Six Quick, Easy and Nutritious Dinners with Minimum Preparation

You ate healthy all day, minus one of the bagels a vendor dropped off at the office, only to ruin it by picking up a burger and fries on your way home.

I’m sure you personally can relate to this if you are juggling a job, family, and general life responsibilities. I’ve seen it time and time again and most often it is due to not planning your meals ahead of time.

The key to maintaining a healthy balance is to plan your dinners ahead of time.

Yes, it is possible to do this with minimal effort and still have meals that are delicious, nutritious and supportive of your weight loss goals. By 3 p.m. every day, you should know what you are having for dinner.

This gives you lots of time to think ahead about preparation time as well as any items you may need to pick up on your way home.

When planning your meals make certain to incorporate these three building blocks for a nutritious meal:

Protein - Lean poultry, meat, fish, shellfish, beans, dairy, and eggs. Use dinner as an opportunity to fit more protein into your diet. Pick up something on the way home and try a new recipe, or better yet, plan your meals at the beginning of the week.

Fruits and vegetables - Fit in at least two servings of vegetables with dinner. One serving equals 1/2 cup of cooked or 1 cup of leafy vegetables.

Minimally processed grains - Whole grains such as whole-wheat couscous, bulgar and wild rice. Keep portion sizes to a minimum as calories from grains tend to add up quickly.

Generally, stay within ½ to 1 cup cooked.

Here are 6 healthy dinner options that don’t take a lot of planning and will help you stick to your dietary goals:

1. Bake some fish in the oven (salmon or tilapia are great choices) at 400 for 15min while sautéing some sliced squash in a pan. Serve with some microwave rice (Trader Joe’s sells some great microwavable brown rice in small serving sizes).

2. Pour prepared low-fat vegetarian chili (homemade or from a can) over a bed of cooked vegetables (from fresh or frozen). Serve with one small whole-wheat dinner roll and/or fresh fruit.

3. Cook an omelet with one whole egg mixed with multiple egg whites (can also use egg whites alone or fat-free egg substitute). Add one slice of low-fat cheese and 1 cup of cooked mixed vegetables (from fresh or frozen). Serve with one slice of whole-wheat toast and mixed fresh fruit.

4. Heat freshly sliced turkey breast and serve with cranberry sauce, cooked carrots, and one small baked potato topped with fat-free sour cream, if desired. Serve with mixed greens on the side tossed with balsamic vinegar.

5. Stir-fry chicken breast, shrimp or extra-firm tofu with cooking spray and stir in mixed vegetables and teriyaki sauce until cooked through. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of brown rice over mixture and serve.

6. Prepare whole-wheat pasta and toss with generous helpings of cooked vegetables (from fresh or frozen), crumbled firm tofu, precooked sliced chicken breast, and hearty tomato sauce.

Bonus: Evening Snacks for Sweet 'n' Salty Cravings

• Air-popped or low-fat microwave popcorn (1-2 cups).

• Fat-free or low-fat frozen fudge bars (40-60 calories per pop).

• Prepare dip with fat-free sour cream mixed with soup mix and chill. Dip raw vegetables.

As you can see, planning and making your meals does not have to be as daunting as it sounds. One thing we’ve learned is to just make certain you have ingredients on-hand which will help keep you on track on not swinging by the local fast food joint on your way home.

Enjoy trying new meals and fueling your body with great food.

With Love & Kindness,

Leah & Justin

Leah Scott and Justin Andrade founded Upgrade Your Joy. A program that educates you on how to bring more joy and wellness into your relationships through small daily actions. They live in Carlsbad, CA with their 3 boys and are enjoying life and having fun one day at a time.

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