Busy people need easy meal ideas. Even better if these meals are balanced and contain the nutrients you need to keep you going. Each of these easy balanced meal ideas contain a fiber-containing carbohydrate, protein, and some vegetables.
Pita Pizzas. Spread some jarred marinara sauce on whole wheat pita bread. Top with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes, then add some fresh spinach on top before cooking for another minute or two.
Chicken wraps. Spread some mayo or creamy salad dressing on a whole grain wrap. Add some chopped rotisserie chicken, prewashed lettuce, shredded carrots, and shredded purple cabbage. Wrap tightly.
Lentil soup. Add 2 cups lentils, 1 package shredded carrots, and 6 cups soup broth to a pot. Cook for about 30 minutes. While this will not leave you with a fancy meal, it will leave you with a hearty and tasty meal.
Chicken dinner. Place frozen butternut squash cubes on a baking pan. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with lemon pepper and mix to combine. Place chicken legs on top, and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Bake at 350 for about 90 minutes. When the chicken is nearly done, steam some frozen green beans in a pot. You have an easy chicken dinner.
Pasta and meat sauce. Put up a pot of whole wheat pasta to cook. Brown your ground beef while breaking it up with a wooden spoon. While the meat is cooking, steam some frozen broccoli. Once the meat is thoroughly cooked, stir in a jar of marinara sauce and allow it to come to a simmer. Serve your meat over the pasta with the broccoli on the side.
Next time you are in pinch and don't have time to spend long on meal prep, take a look at these easy balanced meal ideas. Even better, keep these ingredients handy for when you inevitably end up needing a quick meal to prepare.