Dance lessons, soccer practice, overtime at work, picking up the dry cleaning- fast food seems like the only solutions for dinner.  Or, if you want to save money or eat healthier, it’s easy to pick up a meal kit like Hamburger Helper or those frozen crock pot meals.  But are those healthier than fast food?  

 

Procrastinator’s Tip- Below is a general pantry/refrigerator staples list. To make a quick, easy meal during the week, any of the following can be combined for a healthy, QUICK meal.  Google the ingredients you have on hand or go to your favorite recipe site (I like FoodNetwork.com) to find a quick meal idea.

  • Frozen chicken breasts
  • Whatever fish you find on sale
  • Ground beef
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Can of crushed tomatoes (can be substituted for other tomato products)
  • Potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Lettuce- chopped is easy and convenient and a head will keep longer
  • Rice
  • Beans
  • Cheese

Prepared food vs. preparing your food

Prepared food can be a time saver.  However, you must read the labels to make sure you’re not getting more than you paid for!  Look at some common convenience foods.  Crazy how much extra “junk” is in them! 

Yo Baby by Stonyfield Yogurt 4 oz- 13 g of sugar. 2.4 times the sugar in the same serving size of a Coke! 

Original Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper- 1 cup 580 mg salt VS. One McDonalds hamburger- 520 mg sodium 

Here’s a quick healthy alternative that’s family friendly:

Taco Salad

  • 1 pound lean beef
  • Lettuce (pick up chopped for a short cut, or a head for longevity in the fridge)
  • chopped onions
  • chopped tomatoes
  • Shredded cheese to taste
  • Sour cream

Brown meat and drain fat.  Make your own taco seasoning by mixing seasoning salt, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper to taste.  (McCormick’s has 300 mg of sodium!)  Plate the lettuce, meat, cheese and top with tomatoes, onions, and sour cream.  This can be made in 15 minutes and you control exactly how much fat, sodium, etc is in it.

Easy Baby Food

  • Bake 3 sweet potatoes for 30 minutes at 350 
  • Shut off the oven and let the potatoes sit over night in the oven
  • Slit the potatoes and fold them inside out- insides just fall into bowl leaving peel to be tossed
  • Mix in an equal amount of PLAIN full fat yogurt (I prefer Greek style)
  • Add 1 C baby oatmeal
  • Mix in baby formula, breast milk (soy milk or other milk when baby is older and okay with Ped) to consistency baby likes
  • For ease, I use travel containers that have a snap on lid and are about 1/4 c and divvy up the mix

Procrastinators Baby Food

  • Mash up some bannanas with a fork (2-3)
  • Mix in some yogurt (1-2 cups, depending on thickness desired)
  • Mix in some cereal (1 cup or until desired thickness)
  • Split into containers

In less than five minutes, a few days of baby food!  Almost as easy as opening a jar with who knows what in it!

You can eat well and eat quickly.  There is no excuse, even for the procrastinator, to not eat healthy and at home.  Save eating out or ordering in for the nights when you have over extended yourself or need a treat for doing it all with grace and style.