Sarah Jacoby is a health reporter at TODAY.
Getting more plant-based foods into your meals doesn't have to take a lot of thought or planning. Sometimes, it's those meals we throw together at the last minute that end up being the most packed with nutritious ingredients.
All it takes is a simple formula to turn whatever vegetables and beans you have in your kitchen into a quick weeknight dinner, a dietitian says. Dietitian's Tip of the Day: Fall Back on This Easy Plant-Based Meal for Weeknights 'Tacos are my go-to plant-based dinner on busy nights because they are incredibly easy to throw together, and you can customize them with whatever you already have in the fridge,' says Natalie Rizzo, registered dietitian and TODAY nutrition editor. 'We have Taco Tuesday in our household every week because having a ‘theme night’ lifts that mental burden of figuring out what’s for dinner and takes the guesswork out of meal planning,' she adds. Why It Matters A meal like this combines two of the most beneficial cooking habits for your health: making meals at home and eating a variety of plant-based foods. Cooking at home and meal-planning are both associated with health benefits. That depends on the types of foods you're making, of course, but cooking at home gives you full control over the ingredients so you can choose what works best for your nutritional goals, lifestyle and personal preferences. And experts consistently recommend building your plate around plants, including the roasted vegetables and protein-backed beans that feature heavily in tacos. Making plant foods the centerpiece of your meal makes it easy to get all the vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that are naturally in those foods. These nutrients have benefits for gut and heart health, and eating more of them can help prevent chronic illnesses like Type 2 diabetes. How to Get Started 'I usually toss veggies, like cauliflower and broccoli, with chili powder,' Rizzo says. 'Then I roast them in the oven until they're golden brown.' From there, she combines the roasted veggies with a can of black beans and scoops them into a tortilla. Finally, she tops her tacos with salsa and some sliced radish or cabbage for crunch. But the real beauty of a meal like this is its versatility. Feel free to swap in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, and top them however you please. If your family prefers pinto beans over black beans, you can certainly use those. And if you have some pickled red onions, avocado or cilantro, feel free to add those on top as well. However you choose to tweak your weeknight tacos, they're sure to be a healthy, crowd-pleasing meal. TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
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