# What is your best super fast healthy meal?



## suziek (Jun 4, 2004)

What is your best fallback meal? You know, the one you make when you haven't given dinner a moments thought, your kids (and you) hve been active ll day and NEED something really yummy and nutritious to eat and it's 4:55 pm?


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## Snuzzmom (Feb 6, 2008)

Hmm... this usually ends up being served in the morning, but we've done it at night on occasion. It's quick and my 2.5-year-old can actually help and it's certainly nutritious.

SPECIAL JUICE!

* Green juice (we use the one from Trader Joe's)
* Spinach
* Protien powder
* Whatever fruit is available, fresh and/or frozen
* Vanilla yogurt

There are no set quantities to these. It's just a smoothy, after all.









DS is a picky eater and we like to give him these when he's had an especially food-free week. Knock on wood, he will ALWAYS drink this, at least.


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## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Yeah, a smoothie is a good one, or lots of times we'll have eggs on toast and fruit if we're starving and need something nutritious that takes just minutes to prepare.


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## Tigerchild (Dec 2, 2001)

Hummus or bean dip (I have canned beans and other incredients in my pantry all the time) and fresh veggies.

We also do plain cheese (sometimes with lunchmeat or leftover veggies chopped up and put in) quesadillas.

Onigiri (rice balls) are super easy. You can fill them with whatever you wish, squish them into cool shapes, and if you don't like nori just don't add it.









Also, pancakes. (we always have flour and the basic ingredients for those in the pantry too!)


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## sparklefairy (May 21, 2005)

Canned black beans with cheese and either rice or whole wheat tortilla. Kids don't like salsa but I add some to mine (it's the kind that's all veggie).


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## karne (Jul 6, 2005)

We have hens, so eggs of any style are a good last minute meal for us. My kids like "Toad in the Hole"=basically an egg cracked into a piece of whole wheat bread with a circle cut out of the middle. I cook it on the griddle and serve with a fruit or veggie. I love to scramble an egg, serve it over salad greens with a dressing like Annie's goddess dressing too. Yum.

Smoothies too!


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## jeanine123 (Jan 7, 2005)

I have pre-cooked chicken on hand, either roasted or grilled. I use it to make either vegetable red curry or chicken and mushroom quesadillas.


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## IncaMama (Jun 23, 2004)

for my picky kid: eggs and fruit, or rice and fruit

for the rest of us: pan fried salmon (coconut oil), rice, steamed broccoli (salmon cooks so quickly). we usually have salmon on hand.


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## Norasmomma (Feb 26, 2008)

I usually do "planned overs" so i'll have an extra chicken or turkey breast in the fridge waiting to be used.

I make a great stir fry that is WW linguini noodles(or spaghetti), chop up that chicken and whatever veggies are on hand. Cook that up while the pasta is cooking and mix them with sesame ginger dressing. It's my 15 minutes meal. LOVE IT!!!!!

I also love Chicken caesar for a fast dinner. We usually have all the ingredients for that too.


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## Dahlea (May 15, 2008)

Cheese quesadillas or a salad with cheese and a fake chikn patty crumbled on it.


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## BarnMomma (Dec 12, 2008)

Either Sunday evening or Monday morning I can be found in the kitchen making a huge pot of soup. Into this soup goes every single kind of veggie I can get my hands on including things like sweet potatoes and kale plus some form of protein liek chicken, beef, or lamb. Then guess what's for lunch every day, or dinner in a pinch? I can also make small batches of pasta or barley or rice to add to it on a daily basis. Also, I can toss it into a container and put in in the cooler to take with us if I kknow we''l be far from healthy options.

I also keep a healthy stock pile of local grass fed burger patties in the freezer. They take minutes to defrost in warm water and then I can do burgers, or chili, or whatever pretty quick.


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Quesadillas with whole wheat tortillas, black beans, cheese and bell peppers!

YUM!

(Seems like quesadillas are pretty popular for quick healthy food.)


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## alicia622 (May 8, 2005)

cheesy triangles (aka quesadillas)


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## Aubergine68 (Jan 25, 2008)

Just made my kids pizzas for dinner, on ww pitas, with our fave canned tomato sauce on top, and small chunks of the ham I crockpotted and froze in pizza-portions and mozzarella pre-grated and frozen as well.

Asperagus (on sale this week) on the side, water to drink, cherries (on sale this week) for dessert.

It is Canada Day here, so the temptation to eat out at the fairgrounds was hard to avoid, but we did!

ETA eggs and quesadillas of all kinds are also major fast-food over here, too.


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## bezark (Mar 17, 2009)

Peanut noodles. I make a simple peanut sauce (PB, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic & water) and toss it with Barilla Plus or whole wheat spaghetti and cucumbers or bell pepper.


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## nerdymom (Mar 20, 2008)

either a "rainy day" random casserole or soup from the freezer, or pancakes and eggs. We always have the stuff to make pancakes and eggs.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I always have storebought curry paste and coconut milk, so one of our favourite quickies is just chopped chicken thighs, cooked in a coconut curry sauce. DD1 doesn't like it much, but the rest of us do.


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## crowcaw (Jan 16, 2009)

Saute onions, ginger, garlic, dash cinnamon in olive oil. Add frozen spinach, canned rinsed garbanzos, and canned fire roasted tomatoes. Season and serve over brown rice or quinoa.


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## tinyblackdot (Aug 31, 2007)

I buy the microwave bags of brown rice (i knwo its not great but a screaming child that doesnt eat + trying to wait on rice is not fun times) and then grean peas, and then chop up chicken into cubes add lemon pepper and stirfry.


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## Oonah (Jul 28, 2004)

some of our favs

we throw some rice, spices leftover meats and veggies (fresh or frozen) into the rice cooker - takes about 15-20min

tortilla pizzas - flour tortillas topped with pizza sauce, cheese & whatever else is on hand - toss them in the oven or on the grill - ready in 10 min

refried beans - 2 cans pinto beans in the food processor with cilantro, garlic, lime juice & onion and cumin, warm the mixture on the stove or in the micro and serve with on chips or tortillas with cheese and veggies


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

Fast and Healthy
Mock chicken (cooks in the microwave; I bet you could do the same with pre-cooked frozen chicken too) with a little olive oil, pepper and on mine, lemon.

Pasta with jarred sauce or olive oil and parmesan.

Scrambled eggs and toast.

Refried beans with salsa and sour cream; quesadillas.

Any of those I serve with some combo of hummus and baby carrots; cooked broccoli/ frozen peas (DS and DD had an argument tonight bc each wanted the others green side; I asked both, and they chose, then they wanted the other persons







DD also only eats peas when they're frozen, so now DS wants them that way too







); applesauce; fresh fruit; edamame in the microwave; cheese and crackers.


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## katiesk (Nov 6, 2007)

breakfast burritos! sauteed zucchini, spinach, onions, red peppers and garlic, with eggs scrambled in, wrapped in ww tortillas with homemade salsa, guac and yogurt on top.


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## Fuamami (Mar 16, 2005)

Frittata!

Sautee some onion and whatever veggies you have in the fridge in some butter or oil in an oven-proof pan, beat a bunch of eggs, depending on how many people are eating, pour them in the veggies and jiggle the pan a little until the bottom is firm. Then sprinkle some cheese on top and shove under your broiler until it's golden brown. I love it with yogurt.


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## Just1More (Jun 19, 2008)

I make baked fries often. Figuring a potato or two a person, I slice the potatoes into 8 wedges of roughly equal size. Then I drizzle olive oil all over the wedges, and sprinkle with garlic, oregano, salt, and sometimes basil or cumin or chili powder. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. If you want them a bit crunchy, put them under the broiler for a minute or two after they are done cooking. I let the kids dip them in spaghetti sauce.

Sometimes I add some sort of fruit (canned means I don't have to cut anything up, or I put washed but still on the vine grapes on the table and let the kids pull them off), and slices of cheese on the side.

If I have a little more time, I might mix some cilantro and a touch of spaghetti sauce with ground beef and make hamburgers. I bake the potatoes, then broil the hamburgers, then broil the potatoes (so they are hot again). The whole process takes about 30 minutes, and most of that time is waiting, so I'm free to tend the children.

We also eat a lot of egg sandwiches and/or oatmeal (with apples and cinnamon, blueberries, or strawberries...)

Oh, and if I have leftover rice, I will put it in a saucepan with some boxed chicken broth, frozen mixed veggies, and whatever leftover meat (if any) is in the frig. I just bring it to a boil, maybe add a spice or two and a bit of salt. Tada! Lunch.


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## Just1More (Jun 19, 2008)

Another thing to do with leftover rice is to heat in up in spaghetti sauce. The kids think they are having spaghetti, and I don't have to cut it up for them! I'm guilty of chopping up spinach or throwing in peas or something into the sauce, too.


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## ssh (Aug 12, 2007)

Brown rice and beans with cheese, or salsa depending on the kinds of beans. My DD loves black beans and garbanzos. I usually have cooked brown rice in the refrigerator, so it's a really quick meal to fix.


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## crl (May 9, 2004)

scrambled eggs and fresh fruit

Catherine


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## BellinghamCrunchie (Sep 7, 2005)

Cereal and milk, lol.


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## makuahine (Mar 10, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Fuamami* 
Frittata!

Sautee some onion and whatever veggies you have in the fridge in some butter or oil in an oven-proof pan, beat a bunch of eggs, depending on how many people are eating, pour them in the veggies and jiggle the pan a little until the bottom is firm. Then sprinkle some cheese on top and shove under your broiler until it's golden brown. I love it with yogurt.


Frittatas are our quick meal, too! Also, I'll make fried rice with left over brown rice (or make a pot if I plan ahead). I saute whatever veggies I have in sesame oil, add the rice, some scrambled eggs and a few dashes of tamari, and serve with chopped avocado on top. So good!!!


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

You mean, besides Amy's Soups? No, seriously, Japanese buckwheat noodles (4 min al dente), stir-fried broccoli, sliced carrots, sliced garlic (2 - 4 cloves), some pea pods, and whatnot w/ toasted sesame oil, ginger (powdered














, dash of salt, 1/8 tsp. of chili powder.

Put on water (5 sec)
Heat 3 - 4 tbsps sesame oil over medium in large pan (15 sec)
Chop broccoli, garlic, carrots, whatever, toss in pan (5 - 7 min)
Add egg to pan if desired, OR chopped up leftover chicken, stir a bit (2 min)
Put noodles in water (15 sec)
Spice the veggies (1 min)
Strain noodles (2 min)
Put noodles in w/ veggies (30 sec)
Taste, improve spicing (1 min)

Serve.

YUM. It can be vegan, vegetarian, my daughter loves "pasta", my husband loves "filling", I love using leftover veggies, and we all love broccoli.

It does take about 15 minutes, but that's not much for something so delicious. Other than that, it's soup in a can, sandwiches, or re-heated leftovers from the freezer!


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## BCFD (Jun 21, 2006)

One of our new favorites is a pasta salad:

Wacky Mac veggie shaped pasta
red, green, orange, yellow peppers
baby carrots
button mushrooms
corn
broccoli
grilled chicken strips (from Costco)
Berenstein's Light Cheese Fantastico salad dressing (just a very small amount, like, a few tablespoons)

stick it in the fridge to get nice and cold!!

Takes about 10 or 15 minutes to make a huge bowl that lasts for days.


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## BCFD (Jun 21, 2006)

Oh, thought of another fave.

Brown rice
1 lb. ground turkey
cinnamon to taste
bag of frozen corn and peas
chicken bouillon cube (the secret ingredient!!!)
onion and garlic powder
salt & pepper

Throw turkey in a skillet and brown, stir in rice and other ingredients...and YUM eat away....

One of my all time faves!

Also...

Black beans
cotija cheese (from a Mexican store)
rice (white or brown)
splash of whipping cream

(my kids go nuts over this!)


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## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

Stir fry - or pasta with pesto (with some pine nuts chucked on top)! lol

(I don't personally consider anything microwaved healthy


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## mistymama (Oct 12, 2004)

Ds's favorite super fast "meal" is a boiled egg (we keep those on hand), carrots and celery with peanut butter.

I keep Annies refried black beans (canned) on hand and will use those, with cheese, chopped tomato and a wheat tortilla for a quick burrito.

Veggie sandwich - wheat bread or bun, cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, sprouts - really any veggies I have in the house.









Whip up some hummus dip and eat it with veggies or a wheat pita cut into triangles.


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## Mom2M (Sep 23, 2006)

A couple favorites here...

I have a few VERY hungry big eaters ( they will not drink smoothies or eat pancakes, unfortunately) plus a couple pickier vegetarians (myself included, lol) so when it is a very late night, I do not worry about adding a meat dish, I try to get everything in one pot or dish!

They take about 20 min to 1/2 hr.

Large pot of pasta-depending on who's home 1 or 2 pounds...
While it is still cooking, throw in any frozen veggies, usually corn or broccoli, a large can of beans and then drain, mix it up with either sauce or cream of mush. soup, it's really good!

"pilaf" in electric skillet...
Saute 1 onion, mushroom if we have it and maybe cut up fresh corn and broccoli into it if we have it and some garlic, move to the side and saute 2 c of rice, 1 box of orzo add spices and then large can of garbanzo beans, 2 cans of veg broth and water till it goes over the top of the rice. Cover and bring to a boil then turn it down and let it do a slow boil till done!

cook 2 c. rice and saute mush/onion plus whatever veggies in fridge and/or frozen corn, mix it all together and add a can of cheese soup or cream of mush soup and some milk put in an oiled 9x13 dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in a 350 oven for 20 min or until bubbly and eat!

If I am not too exhausted to cut lots of veggies and we have a good supply in the fridge...I cut up everything we have and all different colors,start with sauteing the onions, garlic and mushrooms, then add the other veggies in the order of how long they take to cook...carrots, then sweet pot. then caul. then broccoli, zucchini, corn, tom., etc...add a big can of beans, lots of spices and a can of veg. broth plus make rice to serve it over.

otherwise...call for pizza!









Deb


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## Evergreen (Nov 6, 2002)

Throw every veggie in the house with leftover meat (if we have any) into a pan saute it up with whatever spices and garlic I can find. Serve over rice or pasta.


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## marisa724 (Oct 31, 2003)

I buy ground beef in bulk when the price is right, and separate it into 1-pound portions in the freezer. It's easy to grab one out, thaw it a little in the microwave. I have two 'recipes' that are quick, easy, and a nice hearty meal esp. in the winter.

"Chop Meat Stew"
1/2 pound pasta (half box) cooked (we like elbows or spirals)
in a separate skillet -
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
to the skillet, add 1/2 block cheddar cheese, chopped
and 1 can condensed tomato soup
Stir till cheese is melted and combined with soup to make a 'sauce', add pasta, combine

"Pasta and Beans"
first cook 1/2 pound pasta
in a separate skillet -
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
add 1 can beans (we like cannellini or pinto, I order in bulk from Amazon so we always have them on hand)
and 1/2 jar tomato sauce (later in the summer we'll have homemade sauce!)
heat through, add cooked pasta and combine well

I like to serve peas with these meals, again we always have frozen peas on hand, and some folks like to stir them into the pasta as well.

These make enough for our family of four (2 adults, 2 little kids) with leftovers, and it's easy to double the recipes as well. Both take 15 minutes or less (the cooking time on the pasta is usually what dictates!).


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## EarthMommy80 (Feb 8, 2007)

boiled eggs with jelly and toast
quesadillas

super secret spinach spagetti!
I actually use whole wheat penne pasta.
Make a quick homeade sauce or use canned... whatever is on hand.
ground turkey
spinach (fresh, frozen, whatever we have)
parm cheese
make it however you make your spagetti and add the spinach to the sauce.
my kids have no idea what the spinach is, but they said they love it! That just cracks me up!


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## chirp (Feb 9, 2008)

breakfast for dinner...usually veggie omelettes with toast and fruit

hummus and crudite

some kind of fish and steamed veggies like broccoli, cauliflower or carrots.

chicken and rice/beans and rice with fried plantains. in my extremely short cut version i'll use onion and garlic powders instead of fresh for the rice.


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## DaughterOfKali (Jul 15, 2007)

Goodness, this thread is making me hungry.

The quickest 'healthy' meal in my home is cereal (healthiest possible/low sugar) and yogurt (non sweetened greek style). If I crave a little sweetness, I'll put a teaspoon of maple syrup in it.

Ds loves pancakes so I just kick 'em up a notch. I add fruit or veggies; ground flax seed; and sometimes ground oats to the batter. I also put cinnamon in it (helps to mask all the healthy stuff from ds).


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## Apple Girl (Nov 2, 2007)

Minute steaks. Cook in 5 minutes straight out of the freezer. They're like these slivers of steak that we got from our cow farmer. (We buy by a half a cow once a year from a local farmer).

Anyway, put in pan, heat, brown. Start minute rice going in a separate pan. When the steaks are brown, I add in a few frozen peas and some soy sauce. When the peas are hot, we're done. 5-10 min max cooking time, for a delicious and nutritious healthy meal!


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## Snuzzmom (Feb 6, 2008)

I love this thead.


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## suziek (Jun 4, 2004)

Holy guacamole!

Thanks to everyone. There are lots of great ideas here! We should publish a book!


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

Peanut Butter Pasta.

I boil some pasta (any kind, or even using several different kinds to clean out the leftovers in the bottom of boxes!); while it's boiling, I'll dice up some meat - chicken, sausage, whatever meat I have. You can even leave this out. I fry that up (yes, frying it is okay, it's still quite healthy), then add a bunch of veggies like peas, carrots, corn, onions. I fry all of that together with the meat. When the pasta is done, I drain it and add it to the pan of veggies and meat, then stir in a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a few tablespoons of soy sauce.

This is one of my kids favorite meals. My sister hates that I call it "Peanut Butter Pasta", because it's really a Thai Peanut Sauce... lol! Anyways, this takes about 15 minutes total, and it's soooo versatile and easy.


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## KristaDJ (May 30, 2009)

Fresh fruit, veggies, home made sourdough bread, scrambled eggs, yogurt stuff like that. I don't believe a meal needs to be or should always be something cooked or complicated, sometimes we just graze.


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## ErinBird (Dec 5, 2005)

We do quesadillas with mashed beans and cheese and sauteed greens often. Rice with some cumin and tomatoes if I have the time for that.

Another common fast meal is hummus wraps, but those rely on availability of tomatoes- just feta, hummus, sprouts (if we have them), tomatoes, spinach and enjoy.


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## Inci (Apr 22, 2005)

Great thread! Funny how so many of us love quesadillas/burritos, and eggs and pancakes!

Also super quick and relatively healthy:
Tortilla chips and a dip made from salsa, cottage cheese, beans, guacamole if available, maybe some extra veggies, nutritional yeast, and ground flax seeds.


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## Mom2Joseph (May 31, 2006)

If there is left over brown rice in the fridge we have Cheesy Brown Rice - br. rice, butter and parm cheese...My kids love it.

Bananas served with peanut butter crackers

Canned Pears drizzled with Honey and sprinkled with nuts

Faux ice cream - rice milk, frozen bananas and any fruit we have on hand (frozen or fresh - I freeze any leftover fruit or yogurt) Blend and serve!

tomato sandwiches

Canned soup with fruit on the side or fresh bread

Scrambled Rice (HBWH recipe - major comfort food!)

They sound basic but they are no frills and far better than eating junk food or grabbing fast food.


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

We keep garden burgers and hamburger patties on hand to toss on the grill for days when we're not in the mood to 'cook' really. I also try to keep hard boiled eggs, and precooked chicken breast on hand to mix with salad greens and whatever fresh veggies are handy.

Whole wheat pasta with a simple marinara sauce is always a favorite for my husband and I, but DD prefers to graze on whatever is aroud- cucumber slices, hard bolied egg, cheese, etc- she also will always eat a cheese quesadilla.

I'm another person who tends to think that not all good and nutritious meals have to be cooked though, sometimes we just have some veggies with hummus (I cheat here and keep the dry hummus mix in- always- not ideal, but yummy and better than a lot of options) Stirfries are another quick option, again with the precooked chicken- I find that if I stirfry that with a prepackaged 'cole slaw mix (aka shredded cabbage with carrots) ' it makes a really simple and pretty tasty meal over rice.


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## nina_yyc (Nov 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Just1More* 
I make baked fries often. Figuring a potato or two a person, I slice the potatoes into 8 wedges of roughly equal size. Then I drizzle olive oil all over the wedges, and sprinkle with garlic, oregano, salt, and sometimes basil or cumin or chili powder. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. If you want them a bit crunchy, put them under the broiler for a minute or two after they are done cooking.

I was going to post this too! I sometimes add some lemon juice to the potatoes as well. I didn't know about the boiler trick and I am definitely trying it now. If you put chicken thighs seasoned with Lipton's Onion Soup in there 10 mins before the potatoes, all you have to do is steam some veg's and you have a whole meal.

We also do the bean and cheese wraps and scrambled egg wraps - YUM!

Our 10min staple is tofu and soba with fresh or frozen veg. I steam the tofu and veg while the soba is cooking, then top with store bought terriyaki sauce and sesame seeds. If we feel like stir-frying I do the tofu in 2tbsp honey/2tbsp tamari.


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## JennTheMomma (Jun 19, 2008)

Veggie grilled cheese sandwich, everything made with organic and/or natural ingredients:

* Whole wheat bread
* Butter spread (just a tad)
* Cheese of any kind, my fav. is aged wisconsin chedder
* Cherry tomatoes cut in half, about 2-4 on each sandwich depending how big your bread is
* Kale
* Onion, I like sweet
* Spinach
* Sweet pepper
* Dijon mustard, just a tad

Vegetarian chili with tons of different beans and veggies thrown in a crock pot is also good and one of my favs.


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## PPK (Feb 15, 2007)

Similar to one already mentioned:

Sautee curry powder, onion, garlic, and ginger in ghee for a few minutes then add 1-2 cans of garbanzos (chick peas). I usually will add a splash of tamari or Bragg's and about 1/4" of water into the pan at this point and cover and simmer for about 5 minutes till the water absorbed..sautee another minute. Serve over basmati (I usually have leftover rice in fridge).

I also get seafood or crab salad from whole foods and that'll keep for a couple of days in the fridge as a quick lunch with rice crackers and a small side salad.

Also, leftover veggies sauteed with a fake meat product (I try t eat these in moderation, but they're so convenient!)


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## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

Grab a couple of potatoes, microwave them, split and top with nutritional yeast, olive oil, yoghurt, garlic salt and cheese.

Or veggie stir fries are good (I never have meat on hand unless we buy it specifically, and then I'm fissy and want to marinate it so it's not really quick). A really uber-simple sauce is to chuck in some soy sauce, a handful of sesame seeds, a wee bit of water, a dash of sweet chilli sauce and some sesame oil.

Scrambled eggs on toast is another quick one in our house - I make our bread and freeze it sliced, so it toasts in the time it takes to scramble the eggs, and makes everything seem more "gourmet".

And DH and I really love platter dinners... chopped apple, carrots and cheese always, plus some combination of cold meat (salami or shredded chicken), chips, dip, foccacia, homemade pita chips (not so quick), hard-boiled eggs, dukkah (homemade but made ahead), olive oil and balsamic vinegar, hummus (or hummus mixed with yoghurt, which is delish, esp. with sweet chilli sauce on top). DH likes to add a few squares of chocolate to the platter as well. It varies wildly according to time and finances, but it's always good to eat while watching a show and relaxing, and the baby loves helping herself.


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## Ann-Marita (Sep 20, 2003)

Three Bean Salad

1 can red kidney beans
1 can cannelini beans (sort of a white kidney bean)
1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
3 cups chopped vegies (onion, broccoli, bell pepper, carrots are all good choices)
1/4 to 1/2 cup shreaded parmesan cheese
Italian dressing; or red wine vinegar, oil and italian spices

Rinse and drain the beans. Chop the vegies and add to beans. Stir in the parmesan. Add dressing to taste. If you're fast with a knife and chopping block, this can be prepared in ten minutes or less. Mm mm good. Keeps really well for the next day, better served chilled. Serve with a good bread.

High in fiber, low fat (depending on how much dressing/oil you use). Uses up the leftover vegitables. Complete protein, especially if served with a good bread.

Home cooked beans can substitute for the commercially prepared ones, if desired. And you may find other types of beans substitute well, too. Almost any vegi is fine, but if you use tomatoes, use small ones whole. The big ones chopped up are too juicy.


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## marisa724 (Oct 31, 2003)

Our 'quick meal' yesterday was a giant hit with our 5-year-old, thanks in no small part to the novelty of it, so I thought I'd share.

It was just hamburger 'wraps', nothing special. We had veggie burgers in the freezer, and tortillas (which we cut in half to make two sandwiches from each circle).

When the burgers were cooked we cut them in inch-wide strips, and assembled the wrap with a little chopped tomato, lettuce strips, and shredded cheese. I put mayo on mine, DS had mayo and mustard. The thing I think he liked best was that I put toothpicks in his to keep them closed.


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## marisa724 (Oct 31, 2003)

Hey, did you guys realize that there are recipes on Mothering's main page now? I come in through the forums but my mom has the front page bookmarked, and she pointed it out to me when I told her I was looking for more 'meatless' ideas: http://mothering.com/recipes


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

I always keep shredded cooked chicken in the freezer, when I make a whole chicken, I freeze the leftover meat just for crazy nights. I can make tons of quick meals with it. Tacos, pesto pasta, "fried" rice, stirfry if I have enough veggies...

What has REALLy helped me is my crockpot, I use it about 3 times a week. With eating leftovers from those meals on other nights, I rarely actually "cook" anymore. We are gone from the house most afternoons so by the time we do get home everyone is hungry and tired, having dinner already done is huge. I do not miss scrambling around for dinner.


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## Pepper44 (May 16, 2006)

My 2 year old DD's favorite quick meal and comfort food is rice with chicken (from the freezer, easy to sautee in olive oil) with broccoli (also frozen usually) and whatever fresh veggies we have plus diced onion, and sometimes peas also.

We also take english muffins and put newman's own spaghetti sauce on them, top with cheese and whatever else is around, and bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. This is also delicious with naan bread instead of english muffins.

We have chickens, so lots of eggs. We eat scrambled eggs, eggs over easy on toast, eggs with cheese, hard boiled eggs, etc. I want to try that toad in the hole thing! We also have precooked frozen sausage (with whole ingredients, no msg or anything) and I cut that up and throw it into scrambled eggs sometimes, or eat it on biscuits along with the eggs.

Pasta/ravioli/tortellini with a quick jar of sauce and some of the frozen sausage thrown in is another great meal, usually with corn on the side and some home made bread broiled with butter.

Quesadillas, hummus, refried beans, frozen blend of peppers and onions, taco seasonings, and those sorts of things are a part of our easy meal staples.

We eat pretty simple around here.


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

Boil pasta and vegetables (frozen ones are easy!) together. Meanwhile, cook diced onion and random herbs in lots of olive oil. Drain pasta and veggies. Mix with the oil and as much nutritional yeast flakes as will dissolve. Top with sunflower seeds. More detailed instructions here. The oil, yeast, and seeds treatment also is a way to turn leftover pasta and veggies into a new meal--you can just heat up the leftovers in the oil as you're cooking the onions.


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## blissful_maia (Feb 17, 2005)

Our quick dinners are:

Breakfast for dinner (eggs, toast, cheese, fruit, etc.)
Baked salmon (takes 15 mins) with steamed rice and a veggie (usually asparagus or broccoli)
Chicken salad sandwiches (we almost always have leftover cooked chicken in the fridge) with a salad


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

My three fall-back meals are: spaghetti with meat sauce, tacos/tostadas & stir fry... Spaghetti & tacos are both made with ground turkey, and I have LOTS of experience using still-frozen turkey







Takes a few minutes longer to cook, but tastes just peachy fine. Tostadas are basicly tacos with bean dip (which I often have on hand)... and stir fry I almost always have the ingredients for, even if just veggie. If theres leftover meat of some sort in the fridge I'll throw it in too... but usually it ends up being veggie/tofu


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## jimblejamble (May 18, 2007)

Avocado, tomato, and scrambled egg sandwich on whole-grain bread.


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