No matter what time of year it is, getting nourishing meals on the table quicker and easier is always welcome! Let’s start with time-saving strategies that will allow you to prep balanced meals with less time and effort.
Breakfast
A rushed morning calls for make-ahead or easy-to-prep options that are quick and balanced. It’s tempting to give in to “it’s too early to eat” or “I’ll have something later.” But for many of us (and especially children and teens), this turns into a long morning with little nourishment.
Try these Guiding Stars earning combinations:
- Guiding Stars earning frozen waffle + nut butter + sliced banana
- Guiding Stars earning granola + unsalted nuts + no added sugar Greek yogurt
- Guiding Stars earning whole grain bread (toasted) + avocado + pan fried egg
- Guiding Stars earning cottage cheese + fresh fruit + hemp seeds
- Guiding Stars earning cereal + unsalted nuts + dried fruit
Or try these simple, star-earning supermarket picks:
- Sweet Loren’s Chocolate Breakfast Biscuits (GF), (paired with nonfat plain Greek yogurt)
Or maybe these make-ahead dishes (reheat in minutes):
Lunches can be easy if you plan ahead a little. When shopping and cooking, consider which foods (or leftovers) might make good lunch ingredients. For example, a “Lunchables”-style or a “bento box” meal allows you to use up lots of different leftovers and is fun to eat as well. Or follow this simple blueprint: sandwich or salad, snack, fruit, and a Guiding Stars earning beverage for a more traditional lunch. Cooking tip: The fastest lunch salad comes together when it’s made with ingredients from the previous night. Build it while you’re cleaning up after dinner.
Try these simple sandwich and salad combinations:
- Guiding Stars earning whole grain bread + sliced turkey breast + sliced avocado + lettuce
- Guiding Stars earning tortilla + sriracha mayo + grilled chicken + lettuce
- Guiding Stars earning whole grain pita + hummus + sliced cucumber + sliced tomato
- Guiding Stars earning whole grain bread + nut or seed butter + sliced banana
- Guiding Stars earning whole grain pita + tzatziki sauce + hummus + grilled chicken
- Lettuce topped with chicken + corn + black beans + shredded cheddar
- Pasta combined with diced fresh peppers + grape tomatoes + cucumber + mozzarella pearls
- Spinach topped with crispy chicken + uncured chicken bacon (pre-cooked) + grape tomatoes
Or try these, star-earning “grab and go” supermarket picks:
Or maybe these make-ahead lunches:
Dinner
While family dinner is a nice goal, the truth is that most of us with children or erratic work schedules can’t achieve this during the week. It’s very difficult to align schedules, hunger levels, and food preferences every evening. If I’m describing your family, then consider other ways to connect. Maybe it’s Friday night pizza or Sunday morning brunch. For a busy family, I recommend embracing “deconstructed” meals where everyone can put together the ingredients in the way that pleases them most. Check out some other streamlined time-saving strategies to make weeknight meals easier.
Try these simple dinner ideas:
Or keep these supermarket picks on hand to build easy meals:
- Nature’s Promise Medium Raw Shrimp (frozen)
- Nature’s Promise Salmon Fillets (frozen)
