It Is To Me

Ben: I want chips.

Mom: You don’t need chips. We’re about to have dinner.

Ben: Come on. It’s healthy. It’s protein.

Mom: It is not protein.

Ben: It is to me.

Mom: A food’s protein content is not a matter of opinion. Maybe you could debate how much protein you need, but simply saying a food has protein does not mean it actually has protein. We’re all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts. You could say you want chips because they’re tasty, or because you’re hungry, but they don’t have protein.

Ben: I’m hungry. I want chips.

Mom: That’s more like it.

Ben: (opens bag of chips)

Mom: Dang it.

Variations of this scene have been playing out between Ben and me for years, but usually I don’t gallop on my high horse straight into the snare quite as willingly as I did in this instance. Live and learn, I guess, except that I never do. 

I’ve been trying to amp up our lean proteins while scaling back on fats and carbs, so Ben has heard the word protein pretty often recently. There is also family historical precedent for justifying food you like with nutritional claims. (My Grandpa Beachy, who was far more comfortable speaking Pennsylvania Dutch than English, would claim that the Christmas fudge, cookies, and sundry sweets that Grandma had to hide from him so he wouldn’t consume them all at once were actually good for him because they were “rich in carbohydrage.” I think Ben and my grandpa would have been kindred spirits.)

This week’s meal, tuna noodle broccoli casserole, used a few simple changes to increase protein and decrease “carbohydrage” and fat, though you’ll note that it is topped with crushed potato chips, in a nod to Ben’s protein of choice. We aren’t claiming this is a high-protein meal, just a healthier alternative to traditional tuna noodle casserole.

Swaps:

7 ounces “protein plus” pasta instead of 12 ounces egg noodles

Skim milk-based sauce instead of mushroom soup-based sauce

Two cans of tuna instead of one

Addition of tons of broccoli

Tuna Noodle Broccoli Casserole

7 ounces “protein plus” pasta (we use Barilla brand)

1 1/2-2 pounds fresh broccoli florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups skim milk, warmed

2 5-ounce cans tuna packed in water, drained and flaked

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt or more

Pepper to taste

Crushed potato chips to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a baking dish.
2. Cook pasta in boiling salted water until one minute before al dente. Remove pasta to large bowl, but retain water.
3. Return water to boil and add broccoli. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until just tender, and drain. Add it to the pasta and stir.
4. Meanwhile, when pasta begins cooking, heat oil in skillet over medium, and sauté onion until translucent. Remove onion from pan, retaining any remaining oil in pan. Add butter to pan and melt. Add flour and cook a minute or two, until a thick paste forms. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, to avoid lumps forming. When sauce has thickened, add onion back to sauce. Add tuna, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted.
5. Add broccoli and pasta to sauce, and stir. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Pour mixture into greased baking dish. Top with crushed potato chips and bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Whether you believe in protein or you’re a protein denier, if you are looking for a healthy meal, I suggest you try our tuna noodle broccoli casserole. Is it good, you ask? It is to me.