Fall is definitely here. School feels like it’s already been happening for months. Sports and weekend activities are in full swing. There is often not a minute to waste and easy “no-cook” meals can be a life-saver. If you search for this type of meals on Google, you may end up with a lot of sugary options, so I wanted to have a short blog about some healthy recipes you can use for yourself and your family.
Another reason that inspired me to write about this is all the horrible hurricanes happening and knocking out water and power! These recipes can be made without a stove or microwave.
For kids:
- Fruit salad: this is one of my favorite things to make with my kids because they actually make these themselves. I give them a bunch of toothpicks and cut up fruits and they assemble the “fruit salad” themselves. We often use strawberries, blueberries, grapes, raspberries, and cantaloupe. It is really a winning option because it keeps them occupied for like 15-20 minutes before dinner and you can use that for yourself!
- Sandwiches: this is the obvious one but I like to keep them extra healthy by using whole wheat bread and peanut butter only or hummus. Somehow, we got very lucky and my kids will eat those.
- Smoothies and parfaits: self-explanatory. I have written up my smoothie recipes before. I like to use whole or low fat Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain), bananas, and any berries I have with a splash of orange juice for some extra sweetness. For parfaits, you can use the same yogurt and layer fruits and any nuts your kids like on top or some granola or cereal. This is what you want to do if you don’t have access to a blender!
For adults:
- Healthy chicken or egg salad: you can use left over rotisserie chicken or hard-boiled eggs but instead of mayo, use avocado. I will use half an avocado for 6 eggs and add some salt and lemon juice to taste. I eat it with whole wheat wraps for breakfast or lunch. For the chicken salad, you can combine as much as you like and also add salt and lemon. Herbs are also great with the chicken (dill or parsley).
- Skewers: I use this for a snack. Grape tomatoes, basil leaves, and mozzarella balls are always a great choice. I will drizzle balsamic vinegar on top and serve them as appetizers at parties as well. You can skewer anything you like: olives, figs, dates, any hard cheese in a cube, salami, and grapes are some examples.
- Salads: left-over rotisserie chicken or canned tuna are the best protein to start a no-cook salad with but you can also do a lot of side salads if you don’t have any meat or I use turkey from the deli for my lunch every day. Pick a base (I do baby spinach or romaine), a cheese (I like feta, blue, or goat), and add any other veggies you have. I love tomato, cucumbers, and avocado but other raw vegetables you can add are red onions, peppers, carrots, or canned corn or peas as well. Mix it up! I stick with olive oil and salt to dress my salads. Fruits are great additions for salads. I love doing spinach, pears, dried cranberries, and blue or goat cheese. You can add pine nuts, walnuts, or any other nut you like to this type of salad as well.
Bonus last course:
- This is not a healthy one but fun to make with the kids! Take marshmallows and skewer them with a pretzel stick. Melt some chocolate in a pan or microwave (semi-sweet chips work) and dip the end of the marshmallow not attached to the pretzel stick. Quickly dip that side over Graham cracker crust and you have a delicious and fun activity for your kids! Let them set for a minute or so.