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Virtually every mom in the world needs a quick meal idea on occasion. Whether you work full-time or you simply have errands to run, children to tote to various activities or other responsibilities, having a list of easy to prepare meals will help you to get through those busy nights while still ensuring that your family is eating healthy. The following is a list of fast meals that can be prepared quickly and with very little effort. The recipes are considered healthy and will help you to feed your family a good meal when you only have a few minutes to spare:
1. Chicken nuggets – You can serve chicken nuggets with mashed sweet potatoes for a wholesome meal that can be prepared in no time. If you are really in a hurry, you can purchase chicken nuggets already made from your grocery store. You can also make them yourself fairly quickly with three or four chicken breasts cut into nugget-sized pieces. Cutting them is much easier if you do it while they are still partially frozen. Simply put your nuggets into a freezer bag with a seasoned coating mix and shake. Place them on a baking pan and bake until done. Sweet potatoes can be canned or you can make them yourself as well. Peel two sweet potatoes (more if you have a larger family) and chop them into two-inch chunks. Boil for 15 minutes, drain and mash with butter, salt and milk. The sweet potatoes are very nutritious and if you make the chicken nuggets yourself, you are saving on salt and fat. The entire meal takes only about 30 minutes and you will have a wholesome family dinner.
2. Hamburger with wild rice – This is a very fast dinner idea that takes only 30 minutes or less from start to finish. Begin by browning one pound of hamburger. Once cooked, drain the meat and sprinkle some cheese on top to melt. While the hamburger is cooking, prepare a package of wild rice mix with a can or a bag of frozen corn. Children love this recipe as a general rule and it allows you to prepare a very healthy meal in under half an hour.
You can get your family involved in meal time. Children make wonderful helpers in the kitchen and can help you to prepare vegetables and other foods. If you want to save time on cleanup, use paper plates or bowls and plastic utensils that can be thrown away after the meal. This helps you to save time after dinner for other activities or family time.
Saving time during dinner preparation can also be done beforehand. You can take some time after you grocery shop to prepare your chicken for the nuggets recipe beforehand. Simply cut your chicken and place in a freezer bag. This saves you about five minutes or so that it would take you to cut it up when you are actually preparing the meal.
When you take about an hour or so per week to do everything ahead of time you can really cut down on your per-meal preparation times. If you know what you are planning to cook throughout the week, do all of the preparations that you can beforehand so that you can save time on the day that you actually cook the meals.
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