Valentine’s Day Food Choices that Rekindle the Flame

 
When Valentine’s Day rolls around, love is in the air. If you want love to be in the bedroom, choose dinner fare that will lead in that direction. Certain foods are known aphrodisiacs and can inspire romance.

What is an aphrodisiac? It is something that arouses our libido. It can be a scent, an image, or even a food. Eating that particular food will get the eater hot and bothered in a good way.

If that is the direction you are looking to go with your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, then look no further than the kitchen. They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. On February 14th, we will wow his or her brain to turn on the rest of their body.

Here are some of the foods you might want to add to the menu on Valentine’s Day.

1.  Oysters – these hard-shelled ocean beauties have long been used to initiate sexual desire. People who never even dared touch an oyster were looking to the slimy delights to help them turn on the charm. Oysters can be eaten in a number of ways from on the half shell to dipped and fried in batter. However you can get them down your gullet, they are said to be a natural aphrodisiac.
2. Chocolate – Over the last couple of years, everyone has been touting the amazing properties of chocolate. We aren’t just talking about any chocolate but dark chocolate. It contains the largest percentage of cacao and produces those “feel good” endorphins that make us ready for anything. Even the Aztec ruler, Montezuma, used to indulge in a drink made with cacao before spending the evening with his concubines.
3. Hot Peppers – Have you ever eaten something very hot and felt the warmth run through your body? The substance in hot foods like peppers and cayenne pepper is called capsaicin. It causes a thermogenic reaction in the body that speeds up the metabolism. Combine that with some chocolate and oysters (maybe not all together) and you could have an evening of love that is made to order.
4. Alcohol – Here we are specifically talking about wine and champagne. Some would argue that the reason that alcohol acts as an aphrodisiac is that it lowers our inhibitions. Even so, we wouldn’t do anything that we didn’t already have in our minds to do. The alcohol is a convenient excuse to have some fun. Let the bubbles tickle your nose and light a fire in your loins.

There are plenty of other things that act as aphrodisiacs, too. If a food gives you that “all over” good feeling, use it to get you in the mood on Valentine’s Day and every day of the year.

Healthy Valentine’s Meal Ideas

Everyone used to look forward to Valentine’s Day. They got to eat sweets from their sweetie. We are trying to be a bit more health conscious these days so that holidays won’t show in our bodies. If you want to indulge in a sweet treat on Valentine’s Day, make room for it with a healthier meal.

It is not too hard to sneak in a few healthy additions to the meal that your loved ones won’t mind at all. Whether it is a romantic dinner for two, family dinner, or a couples’ dinner party, employ some savvy to come up with a leaner meal.

Start off with a healthy snack that everyone can eat while dinner is baking. Instead of cookies and candies, put out a tray of veggies and fruit. The vegetables can be jazzed up with a vegetable cream cheese or Ranch dressing. For the fruit, use flavored fruit dip. Yogurt flavors like strawberry, peach, or blueberry work well also as a dip.

Get rid of the hot wings for appetizers and opt instead for chicken chunks breaded with Shake-n-Bake or regular breadcrumbs. Cubing boneless, skinless chicken breasts and rolling them in batter saves a lot of calories. Serve them with hot pepper sauce or regular hot sauce and your metabolism will rev up from the heat.

Toss a salad to go with dinner. Instead of store bought croutons on the top, use cubed pieces of wheat bread. Wash them with a little butter or reduced fat margarine and pop them into the oven to bake. They still add crunch to the salad with less fat than regular croutons. Even better would be to sprinkle the salad with shelled sunflower seeds to add crunch.

Soups are a great way to hide lots of vegetables for those who don’t take a shine to them. for Valentine’s Day, serve a simple soup like potato, vegetable, chicken noodle, or tomato. What soup you serve will depend on the meal. The point is that soup helps to fill you up without eating a lot of it.

Now for the meal. It is hard to eat healthy sometimes, especially if there is a holiday celebration going on. Well, Valentine’s Day is no different. Stick with recipes that use lean cuts of beef, pork, or chicken. Seafood can also be used.

Opt for lower fat ingredients in your recipes. If the main course recipe calls for heavy cream, substitute with half and half or light cream. Substitute margarine with butter. Avoid using too much salt. Use saltless seasonings to add flavor to the meal.

Let your healthy meals extend to Valentine’s Day. After all, we are supposed to show love to those who mean the world to us. Keep their heart healthy.

Family Valentine’s Dinner Ideas

Kids like to celebrate Valentine’s Day just like adults. Even if you have ideas about romantic plans for the evening, consider having dinner with the kids. Here are some ideas for a great dinner with the entire family.

Kids love to cook. It is an opportunity for them to make a mess and not get in trouble for it. Let them help with the dinner on Valentine’s Day. They probably have a few ideas for the meal.

Don’t expect a full seven course meal. Besides the fact that it takes too long to prepare, kids have simpler tastes than that. And, if you want to get them to bed at a decent hour so you still have time to spend together, choose a dish with minimal preparation.

Italians are known for love. Try an Italian dish for Valentine’s Day. Instead of ordering from Domino’s, create a pizza at home. Using a store-bought crust, roll it out and cut it into the shape of a heart. The heart will have to be exaggerated because once the dough rises the pizza will spread out and not look like a heart anymore.

Italians are also big on spaghetti. It takes about thirty minutes at the most to put together a spaghetti dinner. Add a salad for a filling meal to celebrate the holiday.

Burgers and fries are a simple meal but one that kids and the entire family can enjoy. Get the grill going or a grill pan. After the burgers are done, place them on a bun and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to turn those ordinary burgers into lovin’ from the grill.

When it comes to family, the meal will be special because it involves everyone celebrating their love together. For parents, a dinner complete with some of your child’s favorite dishes will make them smile. Family dinners on Valentine’s Day can be eclectic-the meal doesn’t have to have one theme but can be a combination.

Allow each person in the family to make a dish for the dinner. They can come up with their own idea of what to surprise everyone with for dinner. The kids will need your help shopping for what they need and using the stove, but you can still act surprised when they bring their finished creation to the table.

Valentine’s Day dinner for the family offers an opportunity to express sentiments of love to each member of your family. With busy schedules, making time to celebrate love together is a rare treat.