I’m the first to admit, I don’t LOVE cooking.
Sure, you must be thinking, “but wait, but you’re a health coach, cooking must come so easily and naturally for you! You must love it!”
Here’s the thing, I love nutrition.
I love fueling my body with healthy nutrients. I love eating delicious food.
But with cooking, I want it to be simple, quick and easy. So I can get on with the rest of my life, like running my own business, fitting in my workouts, and . . . relaxing and watching Netflix with Alex.
So! Just like I advise all my busy, 1-1 health coaching clients, here’s what to do >>> find quick, simple, nutritious meals you can make on the fly, and easily recreate during a busy week, so you can fuel your LIFE and not spend all your precious free time in the kitchen.
Here are some recipes I have a on repeat:
1. Healthy Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Roasted Veggies
This one-pan dinner by Brittany of Eating Birdfood checks off all my meal requirements: veggies, protein, healthy fat and complex carbs.
2. Paleo Whole30 Chicken Tenders
These Whole30 approved almond flour crusted chicken fingers by Real Food with Jessica are easy to make and are a treat for kids or house guests (we even served them once at a dinner party!).
3. Kale Caesar Salad with Crispy Chickpea Croutons
Alyssa from Simply Quinoa knocks it out of the park again with this craveable salad. The roasted chickpea croutons take it to the next level of deliciousness. Feel free to add chicken if you’re not following a vegan diet.
4. Chickpea Pasta with Frozen Broccoli
This combination by yours truly is about as simple as it gets. When you just can’t think about cooking dinner, you can throw this together in 10 minutes and it’s still way quicker and cheaper than takeout. Ingredients: Banza chickpea pasta, frozen organic broccoli, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and garlic powder is all you need. I always keep these ingredients on hand in my pantry and freezer for last minute fiber-filled meals.
5. Sexy Veggies Broccoli, Cauliflower & Bacon
People are falling in love with roasting and my simple sexy veggies recipe. This works for most veggies and if you’re vegetarian, that’s great! Just use avocado oil spray in lieu of bacon. Give it a go and let me know what you think.
6. Baked Paleo Meatballs by Dominique of Perchance to Cook
I love this paleo-friendly recipe by Dominque of Perchance to Cook. I tell my clients to double, triple the serving sizes of basic recipes, and save the rest for leftovers or to throw in the freezer for grab-and-go meals in future weeks. I personally triple this recipe and use 3lbs of grass-fed beef. And yes . . . that means I make almost 50 meatballs at a time! That’s a lot of meatballs! But, it means I can easily pair them with roasted veggies on a busy night when cooking is the last thing on my mind.
7. Chickpea Pasta with Rao’s Tomato Sauce + Box of Spinach
Here’s another one of my easy personal recipes and it’s veggie-approved. Banza chickpea pasta, all natural Rao’s tomato sauce and an entire box of organic fresh spinach. Add in some pepper, sea salt and garlic powder, and you’ve got yourself a meal, my friends.
8. Stuffed Squash
My health coach friend Erin Assenza created this drool-worthy meal of sweet Italian sausage and stuffed squash. What a great way to satisfy cravings, and keep it relatively low carb and high in fiber. She shares the simple recipe over on her Instagram and you’re definitely going to want to add this one to your repertoire.
9. MAKE YOUR OWN Buddha Bowls
Have a ton of leftovers? Throw them together and DIY your own buddha bowl, like this recipe from the Minimalist Baker. Here’s a helpful play by play. I encourage you to experiment with what you have on hand and I honestly bet anything you throw together will taste good.
10. Sweet Potato Boats
I love roasting a sheet or two of sweet potato halves with avocado oil spray like this recipe from Live Simply. I then use the sweet potatoes in meals throughout the week or freezing them for later weeks. Try 1/2 a sweet potato paired with one of the protein recipes from above, or simply top your “sweet potato” boat with leftovers, drizzle with almond butter for a sweet treat or pair with eggs for breakfast.
