6 Tips To Simplify Family Meals

Planning on what to create and feed your family can be quite the challenge and making everyone happy can feel like mission impossible. Here are a few simple strategies for our contributing weekly blogger Aly Shoom

http://alyshoom.wix.com/bodyalive#!about/c1enr 

1)    Plan in advance: Have a weekly schedule and rotate through it. This way you limit your trips to the grocery store, since you can buy for multiple nights in advance. As well, this will ensure you chose the healthy meal you have planned, rather than the “I don’t have time” quick unhealthy choice.

2)    Rotate protein options: It is important to include a protein in each meal. Protein feeds your muscles; it is essential in maintaining your blood sugar and transforming your body. Rotate between healthy proteins such as fish, organic eggs, organic chicken and turkey, beans, tempeh, and wild fish.

3)    Make one or two main dishes for everyone to share: Dealing with picky eaters? Or both meat lovers and vegans to feed in the same meal? In these situations it is helpful to have one main dish of something everyone can share, for example stir-fried vegetables to share, and personalize only the protein to put on the stir-fry.

4)    Put the kids to work: Ask them to write a list of meals they like. Give them criteria of foods they must include. For example, vegetables, a protein, and a healthy grain. This can help them learn about healthy choices and can limit the amount of complaining about meals!

5)    Have a ‘make your own’ night: Choose a meal that can be personalized. Have all mix-ins separate so everyone can personalize his or her dish. For example, burrito night. See recipe below.

6)    Make simple meals: You don’t need to break the bank and have tons of time to eat healthy. Keep recipes simple. There is no need to cook gourmet meals every night (unless you like to!).  Simple meals can taste just as fabulous!

7)    Have theme nights: Need inspiration? Having a theme for every night of the week helps get the ideas flowing. For example: Monday, breakfast for dinner night. Chose a healthy breakfast recipe and make it for dinner! For example omelets, or shakshuka. If using eggs, organic free range is best!

Check out the shakshuka recipe below.

Shakshuka:

Servings: 5-6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

½ medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped

4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp chili powder (mild)

1 tsp cumin

1tsp paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper (more to taste—spicy!)

Salt and pepper to taste

5-6 eggs

½ tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

Heat a deep, larger skillet or sauté pan on medium. Slowly warm olive oil in the pan. Add chopped onion, sate for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sate till mixture is fragrant.

Add the bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened.

Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir till blended. Add spices, stir well, and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce. At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more cayenne pepper for a spicier shakshuka (be careful with cayenne…t is extremely spicy!)

Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. The eggs will cook “over easy” style on top of the tomato sauce.

 I like lots of sauce, so with this recipe I double the sauce.

This recipe has been taken from The Shiksa in the kitchen, a website with tons of fantastic recipes!

Burrito Bowl or wrap:

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

1 red onion, thinly sliced into ½ moons

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1-15 oz. can organic black beans, or 1-1/2 cups cooked

1-15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp chili powder blend

½ tsp. sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 c. quinoa or brown rice, cooked

Optional Extras: avocado, tempeh, organic chicken or turkey, grated goat cheese sprinkled on top.

To Prepare:

Rinse quinoa or brown rice, and prepare according to package directions.

While quinoa/rice is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Add peppers & onion and sauté until soft –about 3-5 minutes. Add zucchini, cumin, chili powder and sea salt and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring to incorporate all the spices with the peppers & onions. Add tomatoes and stir to mix. Lower heat and cover, cooking for about 5 minutes until peppers are really soft. Remove from heat. Add beans to pan and stir to incorporate.

To assemble: Take desired amount of rice or quinoa. Then, put on desired amount of peppers, onions, and been mixture, as well as option extras. If choosing a wrap, put all desired ingredients in the wrap.

Enjoy!