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.

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

View Recipe Here

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

View Recipe Here

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!"