Too Busy To Cook? Check Out These Quick Meal Prep Ideas.
Buddha Bowls are a great way for families or single people to throw together healthy ingredients that they have precooked such as whole grains or squash, veggies, greens, protein and a delicious sauce to go on top.
Too busy to cook, but you still want to eat healthy? It is simple to stick to your healthy eating goals if you have set yourself up for success by preparing foods ahead of time. Consider setting aside two hours on the weekend to do some quick cooking that will last you through Thursday.
When you have picky eaters in your family, and everyone is allowed to pick and choose the ingredients for their meal, it can cut down on everybody’s stress. Here are some simple ideas for foods that you can prepare, then use as ingredients to create some beautiful harvest/buddha bowls, sandwiches, or salads.
1. Wash and spin a big tub of spinach or salad greens and keep them ready to go in a food storage container.
2. Roast any assortment of vegetables cut into bite sized pieces: Carrots, brusselssprouts, cauliflower, fennel, beets, parsnips, butternut squash. Sometimes these vegetables can be found already pre-cut. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs. Carrots are great with tarragon, cauliflower with curry, parsnips with nutmeg, butternut squash with cinnamon. Roast at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
3. Pan fry or roast 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (depending on the size of your family). You can also put these in a slow cooker with pre-made sauces such as organic teriyaki sauce or green chili sauce depending on what theme you want for your meals.
4. Make salmon salad (canned salmon mixed with plain yogurt and a small bit of mayonnaise, and salt to taste). This makes a fast sandwich or wrap with slices of cucumber, red bell peppers and spinach leaves. You can put these on lettuce leaves or whole grain bread.
5. Hard boil 5-6 eggs to grab as you go out the door in the morning.
6. For plant-based proteins, pan fry firm tofu with ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Cook up some lentils with middle eastern spices to toss into salads or serve with rice. Make some spicy chickpeas (use canned) to throw onto your salad.
7. Pre-assemble smoothies in jars with frozen fruit, protein powder, fruit and vegetable powder and a little ground flax seed. Keep these in the fridge. Then in the morning add water, maybe some kefir, and whip them up before you leave the house.
8. Cook up some brown rice (this is a snap with a rice cooker) or quinoa.
9. Bake a few sweet potatoes and white potatoes (depending on the size of your family).
10. Swing by a grocery store salad bar and stock up on pre-cut veggies: beets, cucumbers, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, shredded cabbage, etc. Toss these into your washed greens for quick salads throughout the week. Turn your salad in to a main entree by adding chunks of cooked sweet potato, chicken and some nuts or avocado. You can even throw in roasted red bell peppers out of the jar (yum). If you can make time to cut up your own veggies, then you can choose organic options. Salad bars do not have organic produce.
11. Make sure you have ingredients on hand for quick snacks such as raw veggies and hummus, fruit and nut butter, and whole grain crackers.
I hope these tips save you time and keep you well-nourished! Make sure to see the recipes on my website for ideas.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products or dietary suggestions mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician. Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.