We all have foods we love and tend to gravitate to, and I’m no different. Today, I’m sharing with you my 3 favorite healthy, energy-boosting meals that are also fast and filling. Minimal cooking required, of course, because if you’re part of my readers group, you know that cooking isn’t my forte.
Preparation
My preparation is minimal. In fact, all it consists of is making an extra large salad on Sunday. This is when my older children come home to eat, so I’m making a salad anyway. I simply make a larger one and spin off the water really well so the lettuce lasts longer. The leftovers of this salad is what spruces up my 3 healthy, energy-booting meals during much of the rest of the week.
Meal 1
For breakfast, my favorite meal is two eggs, a piece of Alpine Valley toast, a smattering of butter, and fruit. I cook it in a small ceramic pan, and the secret ingredient is a couple dashes of onion powder and pepper. I leave out the salt most of the time because I have a bit of trouble with water retention and because of the large amounts I eat in another meal below, but you can add that too.
If I’m feeling really adventurous, I’ll chops some veggies like a green pepper, spinach, and zucchini, and cook it with the eggs. But normally, it’s just the eggs and toast and whatever fruit I have on hand. I use Alpine Valley bread because I like the taste and because their ratio of sugar to protein and fiber is lower than most whole wheat breads.
I also heat up two cups of water and pour it into my mug. Then I’ll put some fresh ginger to steep or a bag of dried herbal “tea.” (I put tea in quotes because herbal teas aren’t really teas at all, but that’s getting off the subject.) Taking this mug up to my office guarantees I’ll be drinking enough water for the day. That’s just as important as my healthy, energy-boosting meals. You can read a more recent post about my ginger drink here.
Meal 2
Lately, I’ve been loving sandwiches, but only if they have Dijon mustard! I just slap on a slice of provolone cheese from Costco, some lunch meat, and lots of Dijon.
Now here is where my Sunday salad comes into play. I grab a handful of whatever’s left and there you have it! Sometimes I’ll cut tomato and pickles as well, depending on if I have them and how anxious I am to get back to work.
Meal 3
The last of my healthy, energy-boosting meals is even more filling, and I alternate this for lunch with the sandwich above (though sometimes I’ll have them both in the same day, one for lunch and one for dinner).
I take a non GMO whole wheat Maya’s tortilla, slap a half cup of black or pinto beans on it, sprinkle a bit of low-fat mozzarella cheese and lots of salsa. That’s where the salt I was talking about earlier comes in. Then I top my burrito with a handful of Sunday salad, fold, and enjoy.
I like to use pinto beans, but my sisters love using black beans, and they use a bit more cheese as well. Make it however you want! Below is the picture before the salad addition.
Extras
Extras make my healthy, energy-boosting meals even more enjoyable. I try to cut up containers of veggies or buy bags of sugar snap peas and baby carrots. Taking a bowl of these to my desk with my sandwich or burrito, helps me lay off the chocolate during writing hours.
What simple, healthy, energy-boosting meals do you like to eat on a regular basis? If you have ideas for quick, nutritious things to eat, I’d love to hear your recipes in the comments below.
