Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
My favorite healthy, real food side dishes & recipes for busy families can be found below. All recipes are grain-free, dairy optional and kid-approved. Need help meal planning? Check out my meal planning service!
I love how happy and healthy spending time outside makes me feel, so I garden. Part of the result of that is there’s always an abundance of zucchini during the summer months. Zucchini plants are such super producers that I frequently find myself with more vegetables than I know what to do with. I’ve come …
Winter squashes are, to me, the chicken of the vegetable world. They’ve got a nice flavor, but are a mostly blank slate that’s delicious with lots of different seasonings and preparations. They can be sweet, savory, or spicy. They can be diced and roasted, added to soups and pureed, or baked into desserts. As an …
Sweet potato casserole is beloved (by some) as a classic holiday recipe. If I’m being honest, I’m more of a plain baked sweet potato kind of gal, but since some of our extended family prefer the marshmallow-topped type, I decided to concoct a healthy version. Homemade Sweet Potato Casserole To make the sweet potato part …
My family enjoys hitting the local taco truck once in a while for a fun dinner idea and a break from cooking. We especially love their chicken tacos which come with a delicious taco slaw on top. You probably know how much I love recreating restaurant (or food truck!) favorites at home, and this one …
I love oregano for its medicinal qualities as well as its amazing flavor. So whenever I can use it in a recipe, I’m happy to. This Greek salad is a simple way to use oregano and other Greek flavors in a tasty dish that satisfies the whole family. We love making this when the tomatoes and cucumbers …
Tater tots were a very occasional treat when I was growing up. (I confess, I loved them.) The grated zucchini in these fritters mimics the texture of tater tots and is a great way to reinvent an old favorite in a healthier way. The zucchini gives them a nutritional boost that tater tots don’t have, …
Garlic is one of my family’s favorite flavors, so it’s no surprise that we loved these garlic roasted mushrooms. They’re simple to make and go with almost any beef recipe (poultry too!). Healthy Garlic Roasted Mushrooms I’m always looking for new ways to include a variety of nutrients in my family’s diet. Garlic and mushrooms are …
When my family stopped eating grains, one of the hardest things to give up was pasta (my husband is Italian after all!). This Thai peanut butter noodles recipe uses shirataki noodles so we can stick to our grain-free lifestyle while still enjoying the finer things in life! What Are Shirataki Noodles? Shirataki noodles are completely grain …
Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. My husband, on the other hand, grew up hating asparagus because he’d only ever had it from a can. (Think about the difference between a fresh green bean and a canned one!) When we got married and I made this roasted asparagus for him, he realized what he had …
I’ve always thought that homemade versions of classic recipes taste much better than store-bought versions, and cranberry sauce is a perfect example of this. Although I loved the canned jellied cranberry sauce that we always ate on Thanksgiving when I was young, after I tried making cranberry sauce from scratch one year, I was hooked. Now …
News flash… sometimes I get stuck in a rut when making dinner! It’s a struggle to come up with different side dishes instead of always relying on the same ones. This creamy lemon tarragon zucchini is a different way to use zucchini and makes a nice change. Zucchini Anyone? I like to garden and try to …
Like beets, kale is a super nutrient-dense food, but not always a kid favorite. It’s taken a good amount of recipe testing to come up with uses for kale that my family enjoys. My kids don’t much like kale in stir-fries or cooked dishes, but they really like this crispy kale chips recipe! All About …
I don’t know about you, but I love roasted veggies. A drizzle of oil, some seasoning, and a roast in the oven just seems to bring out so much flavor! I’ve made a roasted vegetable salad, roasted beet and arugula salad, and even roasted cabbage slices. This recipe for garlic roasted romanesco is so simple to make …
This summer has been a delicate blend of heat wave and monsoon. I’ve had to come up with some creative family activities to keep the children (and us grownups!) from going stir crazy. Thankfully, while the summer heat and humidity has not been good for my desire to leave the comfort of air conditioning, it has …
In my mind, mushroom risotto is real-food comfort food! It’s warm, creamy, and filling, and an amazing side dish with almost any meal. I also have an Italian husband who always appreciates when I make an Italian dish (like my authentic pasta sauce). Risotto is a little time consuming and labor intensive though, so it’s not …
My family loves sweet potatoes. We grow and eat a lot of them (read about my first sweet potato growing experience) and I’m always excited to try new ways to use them. Bacon and lime are always a great combination and are delicious with the sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes. Bacon Lime Sweet Potato Salad …
Brussels sprouts… the dreaded vegetable of childhood! Cooked the right way, these can become a (kid-approved) favorite! They are also a great addition to a Thanksgiving or holiday menu or a perfect side for chicken or fish. And it all comes together in half an hour with only one baking sheet needed. My kids call brussels …
Summer is by far the most popular season for grilling, but the grill isn’t only for meat. This grilled vegetables recipe is one of my favorites. Grilling brings out the natural sweetness of the onions and provides a nice change from sauteed zucchini. I love how this super simple “recipe” lets the natural goodness of …
Have a vegetable hater in the house? Then you need to try roasted carrot coulis. Seriously. If there ever was a recipe that shows off all the glory of healthy veggies (besides a salad), it’s this one. A quick rough chop of sweet carrots, savory red bell peppers, and spicy sweet sliced onion — roasted …
I’m constantly on the lookout for more ways to get the all-important vegetables in our diet. Don’t get me wrong, I love a salad, but in the fall/winter a warm and savory way to enjoy veggies is especially nice. This roasted vegetable salad is quick to make and easy on the eyes. Add some chicken …
It’s not always easy to think of healthy dishes for entertaining or to bring to a party. (Not everyone appreciates homemade sauerkraut, I guess!) Deviled eggs is one dish that pleases a crowd and when made with the right ingredients is full of healthy fats. I’ve made over most traditional recipes to fit our eating …
If you’re like most people, you probably grew up snacking on crackers as a kid. Thankfully, there’s no need to give up this popular snack while on a grain-free diet. These grain-free crackers feature a few simple ingredients and they’re a snap to whip up. The kids love them for an on-the-go snack and I love …
Did you know that when prepared correctly, mashed cauliflower has a very similar texture to mashed potatoes, not to mention a sweet and buttery taste? I happen to love potatoes, but most of us in the U.S. are getting way too many starchy white foods in our diet anyway. (Fries anyone?) This cauliflower mashed potatoes recipe …
I may not have as much time to make things from scratch as I once did (six kids, homeschooling, and a business will do that!), but when apples are in season we always find time to make homemade applesauce. Unlike some other canning adventures of mine, I always feel like homemade applesauce is well worth …
