Staring into a refrigerator full of healthy food but certain that you have nothing to eat at home?
Been there! Here are two surprising tricks I use personally to fix that problem fast.
1. Find a base for your meal.
For me, this means finding a protein. Are there chicken tenders in the freezer? Are there eggs? (Breakfast for dinner!) Find a star for your meal and let the side dishes fall where they may. There is nothing wrong with combining scrambled eggs, olives, green beans, and a serving of pasta if that’s what you come up with. Free yourself from the rules of what a meal has to look like and just find a base that you can build on. Some of my favorite combos that come together in less than 10 minutes:
- Toast (in my case, I make arepas) topped with a little mayo or avocado, sliced hard boiled egg, greens, and salt and pepper
- Eggs poached in tomato sauce, topped with oregano and an optional sprinkle of feta or goat cheese
- Red pepper strips sauteed with any other veggie that is laying around + leftover chicken – home fajitas! Add hot sauce as needed.
- Leftover ANYTHING wrapped in lettuce leaves with sliced avocado.
- Leftover chicken, shredded and mixed with barbecue sauce, served with black beans, rice, and a veggie (or whatever is in your fridge) – works with turkey or ground beef too.
2. Give up.
Sometimes we just can’t get it together. I understand. Houston is now full of meal delivery services that can bring you healthy takeout in 30-45 minutes. My favorites:
- Uber Eats (use code eats-elizabeths1260 to save $10 off your first order!):
Adair Kitchen (delicious salads, bowls, and juices)
Snap Kitchen (y’all they are bringing Snap Kitchen to your house. NO EXCUSES.)
El Tiempo (try their fajitas, grilled chicken, and salads…and try to remember that one serving of chips is just 12, ok?)
DGN Factory (dosas are giant Indian crepes made from lentils – think big, fluffy pancake rolled around all kinds of delicious veggies) - DoorDash (use this link to get your first delivery free http://drd.sh/h5u1Af/)
Peli Peli (a little pricier than the other options, but great if you’re craving new flavors)
Peru Cafe Express (try the Aji de Gallina, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Steak, or even the ceviche – and try the plantains, peruvian corn, salad, or even the yucca as your side dishes)
Skewers (try any of their kabobs!)
Federal American Grill (I’m in love with their salads – just make sure the dressing is on the side because they are generous with it)
Aladdin (literally everything I’ve ever tried here has been delicious, so just focus on watching your pita bread portion size)
The theme behind all of these picks? Quality protein cooked responsibly + plenty of veggies on the side. And all you had to do was click a few times!
Some more takeout tips:
- Get healthy takeout to celebrate your meal prep day. I don’t always want to cook dinner after cooking for the entire week, so I usually plan to eat my restaurant meal for the week on prep day.
- Don’t rely on takeout too much – homemade food will help you reach your goals more quickly than takeout because you know what’s in it and how it was made. Restaurant food sometimes tastes SOGOOD because of all of the extra fat and salt.
- Steal inspiration from your favorite takeout places and learn to make a sauce or two that will help your own cooking taste more like that restaurant’s dishes. Let me know if you get stuck – I have lots of experience with this one thanks to my allergies.
