Healthy Meals for Busy Families- good for the waistline too!

Sometimes it’s tough to find time to cook healthy meals and snacks that the whole family will enjoy.  

Trainer Tip: Prepare several of the meals/snacks below at one time in bulk and enjoy them throughout the whole week!

They key to healthy meals and snacks are to focus on PRODUCE as the MAIN course, rather than the protein and/or starch. Also, by combining small amounts of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat at EACH meal and snack, your body will be fueled and satisfied for longer throughout the day/evening.

Let’s change the habit of America from over-fed and under-nourished to HEALTHY bodies and HAPPY families!

Optional Grocery list (in addition to all your family favorites)

Produce- wash all produce thoroughly

Sweet potatoes
Bananas
Strawberries
Spinach
Red peppers
Broccoli
Celery
Oranges
Apples
Grapes
Tomatoes
Avocados
lemons

Pineapple

Dairy
Unprocessed cheese (block or shredded)
Yogurt- Dannon All Natural Vanilla or Greek Gods Honey
Cheese sticks- Sargento or Kemps
Stony field organics YoKids Yogurt tubs
Organic Eggs

Almond milk- optional

Packaged
Oats (Quaker)
Peanut butter (no hydrogenated oils in it)
Almonds or pecans and cashews (preferably salt-free and un-cooked)

Salsa

Meat
Cooked chicken breast (can be rotisserie, grilled, cooked/frozen)

Condiments/Extras
Cinnamon
Real vanilla extract
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chips (at least 60% cocoa)
Dried fruit (no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils)

Healthy Meals and Snacks for Busy Families

Meals and snacks to prepare:

Smoothies (Preserve in freezer and fridge)

         Yogurt and favorite frozen or fresh berries/bananas; blend together – almond milk optional

3-Layer Oatmeal (fridge and freezer)
         Cook oatmeal lightly. Cool in fridge; prepare snack size Baggies of choice fruit/nuts; when read to eat, layer the berries on the bottom, ½ cup of oatmeal on top, drizzle on yogurt and sprinkle on prepared nuts

Hardboiled eggs (fridge)

         Boil 2-3 quarts of water, place 1-dozen or ½-dozen eggs in the boiling water carefully. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Peel ½ and keep them in the fridge in snack size baggies; store the other ½ in the carton (make sure to mark the carton that they are hard-boiled)

Baked sweet potatoes (fridge)

         Can be baked in oven; wash, poke holes with fork, brush with olive oil and cover with tin foil; bake for 350* for approximately 40-50 minutes. They should be very soft. Serve with your favorite topping- Greek honey yogurt, brown sugar, olive oil or just plain!

Delicious Rainbow Salad (fridge)
         In large bowl, mix favorite veggies, avocado, strawberries, blueberries and lemon juice to preserve

Sweet and Sour Stir-fry (freezer and fridge)

         In pineapple juice and vinegar, steam all favorite veggies and pineapple; add chicken or beef; serve with salsa if more flavor is desired

Produce snacks (fridge and pantry)

         Apple and string cheese, orange and nuts, celery and salsa, hummus and veggies, peanut butter and banana… etc) It’s all about presentation. Remember to combine carbohydrates, protein and fat and each snack!

Trail mix (pantry or fridge)

         Measure out a serving of your favorite nuts or mix and match, combine with favorite dried fruit and dark chocolate- look for ingredients- no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils; preserve in SMALL snack size baggies.

Frozen yogurt tubs (freezer)

         Place healthy yogurt tubs in freezer. Send with your child for a ½-frozen dessert at lunch or just eat frozen!     

Inspiring families to optimal health and fitness ~ inFIT

What are your healthy and easy meal/snack ideas?

IF you are interested in having a personal trainer come to your home/business to demo these meals/snack prep ideas, contact inFIT at info@infittraining.com or 763-424-4435