Many years ago, encouraging kids to try ethnic dishes was a lot more difficult then today, where most children seem to be more adventurous than adults. In fact, they're willing to try a large variety of ethnic foods, but one of their favorites is Mexican food. This has led many families to have a weekly taco night. While tacos may be fun, and can certainly be prepared in a healthy way, why not do something different? Instead of taco night, why not have Mexican night and try something new each week?

Beefy Bean Taquitos
Serves 4

• 16 small corn tortillas
• 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
• 1 packet of low-sodium taco seasoning mix
• 14 ounce can of fat-free refried beans
• 4 ounces of pepper jack cheese, shredded
• Nonstick cooking spray

1. Cook the ground beef, add the seasoning packet, and cook according to the package directions.
2. While the ground beef is cooking, add a small portion of refried beans to each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese.
3. Add the ground beef on top of the cheese and roll each tortilla into a tight cigar shape.
4. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the taquitos seam-side down on the cookie sheet.
5. Spray the top of the taquitos with additional cooking spray and bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crispy.
6. Serve with low- fat sour cream and salsa.

As with any other meal, you need a dessert. Unfortunately, many Mexican desserts are deep fried. That's okay though. This just forces you to get creative.

Fruity Nachos
Serve 4

• 4 large flour tortillas
• Butter flavored nonstick cooking spray
• Cinnamon sugar, to taste
• Fat-free cream cheese, softened
• Powered sugar, to taste
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 1/2 cup strawberries, cut into cubes; 1 kiwi, cubed
• 1 cup fat-free whipped topping

1. Cut the flour tortillas into wedges.
2. Place the wedges onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spray additional cooking spray onto the wedges and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
3. Bake the wedges in a 400-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until crispy.
4. In the meantime, mix the cream cheese with the powered sugar.
5. Place the cooked chips on a platter and layer them with the cream cheese, blackberries, strawberries and kiwi.
6. Use a piping bag to add the fat-free whipped topping.

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Are you tired of the same old meals? Wouldn't you love to make something creative? Well, then it's time you stuffed it. Pizza dough, pie crust, puff pastry, it doesn't matter. All of these options can be stuffed with savory ingredients to create a quick meal.

Are you tired of the same old meals? Wouldn't you love to make something creative? Well, then it's time you stuffed it. Pizza dough, pie crust, puff pastry, it doesn't matter. All of these options can be stuffed with savory ingredients to create a quick meal. Best of all, they're a fun way to sneak in vegetables. It's even a meal where the kids can get involved. Last, but not least, meat pies and calzones are a great way to use up leftovers.

Hearty Chicken Pie Pockets
Serves 4

• 1 pound of leftover white-meat chicken, cut into cubes
• 1 cup of frozen carrots slices
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup of frozen chopped onions
• 12 ounce jar of chicken gravy
• Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 package of refrigerated pie crust
• 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 egg whites, beaten

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken, vegetables, and gravy. Bring to a boil and season with the fresh cracked pepper.

2. In the meantime, place the two rounds of pie dough on a floured surface and allow them to come to room temperature. Then sprinkle each round with a half cup of the shredded cheese and press it into the dough.

3. Flip the dough over and place half of the chicken mixture on each round. You will only want to place the filling on one half of the dough, making sure to leave room to crimp the edges.

4. Fold the dough over and crimp the edges with a fork. Carefully place the pockets on a nonstick cookie sheet and brush with the egg whites.

5. Cut slits into the top of each pocket and bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Of course, you can't forget dessert.

Dark Rocky Road Turnovers
Serves 4

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
• 1 cup of dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup of toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 ½ cups of miniature marshmallows
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• Coarse sugar

1. Cut the puff pastry into four pieces.
2. Place a quarter of the dark chocolate, walnuts, and marshmallows onto each piece of puff pastry.
3. Fold over the pastry, crimp the edges, brush with the egg whites, and top with coarse sugar.
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

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You don't have to feel guilty about feeding your family pizza. You also don't have to buy pizza from the local pizzeria in order for it to be quick and easy.

When it comes to quick and easy meals, many parents reach for the phone. With just a quick call, a delicious pizza will arrive at the front door within 30 minutes. There's no denying the fact that kids absolutely love pizza night, but it's hard to overlook the fat and calories in this dish. But you don't have to feel guilty about feeding your family pizza. You also don't have to buy pizza from the local pizzeria in order for it to be quick and easy.

Homemade pizza is a wonderful option for busy parents. Within 30 minutes, you can prepare a dish that is not only healthy, but creative as well. Take this lasagna pizza for example.

Lasagna Pizza

• ½ pound of ground sirloin
• 2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
• 16 ounce container of part-skim ricotta
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 prepared wheat pizza crust

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and combine with pasta sauce.
3. Combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese, and ½ cup of the mozzarella. Spread on the prepared pizza crust.
4. Top the cheese mixture with the meat sauce and the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Fusion pizzas have become a popular choice, but if you're looking for something more traditional you can always make your favorite pizzeria flavors at home. The key is to keep the ingredients healthier than those you might find at your favorite restaurant. For example, let's say you like supreme pizza.

Supreme Pizza Done Light

• 1 prepared wheat pizza crust
• ¾ cup pizza sauce
• 1 ½ cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2.5 ounces of turkey pepperoni
• 8 ounces of Canadian bacon
• 2 links of turkey Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 3 ounces of sliced mushrooms
• 1 large green pepper, sliced and seeded
• 1 medium red onions, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Layer the sauce, cheese, meat, and vegetables onto the crust.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

If you like, you can sauté the vegetables before adding them to your pizza.

As you can see, homemade pizza isn't complicated. In fact, you can prepare a homemade pizza in the time it takes for a delivery to arrive. Best of all, you'll have a meal that is healthier than what you might order from a local pizzeria. You can even make a healthier version of a dessert pizza.

Fruit Crumble Pizza

• 1 prepared wheat pizza crust
• 2 cups of sugar free fruit pie filling, your flavor of choice
• 4 ounces of sugar cookie dough

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spread the pizza crust with the pie filling.
3. Crumble the cookie dough evenly over the pie filling.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookie dough is done.<br>5. Serve with low-fat/fat-free vanilla ice cream.

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How many times a week do you find yourself in a fast food drive-thru? How often do you feel guilty about it? This is something that parents face on an everyday basis as they rush home from work, and then off to the next recreational activity. It's no wonder that parents think a home cooked meal is simply out of the question. Thankfully there are ways you can enjoy a home cooked meal, while still keeping it quick and healthy.

Every household needs a slow cooker. A slow cooker allows you to prepare quick and healthy meals, without all the work. In fact, you can throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker and place the removable pot in the refrigerator before going to bed. All you need to do the next day is place the removable pot into the slow cooker and turn it on low. When you get home, you'll have that quick and healthy meal you've been dreaming of. Here is an easy recipe to get your started.

Slow Cooked Barbequed Pork and Vegetables:

• 2 pound of lean pork, cubed
• 1 pound of baby carrots
• 2 large onions cut into wedges
• 8 small, red potatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• Salt, to taste, Pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce \\ -Combine the first 5 ingredients in your slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.

1. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
2. Ten minutes before serving, stir in the barbeque sauce and allow to heat through.
3. Serve with a side salad and whole wheat rolls.

Of course, many parents turn to fast food because they don't even have time for a quick meal at home. That's when you need a quick and healthy meal that can be eaten on the go. Meals that can be cooked and assembled the night before are the perfect choice for such an occasion.

Fruit and Honey Chicken Wraps:

• 1 pound of chicken tenders
• Olive oil
• Salt, to taste, Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup honey, Whole wheat tortillas
• 4 slices of honeydew
• 1/2 pound of sliced strawberries

Sauté the seasoned chicken tenders in the olive oil until cooked through.

1. Drizzle the honey over the cooked chicken tenders and cook until the honey creates a glaze on the chicken.
2. Allow the chicken tenders to cool completely. Once the chicken has cooled, place two chicken tenders on a tortilla along with a slice of honeydew and 1/4 of the strawberries.
3. Tightly roll the tortilla around the chicken and fruit and slice the wrap into two pieces.
4. Place each wrap in a disposable container and store in the refrigerator.
5. Serve with grapes and baked potato chips.

Both of these recipes allow you to stop the fast food madness. Best of all, these recipes are just a starting point. There are thousands of slow cooker recipes available online and the type of wraps you prepare is only limited to your level of creativity.

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