Fit Date Night: Healthy Valentine's Day Dinner

Valentine’s Day can be tough. If you’re single, you may get overwhelmed by a pink and white deluge of commercialized romance. If you represent half a couple, you may be tempted to treat your lover and share your appreciation with sweets, gifts, and a fancy dinner out on the town.

It doesn’t have to be like that. Fitness and romance make a wonderful superset. You don’t need a rest period between the two. Competitors Sarah and Rich Wilkins are here to show you that couples can lift together, cook together, and soak in the romance at their dining room table on Valentine’s Day.

So, light some candles, get out the good dishes, and try their low-calorie meal!

Tips On Decadence

Is red wine okay?

Yes, up to one glass per day may actually have antioxidant benefits, may improve cognitive function, and has been shown to increase “good” cholesterol by 20 percent in moderation. One study even showed wine helped post-menopausal women with weight control.

With more than one glass per day, however, negative health effects seem to outweigh the good, increasing the risk for liver disease and some cancers.

Competitors Sarah and Rich Wilkins are here to show you that couples can lift together, cook together, and soak in the romance at their dining room table on Valentine’s Day.

Is dark chocolate okay?

Dark chocolate is OK and even healthy in moderation. Dark chocolate does have antioxidants, but then again, so do fruits and veggies. But hey, if you need justification to have an ounce or so of dark chocolate per week, why not?

A Dinner For Two

You can spend $100 or more on a nice steak dinner, or you can follow Rich and Sarah’s footsteps with an intimate at-home dinner with $30 worth of groceries. Add a little candlelight and a bottle of nice red wine, and you’ve made yourself a classy evening.

Rich and Sarah chose to make petit sirloin steaks with bleu cheese crumbles, sauteed zucchini, and garlic grilled potatoes. For dessert, Sarah made a strawberry shortbread pie. Can you really eat all this on a diet? Yes, you can. Try the recipes and check the nutrition facts.

Bleu Cheese Petit Sirloin

• Two 6-oz Grass-fed or Organic Petite Sirloin Steaks—or in our case, one 8 oz, one 4 oz

• Montreal steak seasoning

• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Onion Flakes
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp Thyme
• 1/4 tsp Rosemary
• 1/4 tsp Coriander
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup Reduced-fat Bleu Cheese crumbles

For best results, let steak adjust to room temperature for half an hour.

1. Heat skillet on high; coat with cooking spray.
2. Rub steak with seasoning on both sides, then add to hot skillet.
3. Grill 3-4 minutes or until browned on the first side.
4. Flip steaks and top each with 1/4 cup bleu cheese.
5. Cook until the desired amount of doneness, about 3-4 minutes more for a medium rare steak. The bleu cheese will have melted to perfection over each steak.

Bleu Cheese Petit Sirloin PDF (28.4 KB)

Sauteed Zucchini

• 2 whole Zucchini, sliced to 1/2-inch thick discs
• 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

1. Wash zucchini and cut into 1/2-inch thick discs.
2. Add olive oil to a skillet, heat to medium.
3. Add zucchini discs to pan, along with your spices.
4. Saute zucchini, stirring a couple times, until tender and slightly golden on edges.

Sauteed Zucchini PDF (26.8 KB)

Garlic and Thyme Grilled Potatoes

• 3 small Red Potatoes (12 oz.)
• 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder or Whole Garlic
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

1. Wash and cut potatoes into 1-inch thick slices.
2. Boil potatoes on high for 8 minutes; you can do this while your steak cooks. When done, the potatoes should pierce easily with a fork.
3. Heat olive oil in the same skillet you used for your steaks (extra flavor!) and reduce heat to medium.
4. Add potato slices, and season with your spices.
5. Fry until edges are browned and potatoes are tender.

Garlic and Thyme Grilled Potatoes PDF (27.2 KB)

Strawberry Shortbread Whipped Pie

• Shortbread Pie Crust (pre-made)
• 2 cups Lite Whipped Topping
• 1 pint Strawberries
• 2 packets Stevia
• 2 boxes (1/2 cup) Sugar-free, Fat-free Cheesecake Pudding Mix
• Cold Water

1. Wash and slice strawberries, toss with 2 packets of stevia sweetener.
2. Layer the bottom of your pie crust 1-inch deep with whipped topping, and cover with 3/4 of the strawberries.
3. Mix cheesecake pudding dry mix with 1 cup cold water, adding more until a thick, creamy consistency is achieved.
4. Layer pudding over berries and whipped topping, then add another layer of whipped topping over pudding.
5. Chill for half an hour and top with remaining strawberries.

Strawberry Shortbread Whipped Pie PDF (27.3 KB)

TOTAL FOR MEAL

Sarah says: “As a woman, I ate about 2/3 what Rich ate, so my dinner totaled 500 kcal. We’re not really watching sodium here, but notice potassium is much higher than sodium; this is actually what’s important from a health standpoint, not overall sodium. The overall macros are 30% fat, 36% carbs, and 34% protein. Not bad for a nice steak dinner!”