Wonder what one of the top questions we get as identical twin sister, veggie and chocolate-loving, registered dietitians and personal trainers is? Well, other than how we ended up going into the same profession (we’ll share that answer another day!) – it’s “what can I make for dinner that’s healthy, satisfying, easy and quick?”
Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Check out this kitchen staples list and the meals you can make using them, below. We can’t tell a lie; most of these meals are so fast and simple that you can pull them off even after a long day with your eyes half shut! 😉
Keep these staples in your kitchen at all times– they’ll save you from mindlessly munching on chips and cookies as you decide what to order for dinner. You can use these ingredients to whip up at least 10 healthy & easy meals! (See our suggestions below–some of them we started making in our college days as nutrition students and we still make them today).
• frozen veggies (load up on all your faves, ideally non-starchy ones*! Our personal faves are Whole Foods’ organic cauliflower, Cascadian Farms’ organic broccoli cuts and Trader Joes’ organic broccoli florets [and Whole Foods’ organic tri-color peppers are great for stir-fries!])
• fresh fruit
• canned beans
• canned tuna (or our personal favorite, sardines! 🙂 )
• frozen skinless poultry and/or shrimp
• eggs
• nonfat Greek yogurt
• low-fat/ nonfat cheese (can store frozen to prevent spoiling)
• whole grain tortillas
• instant brown rice
• whole wheat pita bread
• tomato sauce
• salsa
• olive oil or another healthy oil in a spray container
• oatmeal
• low-sodium soy sauce or low-sodium stir-fry sauce
*non-starchy veggies are most veggies except peas, potatoes and corn. All veggies are healthy, just non-starchy ones contain fewer calories and carbohydrates.
10 healthy, quick and mindless meals you can make with the ingredients above:
(Use oil in a spritzer/ spray bottle to save calories.). Recipes with links are variations of the options listed.
1) Chicken or shrimp and veggie stir-fry with brown rice
2) Open Face Mediterranean Veggie & Tuna Sandwich or tuna sandwich on whole wheat pita with side of steamed veggies
3) Chicken, bean, & veggie burrito with low fat cheese and salsa Try this Easy Burrito Bowl or this 5-Minute Burrito
4) Shrimp, bean and rice burrito with low fat cheese and salsa
5) Whole wheat veggie pita pizza or veggie and chicken pita pizza
6) Brown rice and beans with side of steamed veggies
7) Chicken parmesan—with marinara and low fat cheese, side of veggies
8) Scrambled egg tacos—veggies, chicken or beans, tortillas, low-fat cheese and salsa
9) Oatmeal Muesli
10) Scrambled eggs with low-fat cheese and veggies (omelet) in whole wheat pita or in whole grain tortilla and fruit. Try these Easy Berry Stuffed Egg Crepes
And there you have it! Give this list and these recipes a whirl and let us know which are your favorite go-to’s!
x & x,
L & T
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
- ⅔ cup quinoa, cooked
- ½ avocado, sliced
- 1 lime
- dash of chili powder
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 TBS low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- hot sauce (optional)
- Sprinkle chili powder on both sides of chicken breast.
- Bake chicken breast in oven at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked all the way through.
- When the chicken is done, slice it up into bite-sized chunks.
- To assemble each bowl, lay down ½ cup of quinoa, 1 cup of lettuce, and ¼ cup of tomatoes.
- Add chicken to the bowls, top with avocado slices, and squeeze the juice of half a lime over each bowl.
