It’s a new week, ladies and gentlemen and I wanted to share a different kind of MOM post with you today. Instead of simply sharing one recipe with multiple steps for one meal, I wanted to share with you how to make nutritious FAST and simple meals that “Get-The-Job-Done”.
A ‘Get-The-Job-Done’ meal meets the following requirements:
- You can throw the entire meal together in a ‘to-go’ dish in less than 5 min*
- Healthy
- Includes lean protein
- Gives you energy
- Keeps you full for 2–3 hours (until your next meal)
*Requires some planning ahead and cooking in bulk, but when that’s done, it’s super fast!
Following my DIY Meal Plan, it’s super easy to choose any of the following “GTJD” meals to fill in the spaces! :)
STEP 1:
Prepare any or all of the following ‘proteins’ to keep in sealed tupperware or zip-lock bags in your fridge:
- Baked boneless, skinless chicken breast: *seasoned how ever you’d like *(I like to season with Mrs. Dash lemon pepper or fiesta lime seasoning and slice it up right after baking to make it super easy to grab, measure and go)
- Baked or cooked white fish or tuna (white fish: cod, tilapia, roughy, etc.): *seasoned how ever you’d like
- 99% fat-free turkey breast (ground or filleted/sliced)
- Super lean red meats (93% ground beef, skirt or flank steak are all great options, and even better: grass fed, and/or wild game meat)
You’ll also want to have whey protein and eggs on hand. I like to hard-boil eggs to keep in the fridge too for grab-n-go protein. EASY! :)
How-To Hard-Boil Eggs:
- Carefully place uncooked eggs in a pot (don’t crack the shells!)
- Fill pot with enough water to cover the eggs
- Place on stove on high heat and cook until water boils
- As soon as the water boils, remove the pot from heat and let sit for 15 min
- Carefully remove eggs with spoon and place in colander and rinse with cool water
- Store in refrigerator! :)
- **Brown rice
- **Quinoa
- **Yams (cooked): wrap in paper towel and cook in microwave for 4–6 min (longer if not cooked through in 4–6 min)
- ANY GREEN VEGGIE (I like to keep kale, spinach, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, green beans and brussel sprouts on hand and ready to eat*).
*Ready to eat veggies are washed, chopped, easy to grab-and-go or grab to steam and eat, or pre-cooked and ready to reheat or eat cold.
**Other complex carbs/starches to have on hand: old-fashioned oats, Ezekiel bread/tortillas, beans, etc. See my grocery list for more ideas.
STEP 3:
Be sure to have healthy fats on hand:
- Avocado
- Almonds
- Nut butters
- EVOO
AFTER ALL ITEMS ARE PREPARED, IT’S EASY TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING MEALS WHEN YOU NEED THEM OR AHEAD OF TIME TO TAKE WITH YOU FOR WORK OR PLAY:
Meal Ideas (Carb for energy)
1) 3-4oz chicken, 1/2c brown rice (or quinoa), 1 c broccoli (or other green veggie)
2) 3-4oz tuna, 3-5oz yams (i like them mashed together to hide the tuna taste and make it a sweet ‘mash’)
3) 3-4oz turkey, 2 slices ezekiel bread or 1 ezekiel tortilla, with mustard and/or salsa
4) 4–6 egg whites, salsa, spinach, and 1/2c oatmeal with stevia and cinnamon
…or any combo of the above ‘proteins’ with any of the above ‘carbs’ and feel free to have as many ‘green-leafies’ as you’d like :)
Meal Ideas (Fats for energy)
1) Big green salad of spinach, romaine, shredded cabbage and kale with 3-4oz chicken, or 4–6 egg whites, and 1T EVOO with 1T vinegar of choice (I like red wine, apple cider, rice wine (no sugar), and balsamic)
2) Steamed green beans and asparagus with 12–24 almonds and 3-4oz flank steak
3) Lemon-pepper seasoned and steamed asaparagus, 1/2 avocado, and 4-6oz orange roughy (or other white fish)
These are just a few ideas, but they’re all fast, pre-prepareable, and easy to make in bulk for planned left-overs!
I hope this helps you! It’s super easy to keep up with clean, healthy eating if you know what to make that’s easy, and you can easily take it with you and plan ahead. More ideas:
- Get a cooler and take meals to work with you
- Plan ahead for social events and eat before you go
- If you know you’ll be gone for hours at a time (sporting events, kid obligations, a day trip/hiking/etc.) bring a cooler full of pre-made items and chopped veggies, almonds in baggies, protein powder with a shaker you can just pour water into and mix, etc. so you’re never left with an excuse! :)
Happy Monday, ya’ll! Now eat clean, train mean, and #CauseFitness!
Much love, Rachel Elizabeth
Do you have any FAST and EASY meal ideas to share that are healthy, clean and taste great too? Share them below, and be sure to share this post with your friends who may benefit from a little simplicity in meal planning! :)
