubes are gone. It's a delicious frothy drink, and just milk and juice. You can adjust the proportions to suit your taste.

[NMDemDist2]

3. kids?? hell Mr K would love those too! n/t

[grasswire]

4. true, yes

One time a friend of mine (in his sixties then) suffered from actually having a fish bone scratch his throat. After he left the ER, he came by my house and I fixed him an orange julius. He said it really was soothing.

I always make them for the two teenie-boppers in the extended family when they are over for burgers or tacos.

[jeanarrett]

5. My kids like sloppy joes with beans - just Campells does

just fine with them as a side dish.