Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A Working Girl's Lazy Dinners

Now that I am a full-time dietitian I have the typical 40-hour (plus more...) schedule, which has me coming home around 6pm wanting nothing more than to sit on my butt and stay there all night. The last thing I want to do is cook, but since I try to eat healthy and practice what I preach, I know we can't just order out every night or eat from a box. The solution to this problem is to prepare food ahead of time, which means taking about 1-2 hours each Sunday to cook meat and vegetables for the following week. I also gather all of the ingredients that need consumed within the next week so I can use them in our meals. Here are some examples of some recent dinners;



Loaded Nachos; yellow corn tortilla chips, topped with spinach, black beans, nitrate-free low sodium bacon, chunks of cooked sweet potato, grilled organic chicken, and shredded cheddar cheese


Spinach Spaghetti Salad: Spinach, cooked spaghetti squash, black beans, organic chicken, canned tomatoes (plain), shredded cheddar, rice vinegar, pepper



Chicken, Yogurt, and Spinach Wrap: Whole wheat tortilla, grilled chicken, plain 2% Greek yogurt, nitrate-free low sodium bacon, spinach, sprinkling of parmesan cheese, Red Hot, mixed spices


Spinach Salad: Spinach, 2 hard boiled eggs, nitrate-free low sodium bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, rice vinegar and a dab of blue cheese dressing


And yes, it's clear that Nick and I will be turning into Popeye very soon. There is spinach in each of these meals! We've also been into the nitrate-free bacon. No longer will I buy turkey bacon thinking it's healthier. We like the real stuff, without the nitrates. Nitrate-free meats should be available at a store near you, as they are becoming more and more popular among consumers. Nitrates and nitrites are used for preservation and can actually produce carcinogens in your body. NO BUENO!


We also did Wendy's one night because we wanted to try out their new "salad combo" deal. It may not be available in your area yet because Columbus is a tester city. Basically you get to choose a salad and one side for $4.50. This is the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad and a baked potato (I didn't eat the apple because it's not on my low FODMAPs diet). This was a good deal, but not something we would do often.

QUESTION: Each of the above meals took me about 15 minutes to prepare (or order...hehe), and are loaded with nutrients. What's your favorite "simple and healthy meal"?

Today I'm going shopping with Nicole. I love shopping with friends when I am not stressed (I only have one more thing to buy for Christmas!). It should be relaxing and fun. We're also stopping at Trader Joe's, which is always a good time :)

26 comments :

  1. I need to work at getting better at prepping for meals way ahead of time. On the nights that I teach, I usually don't get home until 6:45, and by then, I NEVER feel like cooking!

    Have fun with Nicole!

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  2. Quick and easy is my saviour. I do a lot of quinoa/grain-based salads with tofu or beans. And tacos are always good, which I see you have covered in some form or another. Have fun christmas shopping with Nicole! Sounds like a good time!

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  3. I'm excited! And I am now glancing at the clock seeing I need to get a move on! :)

    I posted a recipe with nitrate-free bacon as an ingredient this morning, too :) LOVE the stuff, but Kroger doesn't carry it yet - boo. I need to get some at TJ's today -- Mark burned about 6 slices last night...dummy :)

    See you soon!

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  4. tuna sandwich is always easy to prepare :)

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  5. Great meals! Prep work and planning on the weekend really pays off and makes weeknight meals so much better!

    Have fun with Nicole today! I'm jealous... I'd love to see Nicole again and meet you in person one day! And way to go on the Christmas shopping! Only one thing left!?!!! I'm WAY behind...

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  6. I like the sounds of the loaded nachos and the spinach salad!

    A favorite meal of mine is gluten-free noodles tossed with herbs, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and piles of sauteed mushrooms and green bell peppers, plus some vegan parm or nutritional yeast flakes on top. Gourmet meal in 15 minutes!

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  7. When I come home from work all I want to do is cook! I love it.

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  8. Those meals look great and I am impressed you made them so quickly. I think it takes me longer than others because I have to wash the dishes first, even if clean because in just 203 days they get a layer of mold. It is really unavoidable around here. My shoes do it too. But that only adds a few extra minutes. The salmon burgers I made took about 15 minutes to do, which was nice. I usually spend 30-45 minutes on my 2 actual dinners a week and then the other nights we eat out or pull something together quickly. I find most of my time is spent in the prep phase. I am getting better with a knife and now I have a mandoline, so I expect the prep time to come down a little.

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  9. I love ideas for quick, healthy meals. I work alot too and on most nights I simply don't have the time to create anything exotic in the kitchen. These are great Gina!

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  10. do you have a crockpot? I feel like I can make so many hot soups/chilis, etc in it and they are ready when you get home.

    I also like savory oatmeal, grilled cheese and soup, tacos, etc.

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  11. these are great meal combos with all the necessary nutrients and so easy to prepare. My to-go meal would be stir-fry veggies with noodles/rice or big salad. I know my days to go back home and want to just eat will approach soon! :)

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  12. I'm the same way with prepping meals ahead of time. I also have a weird schedule sometimes in the afternoon so I may get home at 4 one day and then 7 the next- so I plan ahead to cook on the days I'll be home earlier and have leftovers the next day :)

    My favorite easy meals are baked sweet potatoes with black beans, pasta with ground turkey or just veggies, any kind of breakfast for dinner. I'll be honest though most of cooking can be considered easy, I'm pretty lazy all the time when it comes to cooking.

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  13. I think wraps and stirfry's are my go-to meals when I am totally out of energy!

    I love your veggie loaded nachos. Suddenly I have a craving for nachos :)

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  14. I sometimes don't cook for days. I just have yogurt and bread and cheese and fruit. But I think the easiest thing to cook that is really nutritious would be a stir-fry, with lots of fresh veggies, some protein, and grains. :-)

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  15. I have been THE laziest cook these days...I need to get organized because you would not approve!

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  16. My go-to quick meal is tacos made with extra-lean ground beef, low fat cheese, whole wheat tortillas, salsa, etc. Cory loves tacos so we usually eat it once a week.

    Hope you girls have fun shopping! I still have a few presents to buy.

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  17. Love this! Those look like a lot of our meals and I'm so glad that Chris doesn't mind leftovers. Oh man, I added some rainbow chard to a soup in the slow-cooker the other day and it ended up looking like sludge, but still tasted good. I actually didn't want to eat it, but Chris actually did! lol Anything in the slow-cooker like a soup or stew is great since it's all ready when I get home, just can't put in quite as much chard next time :)

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  18. I love to throw stir fry's together and serve it over brown rice. YUM!

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  19. I lov equick and healthy meals. My go-to's? Bean wraps, salads, breakfast for dinners. I have been looking like a mad man for nitrate free bacon!! Not around me yet!

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  20. I hope you ladies had fun at Trader Joe's! I love that place. Hmm... I'm trying to think of a quick meal. I guess the quickest ones I have are the ones I make ahead of time like a big pot of sweet potato lentil chili.

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  21. sounds like you have some great strategies for eating healthfully during the busy week! My fave go-to meal is always hummus on tortillas or an egg!I also love spiralizing zukes and making quick stir fry.

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  22. I love cooking soup on Sunday and rolling it out Tuesday and Wednesday. Or pureeing squash or spinach or carrots and using it throughout the week in casseroles.
    What time do you usually eat by?

    Out of the ones above, sweet potato nachos look good. I am somewhat wanting to try and make cashew cheese for nachos soon...borrowed a vita mix and that would make good use of it!

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  23. I also try to cook ahead of time meals that can last a few days or be frozen easily. Like your selection here!

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  24. I am always looking for simple dinner ideas since I get off later as well. I do a lot of salads. Those nachos look excellent. I never would have thought of adding spinach to them. yum!

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  25. Thank you so much for your incredibly sweet comment - I'm so honored and delighted that you met someone who reminded you of me! :-) We should totally meet in person sometime - I would love that! :-) Actually, Zach and I just found out that we're moving to Ohio next summer (we're super excited!!!), so it might actually be easier to meet in person in the near future! :-)

    Your dinners look SO delicious!! Your nutrient-filled loaded nachos are absolutely brilliant! Gorgeous! With my mega-long commute and long work hours I'm gradually getting better at prepping meals ahead of time (it's taken me long enough! :-), and you've given me such great ideas in this post - thank you! We love love nitrate free low-sodium bacon too - mega flavor yum! :-)

    P.S. YAY for your suggestion of a celebratory whole grain on my birthday! ;-)

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  26. Im loving those loaded nachos. Might give your recipe a try :D.
    ...My new quick meal obsession is chicken quesadillas on whole wheat tortilla with part-skim mozarella cheese. I love mexican food overall specially if I can make it a little "healthier".

    PS: Lucky you with only one more thing to buy for xmass. I havent even started!!!

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