Quick, easy and nutritious weekday meals for busy families

Easy meal ideas for busy weeknights

This might sound a bit strange coming from a nutritionist but dinner is my least favourite meal to prepare, especially on busy weekdays.

I try to choose quick, easy options that can be put together with minimal stress while juggling work and taking the kids to after-school activities.

I thought it might be helpful to share a few healthy and nutritious meals that are super easy and quick to put together on those days where you don't have the time (or energy) to be stuck in the kitchen.

The main thing I'm keen to point out is that there are always vegetables included in every meal. I know I go on about this a lot (sorry...) but the majority of people are not eating enough vegetables and they are super important for our health. I recommend always trying to include some form of vegetables with your meals - and preferably breakfast, lunch and snacks too! 🥦

🥘 Monday - Mexican bowl

We try to do meat-free Monday most weeks and this is one of my easy go-to options. If your family is not keen on vegetarian meals (like my third child), you could always add some lean beef mince to the bean sauce.

Here is the recipe - https://www.nourishtothrive.com.au/blog-1/mexican-bowl

🫔 Tuesday - Chicken schnitzel wraps

The healthiest option when it comes to schnitzel is to crumb the chicken breasts yourself as many of the cheaper commercial chicken schnitzels contain a lot of additives and fillers (and less than 50% chicken!). Having said that, I'm a big believer in keeping it real so if you are time-poor, I recommend free-range chicken schnitzels from brands like Woolworths Macro or Lilydale.

If you have hungry teenagers or adults with bigger appetites, you will probably need to double the serving (2 schnitzels and 2 wraps). 

🍲 Wednesday - Baked beans with hard boiled egg and baby spinach

I usually make my own baked beans using this recipe (https://skinnymixers.com.au/skinnymixers-smokey-baked-beans-2/).

You can still make a nutritious meal from tinned baked beans but bear in mind that they are usually much higher in sugar and salt than the homemade version.

I like to sprinkle dulse flakes (a type of seaweed) on top of the baked beans for an extra iodine boost.

If you have hungry teenagers or adults with bigger appetites, you will probably need to double the serving (2 slices of toast and 2 eggs).

🍜 Thursday - Healthy 2-minute noodles

I am not a fan of supermarket instant noodles due to the amount of harmful additives in the flavour sachets. I'm concerned about how many children eat them on a regular basis and was surprised to find out that they served them in my son's primary school canteen (they were super popular...).

This meal takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and is way healthier than the chemical-laden commercial alternative!

I cook the noodles in boiling water (with a bit of bone broth powder added) and throw the veggies in the saucepan at the same time. When the noodles are soft, I mix in the shredded chicken breast and season with Herbamare (herb salt). Easy!

If you have hungry teenagers or adults with bigger appetites, you will need to increase the amount of chicken to make sure they have enough protein.

🍣 Friday - Salmon "sushi" bowls

We regularly eat deconstructed sushi bowls and alternate between salmon and tuna. For this meal, I start by cooking the sushi rice, adding two teaspoons of bone broth powder to the cooking water for an extra nutrient boost. I then sprinkle Moroccan seasoning on the salmon (dukkah works well too) and cook it in the air fryer or frying pan. All that is left to do after that is to assemble the bowl. Most of my family likes to top the bowl with sriracha and soy sauce (or tamari) but my picky eater prefers to eat it plain.

Enjoy! 😋