I can’t believe that this is my last Great Starts article already! Today I wanted to talk a little bit about beyond breakfast, and how Great Starts can be continued throughout the day.
I believe that a great day starts with a nutritious breakfast and ends with a healthy dinner, but as many of us with families and a full schedule know, sometimes it’s hard to maintain good eating in the evening when you’re being pulled in every direction. What I’ve learned is that it’s imperative to have a plan. Weeks when I sit down and schedule the meals and make a meal plan go so much smoother than others when I’m scrambling at five o’clock trying to figure out what to make – wondering if we can just grab something real quick instead.
When I sit down to make my meal plan I only need three things, a paper, a pen, and a cookbook for inspiration. I try to make meals fairly simple during the week, and when I’m really organized I’ll even spend an afternoon cooking up meals that I can freeze and then take out for evenings when we have activities. Since we keep it simple Monday-Friday, I’ll usually plan to have a protein, a grain/carbohydrate, and a vegetable. Some easy ideas might be:
- · Grilled steak, baked potatoes, and roasted carrots
- · Meatloaf, baked butternut squash, and a green salad
- · Chicken breast, rice pilaf, and green beans
For me, the key to meals is keeping it simple by having three items and making sure there are a variety of colors in each meal. Being prepared saves us not only a lot of money but also excess calories and unneeded ingredients that I don’t want us to be eating every day.
Here’s a simple recipe for a meal that will have your family asking for seconds, and it’s really quick to make!
