The biggest obstacle I hear from the people I coach is that they “just don’t have time.” People are SO busy today with work, families, managing a house, and the million other things that come up.

So, it’s too often that they find themselves grabbing food for convenience – food that not only doesn’t serve their bodies but that also ends up negatively impacting the family and their waistlines. This leads to further guilt and a vicious cycle begins.

It breaks my heart to see these smart, hard-working, and deserving people go down the rabbit hole of convenience because they just don’t know another way. So, I’m here to help! ?

Check out my strategies for healthy, fast and convenient dinners (or whichever meal you choose):

1. Pre-cook proteins and pre-wash/chop veggies. You can do this 1-2 times a week depending on time. I’m a fan of the Sunday ritual where you prep and portion for the entire week. Simply grill or bake enough protein to sustain dinner each week. You can prep the veggies to be prepared on the spot in the evening before dinner or in advance like the protein. Heck, throw it all on the grill.

2. Purchase pre-chopped veggies. If to the first point you were thinking…”Yeah, but the part I HATE is washing and chopping.” Pretty much every grocery store sells vegetables that are ready to throw in a pan, in the oven, or on a grill. It’ll typically cost you a little bit more, but it’s worth it if this is what it takes to make the right choice.

3. The 10-minute, minimal effort meal. Here is a favorite strategy: Rotisserie chicken, steam-in-a-bag veggies, and wrapped microwavable sweet potato. Serve the chicken, grab 1-2 cups of veggies for your plate out of the bag (season if you like), and eat half the potato with a little bit of grass-fed butter. And you’ve got leftovers!

4. Crock pot meals. It doesn’t get much easier than throwing a bunch of ingredients in a crock pot in the morning then coming home to a fully prepared meal (and a house that smells awesome). This also requires minimal clean up and is definitely easy to make in large portions so you’ve got leftovers! And nowadays, the Instapot makes this process even quicker.

Still not quite going to work? Here are my GRAB AND GO strategies!

1. Hit the hot bar. Have a grocery store like Whole Foods nearby? Chances are they have an awesome hot bar!

2. Healthy take-out. This is easier to find than you think. I love Asian restaurants for this because you can almost always find grilled protein (I like the shrimp or chicken) and veggies. You’ll typically be able to get a few servings out of it too, so you’ve got lunch for the next day!

Believe me, I am all about convenience when it comes to food, so I always suggest making more than you need so you’ve got leftovers!

And when my hubby or I cooks – usually it’s him 😉 – we keep it SUPER SIMPLE! Check out this Beef Stir Fry:

• 1lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large bell pepper (any color)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Heat a sauté pan to medium high. Add coconut oil and let it melt. Add the onion and let it start to turn translucent. Add the bell peppers. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook to desired temperature. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Just throw this in a bowl and eat it as is. This makes about 3-4 servings. You can also serve this with a half cup of quinoa. How is easy is that!? Under 15 minutes!

Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Yours in Health,

Heather Binns