Sunday, October 17, 2010

Q & A: Healthy Meals on the Go

Stacy B writes:

"If you have any quick and easy meal ideas for the family, please share them with me. I am stuck for what to have for lunch and dinners. We are always on the go, so simple is best."

This one goes out to all the mommas out there- you're superwomen! You're busy! You're HUNGRY!

Putting kids in sports and activities is great, but we need to be able to feed the lil monsters, too.

I debated on what to write for this post. I had a long list of meal ideas: slow cooker recipes, soup recipes, stir fries, and salads. The thing is... we all already know that. Every googler out there can search "fast healthy slow cooker recipe" to get hundreds of scrumptious results. No, I am not going to google today.

Instead, I'm going to focus on my favorite, often underestimated meal option for busy days:
The Wrap.

Wraps are a fantastic way to combine cooked and raw foods in the same meal. They can be fancy enough to satisfy the aristocrats of us, but are also kid-friendly.

Wraps can be hot, cold, sweet, savory, cut into pinwheels for an appetizer, or noshed behind the wheel while wizzing down the interstate. (Relax. Texting is illegal; noshing is still deemed perfectly acceptable. Thank goodness.)

The best wrap has four components:
  1. The Wrap
  2. The Meat
  3. The Stuff
  4. The Smack (previously known as "The Sauce")
Here are some ideas for each category to spark your creative interest.

The Wrap:
  • Chinese Rice Paper (GF)
  • Corn Tortilla (GF)
  • Whole Grain Tortilla
  • Flat Out Wrap
  • Large Lettuce Leaf (not recommended for behind the wheel noshing)
  • Sprouted Grain Tortilla, like Ezekiels
The Meat:
  • Grilled Chicken
  • Pulled Pork
  • Seasoned Beans
  • Tofu, marinated and baked
  • Fish (season with some lemon pepper and bake)
  • Ground turkey with taco seasoning
  • Seasoned Chickpeas
  • Veggie Burger
The Stuff:
  • Fresh spinach
  • Fresh veggies
  • Marinated, roasted veggies
  • Brown rice
  • Quinoa
  • Rice noodles
The SMACK:
  • Hummus
  • Olive Tapenade
  • Guacamole
  • Viniagrette
  • Salsa
  • Terriaki/Soy Sace (Tamari for GF)
**Remember, wraps can be hot (folded and heated "quesadilla style") or cold!

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Elvis (great for breakfast):
Almond or peanut butter, cinnamon, and a banana or apple slices, wrapped up in a flour or corn tortilla

Spring Wraps:
Fresh, julienne-cut veggies (carrots, cucumber, avocado, cabbage, red pepper), brown rice, tofu (or chicken), and brown rice, rolled up in rice paper and dipped in sauce made with peanut butter thinned with tamari and water

Roasted Veggie Wrap:
Large whole wheat or spinach wrap, rolled around roasted veggies and hummus. Would be great with grilled chicken!

Pulled Pork Tacos with a twist:
Season some pulled pork jamaican jerk style, adding a can of chopped pineapple. Construct tacos as usual, using plenty of fresh veggies to garnish!

Chickpea Tacos (click for recipe):
For heftier dinner appetites, make it a "chickpea burrito" by adding some Mexi-Brown Rice: Just mix brown rice with a small can of chopped tomatoes and taco seasoning to taste.

So many options...the list is endless. Get Crazy.

What is your favorite quick and easy meal?

Do you often eat on the go, or do you like some time out for chewing?

Peace, Love, and Veggies,
Bee Louise


Have a nutrition-related question? Leave a comment or send your thoughts to Bee Louise's Bites at wright.brittany87@gmail.com








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