Lazy hazy crazy days

On a good day I’ve prepped and planned and we have a healthy yummy meal for dinner. On a bad day, it’s hola Taco John’s. Or bonjourno Papa Murphy’s. Or Ni hao China Tiger.

Ok so we don’t actually get take out that often, but still- from time to time we’re alllllll caught in the lazy/busy/haven’t-been-grocery-shopping-in-awhile trap. It can be super helpful to have frozen meals stockpiled in advance. These tend to have a bad rap, but really they can be done right! You may think of sodium when you think of frozen meals, and while these do have around 500-600 mg (about 25% of your daily needs), it's not like you would be doing these for every single meal every single day. Here are some of my fave pics.

Lean Cuisine Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

So this by itself is nutritionally not an all-star. It’s heavy on the carbs without any veggies at all. Buuuut, how easy is it to add some chunks of frozen pre-cooked chicken and a bag of frozen broccoli? Use the pasta as a foundation and add whatever proteins and veggies combo sounds good- shrimp ‘n’ peppers, tuna ‘n’ peas, lean ground beef ‘n’ canned tomatoes- the list goes on and on.

Lean Cuisine Paninins

At 330 calories, these are some of the higher calorie entrees that Lean Cuisine offers, but it’s still a reasonable meal- esp paired with a piece of fruit or side salad. The bread actually does seem toasted and the sandwich is pretty filling.

MorningStar Farms Meatless Burgers

Love love love these products. Pre cooked AND tasty. Each variety tends to be about 110 calories, so I’ll usually double up and put two patties on a whole grain sandwich thin (hint- these free well too!) and a slice of cheese for a super filling burger.

SmartOnes Chicken Enchilada Suiza

On it’s own it’s 290 calories. Add 1/3 cup canned black beans to the rice mix to really bump up the protein and fiber

SmartOnes Sesame Noodles with Vegetables

These tend to be pretty stingy with broccoli, so add a heap of frozen broccoli to bulk it up and add more fiber and nutrients.

You get the gist of it- feel free to keep these stashed in the freezer, but also think of easy add-ins that keep on the shelf or in the freezer as well. And ultimately- ditch the guilt about having a lazy or crazy night where you don't actually cook!