*Disclaimer - I'm holding a nutrition presentation at the local high school tonight, so this post may be sort of focused on what I've said there. Nonetheless - enjoy!
A very constant topic when I meet with families is, " We are busy every night - I have no idea how to eat quickly or on the go".
I totally get it. I've got 3 jobs, 2 kids, a dog and a husband...I'm in the trenches with you!
You know what it comes down to? Strategy. Just a few minutes of thinking ahead, coupled with an hour or two of basic prep while you're already cooking other things.
What's the best, easiest item to prep?
Y'all - I love a good grain bowl.
Cooking up a big pot of grain, like quinoa or brown rice or farro. Then baking or grilling up a bunch of chicken breasts or thigh meat, coupled with roasting a few trays of veggies. Doing this takes less than an hour and if you pop them in individual storage containers in the fridge, when you're ready to eat, take a little of each in a bowl and add your favorite dressing/BBQ sauce/condiment.
SO good and such a blank canvas in a way. Each member of the family might enjoy a different flavor if they all choose a different condiment!
I shopped at Aldi for this, because...budget. So keep these costs in mind as I actively choose not to spend more money for items I can get cheaper. This leaves me more money to buy myself a new shirt or a manicure. Yes, Aldi isn't fancy, but I truly leave feeling high on life that I've saved so much money.
So here we go:
Shopping List:
3 Cups Quinoa - $3.50
6 Bone In/Skin On Chicken Breasts - $10.75
Assorted Veggies (peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, butternut squash, asparagus, summer squash, red onion) all calculated out to be - $14.25
Spices/Herbs/Salt/Pepper/Avocado Oil - Pantry items in house
Grand total: $32.70
-Cook the quinoa according to package instructions (don't forget to rinse!)
-Take chicken breasts and coat with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and parsley. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. Then cool a bit. Pull off the bone and chop into bite sized pieces.
-Cut the veggies into bite sizes, toss with oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and bake at 350 for about a half hour.
Then combine as desired with your favorite dressing!
This will yield approximately 8 portions aka $4 per grain bowl! That's better than takeout and most frozen meals and this will yield you so much flavor, health and variety, as you can recreate this in a million different ways with different protein options, changing up the veggies, choosing a new condiment! The world is your oyster here!
Plus you can choose to add things like dried currants or feta cheese and even some roasted nuts!
Super easy and delicious. I'm excited to demo this tonight!