After running around all day, going from work to the gym to picking up the kids to sports practices and more, the last thing you want to do is come up with a plan for dinner. A lot of people resort to fast food or going to a sit down restaurant after a day like that. I'm here to show you a few easy recipes that I use very often for those busy days. If you missed my first Three Easy Meals post, give it a read too!
1. Frittata
I can always use a yummy frittata throughout the week. With the chickens giving me eggs daily, I especially need to use them up when I can. I generally just use whatever I have in my fridge to add flavor. I always put at least one vegetable, and I always add cheese. For this particular frittata, I chose goat cheese, mushrooms and asparagus. The mushrooms needed to be eaten, and the asparagus came from my garden! It was my very first harvest from them (there were only three spears). So, I tossed them in the mix, and it made for quite the tasty blend of flavors! I used mine as a brunch option paired with fruit and a low carb wrap while on the go. You can find other yummy frittata recipes right here on my blog.
2. Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Set it and go about your business! All you need is four chicken breasts and half of a jar of salsa. Set the slow cooker on low for four hours (time my vary depending on the brand and age of your slow cooker). I shop at Aldi, so I used their chicken breasts, and I used their 24oz jar of medium salsa. So, for this recipe, you would need only 12oz of salsa of you choosing. Once the chicken is cooked, all you have to do is shred the chicken and make your tacos. We use either the small street taco shells, a low carb taco shell or a corn tortilla for these. Feel free to dress it up with a little sour cream and cilantro on top!
3. Breakfast for Dinner
My boys love breakfast for dinner. What I do for them varies from time to time (eggs and toast, protein pancakes or homemade French toast all with fruit), but what I make for myself is almost always the same. I make an adult egg sandwich in some variation because it is quick, easy and nutritious. I'm not talking about the typical sandwich bread slathered with mayonnaise and eggs scrambled with butter. What I do is toast a slice of sourdough or artisan bread and drizzle it with olive oil and/or spread some cheese on top. Then, I spray a pan with cooking spray and "fry" one or two eggs to put on top of the toast. Most of the time, I include a vegetable as well (a slice of tomato, some sauteed spinach, etc.) Get creative with it!
Dinner doesn't have to be a five star meal, but it also doesn't have to be junk from a drive thru. You can make a quick meal for your family with minimal ingredients as long as you think it through and plan ahead. I know it doesn't sound fun to have to plan every week, but it certainly helps a lot in the chaos of the week. Not only does meal planning help with staying on track with your nutrition, but it also helps with staying in budget. If you know that there is a busy week ahead of you, don't just settle for picking up dinner every single night. Set aside the time to plan a simple and nutritious meal for your family. You can do it with these three easy meals!
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