Cupid's Pulse Article: A Healthy Romantic Dinner for TwoCupid's Pulse Article: A Healthy Romantic Dinner for Two

By Brian Steele

Making a meal with your partner can be one of the most romantic things you can do.  It’s a fun and cheap way to enjoy yourself on a date night, and a simple way to get closer to your partner.  The best part about this is getting a home cooked meal – and who can resist the simple pleasure of eating in the comfort of your own home?

However, you do want to make sure you’re enjoying your meals, not suffering through them.  Many individuals find it hard to maintain healthy dining habits because they don’t want to sacrifice taste for a decrease in calories and fat.  Luckily, you don’t have to compromise taste for health, as it’s possible to have a dining experience that satisfies both your taste buds and your body.

What’s more is that it’s simple and rewarding to cook a great meal at home and share it with that special someone.  Your significant other will appreciate that you care about their health.  In addition, dining together will go far in strengthening the romantic bond you already share with each other.

Make the meal with your partner and feed each other while you’re cooking.  This can be a very intimate and sensual experience, so get creative!

The following is a recipe for two that will not only satiate your hunger, but will provide a romantic evening at home:

Ingredients:
Four Portobello mushrooms
Shredded mozzarella cheese
8 tablespoons of tomato sauce

Steps:
1. Wash the mushroom and remove the stems.  Once removed, the stems should be put aside as they will be chopped and used as a topping.

2. Place the washed and dried mushroom caps in a baking pan.  Place two tablespoons of tomato sauce on each cap.  Then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce.  When you are finished, set your oven to preheat at 350 degrees.

3. Take the stems that you had removed earlier and chop them up.  Once chopped, spread evenly over the four mushroom caps.

4. Once the oven is ready, place the baking pan in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes.

5. After 30 minutes remove and serve.  The cheese may be really hot at first, so be careful!

Wine:
This dinner pairs well with red wine – in particular, a merlot or cabernet sauvignon.  Red wine has two major benefits: It helps set a romantic mood and is also chock full of antioxidants, which research shows is advantageous to the promotion of good health.

Dessert:
This main course can be followed with a simple dessert of tea and Greek yogurt.  Tea has additional antioxidants and Greek yogurt contains probiotics. Probiotics has been shown to aid in proper digestive health and no healthy lifestyle would truly be complete without them.

If you are looking for a great romantic evening in, consider trying this delicious, healthy recipe for two.  Your partner (and body) will thank you!

Brian Steele is a contributing writer at various sites like Probiotics.org.