Saturdays with Sarah: Go-To Meals

Hello everyone!

Today I want to talk about a really important aspect of eating healthy on a daily basis, a term I refer to as “Go-To Meals.” Meals you can make easily without thinking much about them.

So many times I hear people say they can’t eat healthy because they don’t know what to make, they can’t eat healthy because they don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, they can’t eat healthy because they work all day and don’t have energy to prepare a meal at the end of the day.

WELL, have I got good news for you :)

Over the next few weeks I’m going to share with you some of my favorite, really easy “go-to” meals that are delicious and healthy, don’t take hours in the kitchen, and I’ll tell you how to make them!

Meal 1:  Marinated Chicken and Steamed Vegetables

This recipe is a great one to make in bulk on a weekend and then prepare throughout the week whenever you want it.  This was one of my favorite meals when I was just starting out on my weight loss journey.

What you’ll need:
-Chicken breasts (let’s say 5, one for each week night)
-Marinade (Here are some healthy marinade options: balsamic vinegar, reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce, or light or low-fat salad dressing, nothing creamy like caesar or ranch, but rather light vinaigrettes or similar salad dressings.)
-Sandwich-size ziplock bags
-Frozen vegetables you can steam in the bag in the microwave

Okay!  Now you’re ready to prepare all of your dinners for the week.

Preparation:
First,  rinse off the chicken breasts with cold water.  Next, take a sharp knife and make a bunch of small, deep cuts into the chicken breast.  Doing this will allow the marinade to be better absorbed in the chicken.  Put each chicken breast inside a plastic bag.  Now it’s time to add your marinade.  You can do all of them with the same marinade or use different ones on different chicken breasts.  I’d say a good amount of marinade to put in your bag is 3 tablespoons.  You don’t need a lot, just enough to where some marinade can get to all surfaces of the chicken.  Seal up the bags after you’ve added your marinade, and make sure you squeeze the air out.  I like to label the bags too just so I know when I made them and what kind of marinade is inside.

Put the bags of chicken in the fridge to marinate for about 2 or 3 hours, then throw those bags in the freezer.  Voila!  The hard part is done.

Cooking:
When you want to cook one of these marinated chicken breasts, take one out of the freezer and allow it to defrost (I usually put one in the fridge first thing in the morning and then take it out of the fridge at lunch time to defrost the rest of the way).   Remove the chicken from the bag when it is completely defrosted, and bake in a foil-covered baking dish at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  The oven does all the work for you at that point!  And for your side, get your frozen bag of steamed vegetables and follow the instructions on the bag as to how long you put them in the microwave.

There you go, dinner hot and ready to go in 35 minutes after your long, hard day at work.  And I promise you, you’ll be full after that meal!  Eat PLENTY of those vegetables, like, fill up half your plate with them.  And your chicken will be moist and juicy and delicious and full of your favorite flavor.

Enjoy!  Let me know what you think!

See you next Saturday,

Sarah

Tags: Contributing Blogger, featured, Healthy Eating, Healthy Food, Healthy Recipe, Sarah Travis, Saturdays with Sarah

Category: CONTRIBUTORS, Featured Articles, Healthy Eating