Easy Nutrient Dense Meals For Busy Families
by Tracy Shaw
Get ready for the back-to-school season with easy and nutritious meal ideas for busy families. From hearty breakfasts like easy avocado and egg toast to fun lunchbox eats like BBQ chicken taquitos, these nutrient-dense meals will keep your family healthy and energized all day long. The 2024 Back To School Campaign has raised $14,000 for the Foundation For Fresh Produce to support children’s accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to our amazing partners, like YoQuiero! Brands.
Back to school season is here. I was at the store the other day and the summer items were already on clearance and the Back To School section had taken over. The long, lazy days of summer will be gone, and all of the hustle and bustle of a new school year will be here. With all of the activity of a new school year and getting back into a routine comes the need for nutrient rich meals to keep your family healthy and strong.
Making sure that your family is eating nutrient dense meals isn’t hard if you know what kinds of foods will help you to accomplish your goals. Let’s talk about some easy nutrient dense meals for busy families that everyone will love!
Breakfast
You can’t expect to have the best day possible if you don’t start it off with a hearty, filling, and delicious breakfast. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of time prepping in the kitchen, because let’s be honest…no one has time for that! Some days I’m lucky if my socks match never mind making breakfast and lunch for everyone! So, here are some nutrient dense breakfast ideas to get you started. That are easy peasy to make and customize!
Avocado and Egg
Start the day off right with some avocado and egg. It’s easy, quick, delicious, and good for you! You can be out the door in minutes with toast topped with avocado and egg, and the avocado and egg are already prepared for you! Say what?! YES! Have you seen these in stores yet? Oh my goodness, they are an avocado toast game changer, you literally just have to add your favorite toast!
Different ways to serve Avocado and Egg
Now that you know you want to add those avocado and egg minis to your life, let’s chat about yummy ways to use them. Chelsea LeBlanc, RDN used them to make a simple and delicious brunch board that her family gobbled up. Simply spread the avocado egg (she used the crushed red pepper variety) and then top with cheese, some sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil and serve! Feel free to customize the toppings of your Avocado Egg Brunch Board.
You can also serve avocado and egg on a piece of toast (or bagel or pita or simply with a spoon…) with your favorite toppings! Make your toast, spread on the fresh avocado topping that is loaded with hard boiled eggs and seasonings already, and add fresh toppings like tomatoes and herbs for a fresh and easy breakfast that will have you out the door in minutes.
Health Benefits of Avocado and Egg
Not only is this a tasty breakfast, but it’s also good for you and makes a great snack too. Avocados are nutrient dense and full of healthy fats, fiber, and more than a handful of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.
Eggs are a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids, antioxidants, choline (which helps to keep your cells healthy), and vitamins and minerals. When you put avocado and egg together they become even more nutritious! They promote a healthy brain, great sleep, and good heart and mental health, plus they taste amazing!
Julie Lopez, registered dietitian and chef weighed in saying the combination of avocado and eggs provides a balance of healthy fats, high-quality protein, and essential vitamins. Avocados offer heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber, while eggs are an excellent source of complete protein and important nutrients like choline and vitamin D. Together, they make a satisfying and nutrient-dense meal that supports overall health and wellness.
Avocado Overnight Oats
Avocados for breakfast don’t just have to be served on toast, they also make delicious overnight oats! Don’t you just love waking up and knowing that a nutrient-filled breakfast is already waiting for you? These avocado overnight oats are so easy to make with mashed avocado, rolled oats, your choice of milk, a hint of vanilla, and a little honey or maple syrup for sweetness. Top them with some granola and your favorite fresh fruit and breakfast is served!
Lunch
Breakfast may be considered the most important meal of the day, but lunch is pretty important too, especially if you want your kiddos to be able to pay attention in their afternoon classes. Lunch doesn’t have to be a sandwich every day, it should be something that your kids can get excited about! Want to know another secret to get kids excited about lunchtime? Pack one of these lunch box jokes into their lunch bag. The kids will love it, and they’ll be the comedian at the lunch table!
Easy BBQ Chicken Taquitos
The kids will love opening up their lunchbox and finding these tasty BBQ chicken taquitos. They are great way to use leftover shredded chicken and they are full of protein. You can even let the kids come help in the kitchen to make them. Pack these up with some guacamole for dipping and some fresh fruit and a nutrient-dense lunch is served!
Homemade Lunchables
We all know how excited kids get about the Lunchables you find at the grocery store, but you can make them so much healthier, more customizable, and cheaper by creating your own Lunchables at home! All you need are your child’s favorite lunch meat, cheese, and crackers. You can also include some of their favorite fruit, and maybe some pretzels and a single-serving guacamole on the side.
Dinner
Getting dinner on the table every night that the whole family will not only eat but enjoy can be a challenge. You can’t go wrong with tacos and burgers though 😉 Check out these recipes for dinner tonight!
The Ultimate Taco Board
This ultimate taco board is a nutritious and delicious way to shake up taco Tuesday once school is back in session. It’s easy to make, and versatile too. You can use seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken, hard or soft shell tacos, corn, black beans, and of course lots of fresh veggies like bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Make sure to include all your favorite dips like: guacamole, salsa, queso, and bean dip on your board!
Spicy Queso Burgers
Everyone will be excited when they find our burgers are what’s for dinner, but not just any burgers…spicy queso burgers. These burgers can be hot and fresh off of the grill or griddle and on your dinner table in under 30 minutes. The addition of queso and jalapenos gives these burgers a little spicy kick that really enhances the flavors. Prepare your other favorite burger toppings like caramelized onions and mushrooms, or even guacamole, and let everyone create their own burger masterpiece for dinner. Pair these burgers with an easy salad and you have a nutrient rich meal the whole family will love!
Getting your family all of the nutrition that they need can be a challenge. Providing nutrient dense meals and snacks throughout the day can help. Be sure to take advantage of excellent kitchen shortcuts and yummy recipes you can find here to help master the back to school season and beyond!
Need more tips on getting back into the groove for the new school year? Here at the Healthy Family Project we always want to help families be their very best. Check out our Back To School page for lots of great tips, recipes, and more!
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