On the subject of healthy eating, former Stanford strength coach, nationally-ranked Equinox trainer and healthy lifestyle blogger, Will Maloney, opens up his menu of fast and nutritious options from his days running the healthy meal delivery service Metabolic Kitchen.
There are few more frustrating endings to an otherwise great day than getting home and realizing you have no time or ingredients to make a proper meal. The fridge becomes a glorified vending machine, as we look for something simple to throw together. Take-out is an option, of course, but that gets expensive after a few nights and the options are rarely healthy.
Still, if you're like me, you're not looking to put on an apron and cook up a meal over a hot stove on a daily basis. But we also don't want to end up like that uncle who swears he had a six pack in high school but is now is stretching a 44-inch waist. Fortunately, it is possible to find the balance between hassle-free, healthy, delicious food. The key is to shop for pre-chopped, pre-seasoned and pre-cooked ingredients and combine them to create a well-rounded meal.
Here are three well-balanced dishes that require very little cooking and clean up. These recipes can help you get an idea of how to hack your cooking to make it easy and healthy.
Stove-Free Breakfast:
Deconstructed Huevos Rancheros
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3-4 whole eggs
- 2 tablespoons of medium salsa
- 1/4 roll of polenta (sold in stores as a solid, pre-made roll)
- 2 tablespoons spoons of mozzarella cheese
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions:
In a bowl, add 3-4 whole eggs, one spoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Microwave for 1-1:30 minutes. Remove and stir about 5-10 times.
Add in the polenta, cheese, and red pepper flakes. Microwave for 1:45-2:00 minutes. Remove and stir 5-10 times.
Top with salsa, cheese, and eat.
No-Cook Lunch:
Tuna Nicoise with Greens
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 can of tuna
- 1 handful of arugula
- 1 tablespoon of mayo
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 pinches of salt
- 2 pinches of black pepper
- 3 tablespoons of Nicoise olives (or capers)
- 1/2 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, add in the arugula with a pinch of salt, pepper and 1 spoon of olive oil. Mix with your hands. Then plate the greens.
Using the same bowl (less cleanup!), add the tuna, mayo, red pepper flakes, chopped green onion, olives or capers, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with a big spoon.
Then scoop the tuna salad onto the plate next to the green. Eat.
Lite-Cook Dinner:
Dijon Seared Chicken with Polenta "Caponata"
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 spoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- 1 handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 roll of polenta
- 1/4-1/2 of a rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of black pepper
Instructions:
Heat a sauté pan with two spoons of olive oil over medium heat.
In a bowl, add polenta slices, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano. Microwave for 3:00 minutes.
While microwaving these ingredients, carve the chicken meat from the bone.
Once the microwaved ingredients are done cooking, add them to the sauté pan along with the chicken and dijon mustard.
Turn it to medium high heat. Sauté the ingredients, mixing it around for 5:00 minutes until the ingredients are looking browned.
Plate once browned, top with a spoon of olive oil, mozzarella and eat.
There you have it! If you'd like the shopping list of ingredients for these recipes along with how much to buy, you can click here to download it.
For nutritional reference, the portions are based off a 200-pound guy who wants to eat healthy and stay fit. If you're trying to figure out portions based on your size, here a few guidelines:
- On average, 20 grams of protein or carbs is the size of an open hand. Recommended grams of protein per day for a fit guy is .8 x body weight in pounds. For example, a 180-pound guy should try to eat about 144 grams of protein (.8 x 180 = 144).
- We're not into carb counting, but a good rule of thumb is to eat less on days when you're inactive (about .5 x bodyweight) and more on days when you're exercising (up to 3x bodyweight).
If you want a more details on carb cycling, protein sparing and portion size, you can get personalized advice directly from Will here.
