5 Meals in 5 Minutes


5 meals in 5 minutes

By Kristin Neusel, MS, RD, LD, CDCES

Raise your hand if you’re like me and never have enough time to make meals!

With busy schedules, it is becoming harder and harder to find the time to focus on meal prepping and planning.

And we all know what happens when we don’t have something ready—we tend to grab something quick and on the go that may not necessarily be a healthy choice.

To prevent this from happening, I’ve got some quick and easy meals to share with you.

Be sure to have the ingredients handy for when you’re in a bind and need something quick—or, these may be your new go-to’s!

It’s a great idea to have chopped, pre washed veggies on hand if you know you don’t have the time to wash and cut yourself.

These recipes are full of fiber to help feed the gut microbiome as well as slow the absorption of glucose- a win-win situation!

Meal #1: Egg-in-a-Mug
Ingredients:
  • 2 eggs
  • Your favorite omelette ingredients like peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, cheese
Instructions:
  1. Whisk the eggs in a bowl.
  2. Pour the eggs in the mug and add your favorite toppings (try for veggies to add in that fiber!).
  3. Pop in the microwave for 1 minute, then take out and stir well. Then pop back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Enjoy!
Tip: You can easily put some avocado on top for added fiber.
Meal #2: Hummus Veggie Bowl
Ingredients:
  • Hummus
  • Cucumbers
  • Shredded carrots
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Shredded, pre-cooked chicken
  • Feta cheese
  • Black pepper
Instructions:
  1. Spread hummus on the bottom of the bowl.
  2. Toss in your veggies: carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes.
  3. Top with chicken, feta cheese, and black pepper.
Meal #3: Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients:
  • Cauliflower rice
  • Mixed veggies (fresh or frozen will do here)
  • Eggs, whisked together
  • Teriyaki sauce
  • Ground flax seed
Instructions:
  1. Cook the cauliflower rice per package instructions, adding in the mixed veggies.
  2. Add eggs- these will form a scrambled egg you can break up.
  3. Toss in teriyaki sauce and ground flax seed (your punch of fiber you won’t even know is there!).
  4. Cook until done. Enjoy!
Remember: have these quick, easy foods on hand to skip the prep work that is usually required for these meals. Adding in chia seeds, veggies, and ground flax seeds are easy ways to pack in fiber. Hopefully these will help you manage both your time and your blood sugar!

Meal #4: Speedy Salad
Ingredients:
  • Pre-cooked shredded roasted turkey
  • Arugula
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Cucumbers
  • Your favorite dressing (olive oil + white wine vinegar mixed together at home with salt & pepper is easy, affordable, and all natural!)
  • Craisins
  • Almonds
Tip: Add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds for some added crunch and a punch of fiber!

Instructions:
  1. Toss all ingredients except the craisins and almonds into a bowl, being sure to coat to taste with dressing. 
  2. Top the salad with the craisins and almonds. Enjoy!
Meal #5: Chicken Stir Fry
Purchase some pre-cooked, shredded chicken and chopped veggies and store these in the fridge until it’s go time! 

Ingredients:
  • Pre-cooked, shredded chicken
  • Chopped veggies (zucchini, carrots, peppers, cauliflower- could be a mix of any of your favorites)
  • Soy sauce (just a splash will do)
  • 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, depending on how much you’re cooking
  • Garlic (to taste...so for my husband, LOTS!)
Instructions:
  1. Heat up a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
  2. Add all of the ingredients to the pan, tossing to coat the chicken & veggies in the liquids/garlic
  3. Cook until chicken and veggies are cooked through, enjoy!
Remember, eggs and all ground meats must be cooked to 160°F; poultry and fowl to 165°F; and fresh meat steaks, chops and roasts to 145°F. 
 

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