You know the story. You get home from work, you and your family are tired and hungry and you have no idea what’s for dinner. So what happens? You heat up something quick, you order a pizza or get take-out. How do you feel afterwards? For so many of us it leads to digestive upset – not only because of the stress of it all, but from the low nutrient and perhaps high sugar and fat meal. But how do you better – life is busy, it all takes too much time!
I hear it every day. Symptoms of chronic digestive upset. People never feeling really well.
I know preparing nourishing meals can be simplified and it is absolutely worth the effort! If you have a kitchen stocked with simple foods to prepare, and if you have taken just two minutes to make a plan for the day (it can be literally that quick), you will put a nourishing meal on the table that you and your family will love.
Try this meal packed with vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. And use extras to plan lunch for work the next day. It can be on the table in 30 minutes. And if you take a few minutes to chop the sweet potatoes and toss in the morning, you can be eating even quicker.
Rosemary sweet potatoes (serves 4)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash and cube 2 medium sized sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh), ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Toss ingredients to mix well. Lay sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Take out of the oven and transfer to a serving bowl.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, prepare the salmon and add to the oven. Place the salmon below the sweet potatoes to prevent any possibility of meat drippings falling onto the vegetables.
Broiled salmon with salsa (serves 4)
Place 4 salmon fillets approximately 4 oz. each on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Top each fillet with 1/3 cup homemade or jarred salsa. Bake in a 425 degree F oven until fish reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F., flakes easily and is light pink in color (about 10 minutes per inch of thickness).
Cook 1 extra salmon fillet without salsa to use in a salad for lunch the next day.
To this meal – you can simply add steamed vegetables out of the freezer such as broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus. Or prepare a simple mixed greens salad.
Simple Mixed Greens (serves 4)
Toss 6 cups mixed greens with 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes and 1 sliced yellow, red or orange pepper. Toss with about ¼ cup of your favorite salad dressing. Add 2 ounces crumbled Feta cheese (optional). Serve.
Salmon Salad (serves 2)
Chop leftover salmon fillet into chunks. In a large bowl toss 4 cups mixed baby greens, ½ cup canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 1 sliced avocado, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and 1 scallion in a large salad bowl. Top with a vinaigrette dressing or make your own. Toss well but gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among 2 containers to pack for lunch.
Taking the time to plan ahead and prepare a simple meal will leave you feeling great! To download these recipes and a grocery list, click here.
There is no one size fits all approach to nutrition and healthy living. Recommendations given are not intended to replace the personalized guidance of a health professional.
