Quick Easy Dinners

Hi Friends!

I have another RD friend to introduce you to today, although I bet many of you are already familiar with this amazing lady! Anne from fANNEtastic food and I & took different paths to become RDs, but we both were blogging while we were in school and during our internship which is how we connected initially. Beyond having an amazing blog, Anne has started up her own private practice in DC that is wildly successful (she has a waiting list!!) and is doing great things in the RD world. I asked her to stop by today and share some quick easy dinners to help inspire you to eat healthy on those busy nights!

Hi there Lean Green Bean readers! I’m Anne, a Washington DC area Registered Dietitian and a food and fitness blogger over at fANNEtastic food. Thank you to Lindsay for having me here today! In honor of Lindsay and her husband becoming new parents, I thought it would be helpful to share some tips for throwing together quick and easy (but still healthy) weeknight dinners. Something we all need, right?

The key to a satisfying dinner is to include a combination of protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, etc.), healthy fat (nuts/seeds, oil, avocado), and carbs (aim for the least refined version – brown rice or another whole grain, minimally processed whole wheat/grain bread, whole grain or brown rice pasta, whole fruit, starchy veggies like potatoes or corn, etc.). The other key? Lots of volume from veggies to keep you full!

Here is a simple 6 step plan to build a healthy dinner:

1. Start with some sort of green. For warm meals, 1 huge handful fresh baby spinach – pop it in the microwave for 1 minute on high to wilt it. For cold meals, 1 huge handful of fresh salad greens – any kind. I’m loving arugula lately!
2. Add a carb – about 1/2 cup per plate. If you’re in a time crunch, try 90 second plain brown rice, or quinoa which only takes about 10 minutes to cook. A piece of toast, a wrap, fruit, or a starchy veg like a potato will work here, too!
3. Add some protein! My favorite easy protein is canned beans – about 1/2 cup. Other easy options are leftover meat, canned tuna, a fried egg or two, etc.
4. Toss in veggies – Anything you have lying around – this will add volume and fiber that help to keep you full.
5. Top with some healthy fat. Nuts, seeds, avocado, whatever you like! Cheese is cool, too – I love me some feta.
6. Dress it! This could be a vinaigrette, or salsa, or pasta sauce, or pesto, or anything that fits with your theme of the meal.

**Editor’s note from Lindsay- Make this even easier by doing a little sunday food prep! Make a batch of quinoa or rice to use during the week and cook up some hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, black beans, etc for protein! You can also prechop veggies like carrots, peppers and onions to save even more time!**

 

To get you started, here are two of my favorite combinations:

Mexican Mess

• Base of microwave steamed spinach or fresh greens
• ½ cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
• ½ cup black beans and/or chicken
• Chopped peppers and tomato
• ¼ an avocado
• 2 Tbsp. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup salsa, any kind

Quinoa Chickpea Salad

• Base of fresh greens
• ½ cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup chickpeas and/or canned tuna
• Chopped veggies – peppers, carrots, cucumber, etc.
• ¼ an avocado
• 1 Tbsp. feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinaigrette

Want an even easier version of the above quinoa chickpea dish? Try my vegan 4 Ingredient Quinoa Salad!

 

Another of my favorite easy dinners is simply two fried eggs atop microwave-steamed spinach with a side of sweet potato or toast with nut butter. Try it – the runny yolk is delicious with the steamed spinach.

Want some other dinner ideas that are still quick? Here are a few of my favorite super quick and easy dinner recipes:

• Mexican Lasagna (my husband LOVES this)
• {Ridiculously Easy} Crockpot Curry Chicken
• Lemon and Herb Fish
• Pesto Baked Salmon with Veggies
• Saucy Tomato & Spinach Chicken
• Sweet Potato & Lentil Coconut Curry
• Mexican Brown Rice Casserole

 

I also share a bunch more in this post: Quick and Healthy Dinner Recipes, if you’re interested! And along those lines, here are a few more relevant previous posts of mine that you might find helpful:

• 10 Healthy On the Go Snack Recipes
• 4 Healthy, Quick, and Portable Breakfast Ideas
• How to make time for health when you’re busy
• How to pack lunch in 5 minutes flat

Thank you again to Lindsay for having me here today!
————-

[Tweet “Check out these quick, easy dinner ideas from @fannetasticfood and @leangrnbeanblog for busy nights!”]

Thanks to Anne for all of these great ideas! Let’s chat:

What are your favorite quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–