Quick and Easy Meal and Snack Ideas
By Nutritional Weight & Wellness Staff
January 6, 2015
By Oralee Kirk, Nutrition Educator
We all know what a struggle it can be to fit in everything in one day. And on top of everything, you want to make sure you feed yourself well. For many people, cooking and preparing meals can seem overwhelming, and I find that people are always looking for shortcuts. I’d like to share some ideas with you. They require a little work up front, but I think you’ll find the payoff to be well worth it in time saved during your week.
Read on for some of my favorite time-savers to make life easier for you.
Protein shakes
Protein shakes can be made fairly quickly, but if you want to save even more time, you can make several ahead of time. I like to make four at a time, pour them into jars and keep them in the fridge (for up to four days).
Here’s a berry protein shake recipe that I love:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 can water (using the coconut milk can)
- 4 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder (Dairy-free, no problem! Try some of these dairy-free protein powders)
- 2 scoops Dynamic Greens (strawberry-kiwi flavor)
- 10 oz. package of frozen raspberries, thawed
- Mix in blender. Pour into 4, 2-cup (pint) jars. Add 1 teaspoon of chia seeds to each jar which thickens it up a little.
Drinks can also be frozen, but don’t fill the jars to the top if you choose to freeze your protein shakes (you need to leave room for expansion).
Frozen protein shakes work great for a late-day snack. For example, I like to take a frozen drink out of the freezer in the morning and take it with me in a little cooler bag. This way if I’m out and about doing errands or need an energy boost if the day gets long, I’m prepared. By the time I’m ready to drink it, it’s thawed.
Attention shoppers: Bring a protein drink or two with you and you will not be tempted by fast food because you will have fast food with you.
A note about the jars you use:
I find that reusing jars from products, such as a salsa jar or coconut oil jar, works great to store shakes. If the label doesn’t come off easily before I wash it, I soak the jar in a bowl of hot water to loosen it and remove. If you are going to buy jars, I suggest you get wide mouth ones.
Hard boiled eggs and prepped veggies
Eggs are so quick and easy to make for yourself. I like to make a bunch of hard boiled eggs and store them in jars so I have them prepared for the week. I also prepare bell peppers, pea pods, cantaloupe and other various fruits and veggies ahead of time and also store them in jars. This way everything is ready to grab for a balanced meal or snack.
Meatballs
I really like to use meatballs for meals and snacks. I start by preparing a bunch of Wild Rice Meatballs ahead of time and store them in jars. From there, I have a quick protein that I can easily balance out with my prepped veggies and prepackaged fat options such as Wholly Guacamole or black olives.
Here’s a time-saving tip:
When I prepare Wild Rice Meatballs, I cook extra wild rice and freeze it in 1 cup servings. That way it’s cooked and ready to use quickly for another time.
Chicken Chili
White Chicken Chili is something I enjoy making in a large batch and storing in jars for meals and snack-sized portions. It makes enough that some can be frozen for another time. It’s easy for me to balance the meal or snack with my prepped veggies and healthy fats like cream cheese or sour cream.
I find that shopping after work saves time since I’m out and about anyway. Then I wash and prep fruits and veggies on another night or plan to do it on Sunday. I’ve got such a good habit going for myself that it’s easy to just look in the fridge, pull out the jars and make a quick decision for a balanced meal or snack (protein, carbs and fat). Having things made ahead of time and easier to grab and go has made eating the Weight & Wellness Way something that I can count on to keep my blood sugar stable, my mood happier, sleep better and stay at a smaller size than when I was in high school (and I’m almost 68 years old)!
Try some of these recipes and tips for yourself and see how they work for you.
