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Family Meals Made Simple

We celebrate Eat Dinner Together Week this week and for many families this can be a challenge.  Busy schedules that include work, school, sports practices, and other extracurricular activities, make it difficult to sit down together and enjoy a nightly meal.  I understand that gone are the days of Leave It to Beaver where June Cleaver had all day long to prepare dinner for her family.  The key to providing a nutritious meal is to be able to prepare something quickly or without much preparation.  Otherwise, you’ll be reaching for the takeout menu.

 
Thankfully, there are many options that don’t require a lot of cooking time or much preparation.  In fact, Fruits & Veggies–More Matters has an entire recipe section devoted to quick and easy meals, namely their 30 Minutes or Less section.  Select from entrees, side dishes, and desserts like Chicken Veggie Risotto or Spinach Pesto Pasta.  Pinterest has a number of quick family meal ideas as well–just be careful as some of these selections might not be quite as healthy.  I did narrow my search and found a few healthier choices, which I’m sharing with you below.
 

Here’s a great recipe for Oven Baked Fajitas using chicken and whole wheat tortillas.  I love that they also make the marinade in the morning, let the chicken, onions, and peppers marinate all day and then everything is ready to go when you get home from work.  Oh, and kids love the “hands on” of putting together their own fajita too!

 

fajitas

 
Here is a perfect one-pot meal for the cooler weather and one that is always a hit in my house–chili!  This recipe for Turkey Chili is prepared using your slow cooker or crock pot, one of my favorite kitchen appliances.  Seriously, there is nothing better than coming home, after a hectic day, and having dinner ready and waiting for you.  This recipe is packed with veggies–tomatoes, corn, peppers, black beans, and kidney beans.  Serve it with a side of corn bread and you’re set.
 

chili

 

I hope you’ll try some of these recipes and enjoy mealtime with your family.  While it takes a little effort, the payoff is definitely worth it.

 

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