Need help planning your family meal time? Here are some simple ideas that will get food on the table faster!
Keep it Simple: It's not only "okay" to serve simple meals, it's smart! Simple, easy-to-prepare meals can be just as tasty and healthy as meals that take hours to prepare. Use shortcuts to save time including, pre-washed salad greens and pre-cut veggies. Frozen fruits and veggies are easy to keep on-hand, as well as canned beans. Potatoes and onions store well for a long time and are a great staple.
Time-Saving Tips: Stocking your pantry with some convenient yet healthy ingredients is key for the busy family that only has a few minutes to put a meal together.
- Have pre-cut, pre-washed salad greens on hand. Salad can form the base for the whole meal or it can be a quick side dish. Be ready to break some rules when making a salad - just about anything goes! From nuts and seeds to cut up fresh or dried fruit.
- Whole grains provide fiber and minerals and they can be super easy to prepare. Instant brown rice cooks up in minutes. Quinoa and whole wheat couscous are also easy grains to prepare and cook in under 10 minutes. If you're making breakfast, oatmeal is a whole grain that is quick to prepare and enjoyed by most.
- Look for whole grain or partially whole grain pastas and bread dough and keep them on hand for quick meals. Simple load them up with fresh or leftover vegetables with some shredded cheese. Dinner is on the table in minutes. Add a tossed salad and you've got a balanced meal!
- Keep some long-lasting vegetables available - like frozen of canned vegetables as well as some fresh vegetables that last a long time, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots.
- Having canned beans and vegetables on hand will come in hand to make a one pot meal like soup or chili.
- Make the most of the your leftovers! Add cooked leftover vegetables to soups or casseroles.
On-the-Go Meals: Sometimes a family meal is a sandwich in the car on the way to music lessons or a meal on the sidelines of a sporting event. But it's still a family meal that makes an important contribution to the days' nutrition total, and to family time together! Try making wraps, tacos to-go, sandwiches, or salad to-go.
Cook Once - Eat Twice: Plan for leftovers! Whenever you are grilling, braising or pan-frying meat, poultry, or fish, make some extra so that it can be repurposed the next day in a salad, sandwich or soup.
Same goes for whenever you have something in the oven - fill your oven up! Throw in a pan of cut up veggies tossed in olive oil and seasoned with spices. Carrots, celery, onions, peppers, and potatoes cook up wonderfully in about 30-40 minutes. The next day you'll have some flavorful roasted vegetables to eat as a side dish.
Making a casserole in the oven? Why not double the recipe and freeze an additional pan for another day when you're pressed for time? Casseroles are also an easy way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies - we all know we need more of those!
Another idea for when you have the oven already on is to bake some potatoes - enough for at least one per person. The next night, or even a day or two later, you can serve a kid-friendly favorite, "top your own potato bar."
Quick Stove Top Pleasers: You will love these stovetop meal ideas that you can make in minutes!
- You might think stir-fry requires lots of time consuming vegetable preparation, but here's a great rick. Simply brown and cook some chicken tenders (or an other lean protein) in a pan and add a frozen vegetable blend (thaw in the microwave first), toss with some soy sauce for flavor, and serve over instant brown rice. Super easy!
- Make ham and beans on the stove or even crock pot with ham, great northern beans, and whatever spices you like.
- Whole wheat pasta with jarred pasta sauce, a side of steamed veggies and a bagged salad in another dinner conquered in under 30 minutes.
- Taco night is fun because everyone can put whatever they want on their tacos - beef, chicken, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, salsa, cheese, etc.
- Seafood curry can be cooked in minutes. Start with your favorite fish (you can use chicken, tofu, or lean beef) add in your favorite vegetables, spice it up with some curry or other spice blend and serve over a quick cooked grain such as quinoa, couscous or instant brown rice.
For other ideas on making your family meal times healthier visit the
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