Fast Dinner Ideas?? WW

[Katy Belle]

Hello all! I'm on day 5 of WW. So far so good. I'm having some trouble planning ahead for meals. Three nights a week we get home from Tae Kwon Do at 6:30. My "desperation dinner" used to be grilled cheese and Ramen Noodles....so bad!

I need really quick dinner ideas! Last night I heated up fat free refried beans, low fat cheese in tortialla, with canned carrots and gr.beans/potatoes I had made at lunch. I am trying to plan ahead, but what do you do when time is non-existant and you're not prepared??

I also have a DH and 3 DS's to feed.

Thanks!
Katy :sunny:

[keenercam]

Katy -- If there is any way you can cook ahead of time, you may fall in love with that type of planning. Last night I cooked a bunch of chicken breast and boneless pork chops on my sunbeam grill. I also made a huge pot of cauliflower and some mixed veggies with some pasta mixed in. Right now in my freezer, I also have turkey meatloaf muffins, homemade chicken veggie soup and turkey chili. I eat dinner late so many nights. These are great options for real meals. I also try to have salad pre-made in the fridge at all times and can cut up some chicken and throw it on top of that. Whole wheat pasta with light spaghetti sauce is good. Light english muffins toasted with light sauce and low fat or fat free mozzarella. Canned soups that are lower in calories with grilled cheese (light or fat free cheese on low cal/high fiber bread) is a great option. I love having a package of tortillas in the fridge and stuff those with light lunch meats and lettuce and tomato. Another staple for me for dinner is eggbeaters. I often "reduce" salsa first, take it out of the saucepan, spray the saucepan with non-stick spray, cook the egg beaters most of the way, add the salsa, and sprinkle with light or nonfat cheese. Spread over toasted light english muffins. Very low points!
Enjoy! The planning is a lot of fun!

[Katy Belle]

Thanks! Those are some awesome ideas. I had thought that I need to be using my freezer and doing some stuff ahead, but haven't found the time. Where I live I cannot get many canned soups, or many light or fat free products. No salad in a bag. EVERYTHING takes prep it seems. More reason for me to be super prepared and get stuff around ahead of time. Sunday's are just hard, I teach an After School Activity from 3-4, then Tae Kwon Do for the boys from 5-6. I need to be super organized that day.

I am making a goal....I will make at least one type of soup on each weekend, and stash it in the freezer for fast meals.

Thanks!
Anyone else, any ideas?
Katy :sunny:

[keenercam]

Katy -- chili freezes really well. There is a great hearty turkey chili recipe on the WW website, if you have access to that. You can make it with any meat you want or just use refried beans in place of the meat. You may also want to make some turkey meatloaf and freeze in portions. Good luck! It is a lot of fun to puzzle this out. Like a quest!

[MickeyDee]

Crockpots can also be your friend!

I also throw a lot of pasta dishes together pretty quickly when I get home...and add a salad and depending on what you top the pasta with, you have a 5 to 7 point meal.

Hope this helps!