What Constitutes a Meal?

First, it's important we set some parameters on what a healthy meal includes. The distribution of real/raw vegetables, lean meats and good fats is as follows:

• An adequate amount of protein
• Two servings of vegetables
• One healthy fat source

Whether you are following a recipe or experimenting, keep these criteria at the forefront of your mind to create nutrient-dense meals. Other foods such as rice or bread are considered extras and their portions should be kept small.

Time to Change

A lack of time is the top reason my clients give for why they don't eat healthy. Drive-thrus and frozen entrees have become a norm for evening meals. I encourage including other family members in meal preparation  making it an important evening ritual, more entertaining  and even lighter work when everyone pitches in.

A simple time saver is buying precut or frozen vegetables for cooking. Grocery stores even have precut and pre-cubed protein options. There can be a sacrifice of quality factors (organic, grass-fed, etc.) but it's a good place to start until you've worked extra kitchen time into your schedule. Another solution: Spend an hour or two on the weekends to prep meals for the next week. Cut raw vegetables, cook all your protein or batch cook a recipe for multiple meals.

Satisfying Solutions

The beauty about the following meals is that they allow for substitutions. Don't go crazy with ideas of substituting tilapia for heaping servings of pasta noodles. The main ingredients can be substituted for other foods in their food group.

I've also included different cooking methods for some variety. Remember the meal criteria to allow enough nutrients for each person. Rotate the meals into your family's lifestyle and build new solutions as you get more comfortable and confident in the kitchen.

Beef Soup:

Ingredients: beef tenderloin cubes, carrots, celery, onion, green beans, cubed potatoes, beef/vegetable stock, garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Crock-pot is needed. Most of your 15 minutes will be used in the preparation of this recipe.

Cut beef tenderloin into cubes (or buy the precut ones at the grocery store) and slice vegetables into edible pieces. Add beef and vegetables to the crock-pot and pour stock over ingredients until fully covered. Season to taste with garlic, salt and pepper. Set crock-pot on low to simmer all day and dinner will be ready for you when you get home.

Tilapia Taco Salad:

Ingredients: tilapia fillets (a fillet per serving), lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, shredded cheese, green pepper, corn hard shell tacos, sour cream, macadamia nut cooking oil

Saut fish over a thin layer of macadamia oil until fully cooked; fish should shred easily with a fork. Crumble one taco shell per serving onto plate, and layer with fish, vegetables and a dollop of cheese and sour cream. Try squeezing lemon or lime juice over fish for more flavor.

Cashew Chicken and Broccoli:

Ingredients: cubed, boneless, skinless chicken breast; broccoli florets, raw cashews, macadamia nut oil

Asian style food is one of the most popular cuisines eaten in America. Try making your own version with whole, natural foods and pass on the high sodium content you'll find in typical takeout.

Preheat oil in a skillet on high heat. Add cubed chicken and cashews to skillet and cook evenly through. Once fully cooked, drizzle with additional oil and serve over steamed broccoli.

Shrimp Kabobs:

Ingredients: medium-sized shrimp, green peppers, red peppers, red onions, mushrooms, instant brown rice (optional)

Kabobs are a great way to get in more vegetables. Play around with this basic recipe by substituting other vegetable and protein options.

Cook rice according to instructions while cutting vegetables into 1  inch squares. Load each skewer while alternating shrimp and vegetables. Each skewer should hold at least four shrimp. Grill skewers for five minutes on each side and serve over cooked brown rice.

Turkey Burger:

Ingredients: ground turkey, butter lettuce leaves, avocado, tomato, sweet potato

The famous turkey burger! Instead of purchasing the more processed and popular options out there, try making your own patties at home. Enhance this recipe by dicing additional vegetables and adding them to the ground patty before cooking.

Cut sweet potato into long strips and form ground turkey into desired size patties. Preheat 2 skillets and saut sweet potato strips in cooking oil until brown. Pan fry turkey patties until cooked evenly. Top each patty with tomato, avocado and wrap in lettuce leaf. Serve along with sweet potato fries.

Closing Tips

Try just one of these solutions this week. Healthy eating doesn't have to be elaborate. You can always find more 15-minute healthy recipe options with a quick Internet search.

Start by shopping for quality ingredients, including fresh vegetables and lean meats to replace a frozen, processed standby. Stick to the meal criteria and create one nutrient rich meal  then another. Increase the rotation of quick, healthy meals into your busy life and eventually they will become standard.

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.