Is it just me or does eating healthy meals on a regular basis seem like a monumental challenge? I know I should eat more fruits and veggies, and fewer, healthier carbs. I know that quick, ready to eat meals are never the healthiest options. But I’m also a busy mom of 7 and there’s only so much time in a day. If I’m going to have any success sticking to my nutrition goals, I need a meal plan. In this post I’ll share my 3-Day Healthy Meal Plan with you.
What’s Healthy?
There are multiple definitions of Healthy eating out there. For me and this post I’ll stick to a very basic, loose definition. When I say healthy I mean whole foods, fresh or frozen produce and more nutrient rich carbohydrates. I mean lean meats and minimal dairy. I mean trying to eat multiple servings of fruit and vegetables every day. And in keeping with this natural living lifestyle I’m trying to achieve, I mean minimal to no toxic ingredients like copious amounts of sugar or sodium, preservatives and dyes.
I like variety, if I eat the same thing too many times in a row, I get bored. When I get bored, I go off plan. These recipe ideas are mix & match – meaning I have the same basic meal, but I change what I put in it from day to day. So, while technically only 9 ideas, designed for 3 Days’ worth of meals, I’ll repeat days and get weeks of healthy eating in at a time!
3 Days of Healthy Breakfast Meals
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I’ve recently become a big fan of smoothies. With smoothies you can pack in a bunch of nutrition in just one cup! I wasn’t a fan for a long time because I had an old blender, the one that I got for my wedding almost 20 years ago! It gave me chunky smoothies I had to eat. About a year ago for Christmas the husband got me a new Vitamix Blender! Now smoothies are my favorite meal in this 3 day healthy meal plan for busy moms!
- Basic Smoothie Recipe : 8oz of Milk (non dairy ), 2 oz NingXia Red, 1 Scoop of NingXia Greens (or any other greens powder you like), 2 scoops of protein powder, and 1 cup frozen fruit (I like mixed berries or tropical fruit mix.) Sometimes I’ll even add an extra handful of fresh greens if I have them in the fridge!
2. Perfect Parfait: 1 4oz cup of Greek non-fat yogurt, About a quarter cup of granola, mixed fresh berries or canned peaches, often times I’ll add a scoop of NingXia Greens to this for added nutrients!
3. Egg Scramble: 2 eggs, Chopped veggies – sometimes bell peppers, or a handful of spinach or mushrooms are my favorites, A bit of cheese, like feta or cheddar, and a TBS of Salsa or tsp. of seasoning depending on what flavor profile I’m going for.
If I have some roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes left in the fridge, I’ll warm those up and have them on the side – so good!
3 Days of Healthy Meals: Lunch
Lunch preparation for me needs to be the quickest and easiest of the day. I’m often at my busiest in the middle of the day. Often times the twins are napping, and I can get some work done. When I’m working, I get so engaged and excited about what I’m doing that I lose track of time easily. If the twins are not napping, well – they take up most of my attention and energy! This is the meal I use the most prepared products to make.
Prepared But Healthier
I try to get products that are healthier versions of the standard sugar and dye filled ones on the shelves. One of my favorite brands to substitute with is Primal Kitchen. They have healthier versions of salad dressings, BBQ Sauce, Pasta Sauces and more. I suppose I should have titled this post 3 Day Healthy (ish) Meal Plan – but that’s not as catchy.
4. Salad: 2 cups of prepared chopped salad greens. 4 oz of protein (I’ll do rotisserie chicken, or leftover ground meat, sometimes even canned salmon.) About a quarter cup of leftover rice, or roasted sweet potatoes. And half the dressing and toppings that come in the prepared salad kit (I’ll use the rest another day.) If it’s a kale salad, I’ll add some chopped apple. If it’s an Asian flavored salad I’ll add some chopped pears. Yay for more fruit!
5. Stir Fry: 2 Cups of Frozen or fresh stir fry veggies. 4 oz of protein (leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even canned salmon.) ¼ cup of rice (either leftover or ready rice.) And some of the prepared sauce that comes in the kit or some healthier teriyaki sauce if I have it.
6. Roasted Vegetables and Pasta: 2 Cups frozen roasted vegetable blend. 4oz of Protein (whatever I have and think will go with the veggies.) ¼ cup of prepared tortellini or ravioli. And some red or white sauce.
3 Days of Healthy Dinner Meals
A 3 Day Healthy Meal Plan wouldn’t be complete without some dinner recipe ideas.
7. Soup
I have lots of soup recipes my family enjoys. Favorites include Lemon Chicken Orzo soup, and Skinny Cheeseburger soup from this box. Chicken Tortilla soup and Shrimp & corn chowder, there are so many options! Which is ideal for a variety lover like me. I can’t just share one recipe with you. I suppose this is why I called them recipe ideas, instead of just saying recipes. This is the basic, flexible meal plan that I use. I hope it’s something you can stick with, especially when things get busy.
Soups are packed with nutrients, in the broth and vegetables like onions, carrots and celery. They use seasonings like garlic, oregano, and ginger, all of which have health benefits in their own right. The ones I make all include a protein and often a carbohydrate.
Soups work perfect for busy nights! I can dump everything in the crockpot, set it and forget it until its time to eat! I recommend you find a few soup recipes your family enjoys and rotate them out like I do.
8. Taco bowls: 1-2 lbs lean ground beef. (or turkey etc…), Taco seasoning, Rice, Cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, lettuce and tomato. Or, more often than not, I’ll get a southwest flavored chopped salad to throw in the bowl. Guacamole, salsa and plain Greek yogurt make for great toppings as well.
I love this meal, and variations of it, because the kids all get to pick what and how much goes into their bowls. They’re all much happier when I give them choices.
I wish I knew a better name for the following, but since I basically throw everything on a sheet pan (or 2 for my sized family) and stick it in the oven – that’s what you’re going to get:
Last But Not Least
9. Sheet Pan Meals: 1.5-2 lbs of cubed chicken or 2 lbs of Pork Tenderloin, 2-4 Potatoes, baby reds, sweet or russet, cubed, 2 lbs or so of fresh or frozen chopped vegetables of all kinds – whatever is in season.
If it’s the chicken I throw everything in a bowl, add a little olive oil and seasoning of choice – ranch, Italian or if we’re feeling adventurous that night, Cajun) Then I mix it all up, spread it on a sheet pan and bake until ready.
If it’s the pork, I’ll season it and put it on a pan and then I’ll do the above with the vegetables and put it all in the oven at the same time.
With this meal, I let the kids pick a dressing or sauce to drizzle over the top if they want to!
There you have it! A 3 Day (or more!) Healthy Meal Plan for busy moms.
Want More?
Try 12 Must-Have Essential Oils for Beginners or Back-to-School Wellness Tips; I wrote it during back to school season but the natural wellness tips in the post are great anytime of the year!
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