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50 (Simple) Healthy Meals for Busy Moms

January 24, 2022 By Lisa Mullen Leave a Comment

After struggling week after week to come up with healthy meals that were feasible for this season of life, I scoured the Internet and made a list I could reference while meal planning. It has been so helpful for me, I’m now sharing it with you!

50 Simple Healthy Meals for Busy Moms | The Merry Momma

**Links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that if you click that link and purchase the product, I may receive a small compensation. I am, however, committed to honestly assessing the products mentioned. Please read my disclosure policy for more details. **

 

My goal is always to feed my family mostly healthy food so I can fuel our bodies well (more on that in a bit). I mean, do we love our pizzas and our cheeseburgers? Yes, yes we do. But as our norm, I try to fill our menu with healthy meals.

Related Post: How to Meal Plan in 30 Minutes or Less

However, it’s HARD to find healthy meals that are feasible for this season of life. At this point, I’m just not interested in ones that have long lists of crazy ingredients, require hours of my time, or are going to blow our entire month’s food budget. And since we like a lot of variety in our meals, I found myself constantly struggling week after week to come up with meals that fit my criteria.

After growing weary of the same dance every Sunday evening (when I do my meal planning), I decided to invest some time searching for and creating a list of healthy meals. And it was time well-spent! 

Since it has been so helpful to me, I thought I would share my list with you!




My “Healthy Food” Philosophy

Before we get to the list, however, I should clarify my definition of “healthy meals.” I base my food choices (and teach my kids to think about theirs) on the philosophy of “food is fuel.” As with the gas you put in your vehicle, the quality of food we put in our bodies affects how well it will run. So, that’s my motivation. Not having the lowest amount of calories or achieving a certain body type, but rather giving our bodies the nutrients and energy we need to function well and feel our best after eating.

Everyone has a different definition of “healthy,” so I fully expect there to be meals on my list that you think, “How in the world does she call that healthy??” I’ll tell you right up front – I steer clear of fad diets and eliminations. I don’t do them. I also don’t do complicated. My approach to a “healthy diet” is to try to stick to real, whole foods (in moderation) that are full of nutrients.

If your concept of healthy food differs from mine, that’s ok! Take what you can from my list, and skip the rest.

No more "what's for dinner?" stress -- click to learn more!

50 Simple, Healthy Meal Ideas

Looking for healthy meals to include in your meal plan rotation? Here are 50 healthy meals that are simple (and affordable) enough for busy moms.

**Note: Again, everyone has a different definition of “healthy,” but I chose meals that call for mostly real food (or the possibility of real food substitutions) and are high in nutritional content.

Breakfasts

  1. Oatmeal – of alllll kinds! 
  2. Scrambled Eggs – throw in some veggies for even more nutrition!
  3. Egg Muffin cups
  4. Whole wheat pancakes/waffles – I use the recipe from this 100 Days of Real Food cookbook
  5. Whole wheat muffins
  6. Smoothies
  7. Breakfast burritos – you can use whole wheat or wheat alternative wraps
  8. Breakfast burrito jars – I love this bread-free option!
  9. Chia pudding
  10. Whole wheat zucchini or banana bread
  11. Parfaits – with plain yogurt (sweetened with a bit of honey) and homemade granola 
  12. Chocolate Quinoa Muffins 
  13. Instant Pot steel cut oats – the ONLY way I like steel cut oats
  14. Easy Homemade Granola 
  15. Nut butter on whole wheat toast with bananas

Related Post: 12 (Real Food) Make-Ahead Breakfasts

Lunch

For healthy lunch ideas, visit these posts:
7 Simple Healthy Lunch Ideas for Moms
15 Easy, Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids

Dinners

For any meal ideas below that don’t have recipe links (or even if they do and you want other options), simply google whatever I have listed, and you’ll find lots of varieties to try!

  1. Grain bowls
  2. Healthy White Chicken Chili
  3. Honey Garlic Chicken
  4. Sautéed marinated chicken slices (can be used on grains, pasta, salads, sandwiches, etc.)
  5. Burrito bowls – can use chicken, pork, beef, or beans
  6. Tex Mex Chicken & Zucchini
  7. Mexican Chicken & Rice
  8. Stir-fry
  9. Mexican Cauliflower Rice
  10. Chicken Curry
  11. Fajitas – I like making sheet pan fajitas
  12. One Pot Chicken Quinoa
  13. Zucchini Turkey Meatballs
  14. Baked or grilled fish
  15. Honey Garlic Shrimp
  16. Chicken and Lentil Soup (Instant Pot)
  17. Chicken Noodle Soup – I make mine with homemade chicken broth and LOTS of veggies
  18. Taco Soup – I make the seasoning mixes instead of using packaged
  19. Chili 
  20. Turkey Meatball Soup
  21. Quinoa Enchilada Bake OR Southwest Quinoa Salad
  22. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
  23. IP spaghetti (can make this healthier by using whole grain or veggie pasta, though I haven’t mastered the perfect cook times for those yet)
  24. Vegetable Soup
  25. Sheet pan gnocchi and veggies
  26. Sheet pan greens and beans
  27. Kabobs
  28. Ham & Bean Soup
  29. Honey-Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
  30. Sheet pan chicken & veggies – There are tons of recipes and variations online. Google “sheet pan chicken + [whatever veggies you have on hand]”
  31. Stuffed Peppers – I like them “deconstructed”, or you could try them with quinoa!
  32. Spaghetti squash “spaghetti”
  33. Cauliflower “fried rice”
  34. Garlic Chicken & Veggie Pasta
  35. Slow cooker pineapple salsa chicken

For healthy snack ideas, visit this post: 25 Healthy Snacks Your Kids Will Love



SHARE WITH US: Do you have simple healthy meal ideas? Please share them in the comments! I’d LOVE to hear them!

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

  • How to Cook Real Food on a Budget
  • 25 Meatless Meals (That Aren’t Pasta)
  • 7 Ways to Raise Healthy Eaters
  • Easy, Healthy 3-Ingredient Popsicles

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About Me


Hi, I’m Lisa! I am first and foremost a child of God, and secondly a wife and mother of two precious little misters and one sweet little missy.

I'm here to encourage, inspire, and offer practical help for moms to empower them be the joyful, peaceful, and intentional mom they want to be!

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