How-To Create Healthy Meals on the Fly

Summer is here and the last thing you want is to be stuck in the kitchen. But on the other hand, it’s one of the seasons where you crave health. So how do you get the best of both worlds? Today we break down how to create healthy meals on the fly. 

If I’m honest I would tell you that I’ve only cooked dinner two nights in the last two weeks. That means 12 out of the 14 days your guess as to what my family ate is as good as mine.

There’s just something about summer that dinner time sneaks up on you. Of course, until all the sudden you look around and realize you have three screaming girls who are beyond hungry and beyond exhausted.

It’s not a pretty site. But the real kicker happens to be when you have absolutely no idea what you’re going to cook. Pancakes again, yogurt bowls, ham-roll-ups with oatmeal. I mean obviously, I’m grasping for anything I can find to feed them and myself.

Granted, the Instant Pot has saved me a time or two but last week I declared enough is enough, this mama needs a real meal. So I got back in the meal prep game and wanted to give you my hints to create healthy meals on the fly.

Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on Google Play | Review the Podcast

batch cooking

My saving grace with meal prep is always batch cooking. But not your typical batch cooking where you’re making 16 bazillion full recipes to throw in your freezer. I wish, but I don’t want to spend the time. Instead, I invest my time, an hour or two a week, to batching ingredients. That way I can mix and match creating a number of meals on the fly.

Make sure you listen to the podcast to get all of the tips. 

If you listened, then you know I have a special guide that has changed the way I meal prep. It’s called the Batch Cooking Basics Guide that I co-created over at the Nourished Planner. I wanted to give you a special discount of $10 off making it only $5.

I can assure you, it’s $5 well spent for some of the recipes alone! You can grab that here using code SIMPLEROOTS.

go-to recipes

But speaking of recipes, one of the most helpful tools I have when it comes to meal prep is a go-to list. This is my list of recipes and ideas that I know my family loves {and will eat}, I am confident in making and I know how long each one takes.

It’s a list I tape to the inside of my cupboard, I generally have the majority of the ingredients and whenever I feel stuck or am unsure at the end of the day, I just pull from that list.

create your own go-to meal list

Because I believe in having my go-to meal list, I thought you should have one too. I’ve created a free go-to meal plan guide. Click here to grab that.

How to create your own go-to meal list:

1. Brainstorm 5-10 of your family favorite recipes.
2. Determine which are easy to grab anytime.
3. Write it on your list and hang that list up in your kitchen {or wherever you prefer to meal plan}.
4. Keep adding to your list as you try new recipes and don’t forget to add the source to find the recipe quickly.

Again, you can grab that free page I created to start your own go-to meal list below.

 

my go-to recipes

If you’re looking for some ideas, I can tell you a few of my favorite summer recipes {or food ideas} that you too can mix and match based on your own preferences.

1. pesto sauce

Sauces bring all the flavor and if you haven’t gotten acquainted with any sauces to date, this is a good starting point. My homemade pesto {you can get the recipe here} is loaded with spinach, kale, fresh basil and nourishing olive oil. Not to mention you can have it mixed up in under 5-minutes right inside your blender.

I add pesto to nearly anything including, sweet potatoes, grilled shrimp, spiralized veggies, eggs, roasted vegetables, and avocado toast. But here are a few specific recipes.

• Zoodles with Spinach and Kale Basil Pesto
• Tomato Soup with Pesto
• The Best Chunky Breakfast Hash with Pesto
• Tomato Pesto Flatbread

2. lettuce wraps

Lettuce wraps are fresh and healthy, plus they hold the structure to replace starchy carbs like bread and tortilla shells. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good tortilla shell but I am finding that I crave a good lettuce wrap more. But the key is all about what’s inside. Here are some of my favorite lettuce wrap recipes.

• Healthy Crispy Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wraps
• Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• 20 Minute Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

3. roasted vegetables

There is quite the debate to fresh versus cooked vegetables. Truth be told, as long as you don’t overcook your vegetables, both hold a considerable amount of nutrition. In fact, most of us get more out of cooked vegetables over raw. The reason for this is our digestive system can more easily break down partially cooked vegetables better.

Plus, warm foods tend to more satisfying and flavorful. The way I look at it is, choose whatever way you enjoy more, of course seeking balance. But if you don’t love it you won’t do it, so choose what you love.

End rant.

Regardless, roasted vegetables are pretty simple. Just chop vegetables of choice, drizzle in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a 375-degree oven for 20-40 minutes depending on which vegetables you choose.

4. snack plates

This is a simple idea for when you really have no time to cook or you want to do a picnic outside. It’s basically a platter of random ingredients with a solid mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates that you can mix and match to your liking.

Some common things we add to our snack plates are:

• Olives
• Cheese Slices
• Salami
• Shredded Chicken
• Chicken Salad
• Ham or Turkey Rolls
• Avocado Slices
• Guacamole
• Pepper Strips
• Cucumber Slices
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Gluten-Free Crackers
• Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
• Popcorn
• Carrots
• Cauliflower Florets
• Homemade Ranch Dressing

You get the idea, finger food. Simple, easy, quick and still filling. But the key to making this a complete meal is having a healthy source of each of the macronutrients, protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

5. salad bowls or food bowls

I saved the best for last, I can’t get enough. Plus, everyone in the family can create their own bowled meal based on what they like. The idea behind salad bowls or food bowls is obviously pretty explanatory since we’re all familiar with a good salad.

But that’s just where we can get tripped up, thinking a salad is only for ‘dieters’ when in fact, a salad can be something we all want a little more of. It’s just making a salad work for you! That means all the flavor and all the toppings.

Whether it’s a food bowl or a salad bowl you’re after, this idea is for those people who like to layer foods. Think guacamole on top of carnitas on top of beans on top of cauliflower rice on top of a bed of lettuce all drizzled in a chipotle lime dressing.

You get the picture. Quick, easy, bold flavors and endless ways to mix and match. If this is your thing, grab that Batch Cooking Basics Guide while it’s only $5 {use code xxx}.

Here are some of my favorite salad bowls:

• 15-Minute Hawaiian Chicken Salad Bowl
• Slow Cooker Barbacoa Taco Bowls
• Chopped Italian Salad 
• Tex-Mex Salad
• Cuban Salad Bowl
• Baked Fajita Salad Bowl
• Egg Roll in a Bowl

do this

Now it’s your time! Go ahead and print your go-to meal list and start filling it in. Whip out your Nourished Planner and create a meal plan for next week and start food prep early. You don’t have to do a lot or spend your entire weekend in the kitchen prepping food for the week. A little goes a long way!

It’s all about that plan, the prep and just having healthy food at home. Here’s to crushing food prep in the weeks to come!

subscribe to the show

Don’t forget to subscribe to Simple Roots Radio to make sure you are notified as soon as another podcast comes out. Sometimes I can be a little slow to notify you. This ensures that you get the show right on your phone to listen anytime you want!

If you have some feedback to share or an exciting shout out on your own personal journey, leave a note in the comments below. I would love to know your reactions to the show and how you’re taking steps in owning your own story.

Finally, if you enjoyed the show I’d love it if you’d take a minute to leave a rating and review. Through these reviews, we can work to make the show better and align more closely with the information you need to live your best life. It only takes a minute and makes a world of difference in the life of this show.

Missed an episode? Click here to listen to all of the episodes of Simple Roots Wellness.