Are you in a “fast-food” rut because you think you are too busy to cook healthy meals? Every day I talk to people who say they just don’t have the time to cook or to eat healthy. That excuse doesn’t work with me. We are all busy, but we live in a society full of convenience items. It truly cannot get any easier than it is. You can buy pre-cut, pre-washed fruits and vegetables. You can buy pre-marinated meats. You can buy broccoli that you cook IN the bag, and it only takes 4 minutes in the microwave. There is instant rice, instant potatoes, the list goes on and on. You can even buy onions that are already chopped for you. Honestly, the only way it could get easier is if you had a personal chef to do all of your cooking for you!
I am going to give you three FULL meal ideas that are healthy, low-calorie, low-fat, and can all be prepared in UNDER 30 minutes! No more excuses….
Meal #1:
Chicken breasts – look for pre-marinated chicken breasts in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, they come in different flavors and in bags of 6 or 8. Each chicken breast is individually wrapped which make for quick thawing if you freeze them.
- Broccoli – find bags in the produce section of your supermarket that are pre-washed and precut
- Couscous – found in the rice aisle of the store, comes in several different flavors
Cook the chicken breasts on the grill or saute’ in a skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Poke holes with a fork in the broccoli bag and cook in the microwave for 4 minutes. Follow cooking directions on couscous box, usually takes 5-8 minutes to prepare. Your entire meal is ready in 20-30 minutes.
Meal #2:
- Fish – any type
- Green beans – again, look for pre-washed and precut
- Instant brown rice
Sprinkle the fish with lemon pepper or your favorite seasoning. Cook on the grill or in a skillet coated with cooking spray. Poke holes in the bag of green beans and cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. Follow directions on the box for the rice. Again, your entire meal is ready in about 20 minutes.
Meal #3:
This is a favorite in my house, and makes great left-overs!
- Chicken with black beans and rice
- Salad – bagged lettuce and your favorite veggies with low-fat dressing
Chicken with black beans and rice:
- 1 bag pre-marinated chicken breasts
- 2 cups instant brown rice
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can chopped green chiles
- 1 onion, chopped
- salsa
Cook the chicken breasts and onion in a skillet coated with cooking spray. When chicken is done, cut into bite-sized pieces and return to pan. Cook rice according to directions. Add cooked rice, black beans, tomatoes and chiles to pan. Cook until heated through. Top with salsa.
