Gotta Grill? Grill Once, Eat for a Week!

"I just don't have enough tiiiimmmeeee!" It's what I hear most often when it comes to eating healthfully. That doesn't mean going on a diet, it doesn't mean never going through fast food restaurants, it doesn't mean missing a meal with your family because you are going one directions and they are going 5 other directions. It means just what I said: Eating healthfully. This blog is about ONE WAY we can make it easier on ourselves to eat healthier when our lives seem out of control.

We make choices-at least 30 a day it seems-with regard to what we put into our mouth. I'm making a choice to sit on my computer and type this blog. I'm also grilling my vegetable for the week. Yep, the week. How many times have you said on your evening walks around the neighborhood "someone's grilling-I can smell it"? Why not do it all at one time? I've got the following on the heat right now:


Carrots-did you know you can grill them?
Red Bell Pepper
Green Bell Pepper
Onions
Garlic
Mushrooms
Beets

Some of these veggies will go with me tonight to a grilled dinner party. Some will go into a vegetarian pasta dish (hot) and some will go in a salad. This could be pureed and made into soup base or a sauce and they can also be toppings for pizza.

Here is the beauty of these veggies-they don't have to be prepped beautifully- a rough chop is all you need plus olive oil, salt and pepper. That's it. There is no need to dilute a beautiful ingredient with anything else. Trust me.

Next up on the grill today will be sweet potatoes (cut in rounds), corn and a test recipe of a Nutella and banana quesadillas. I'll also do chicken. Last week, I did enough chicken to feed 6 for a Memorial Day party and enough leftovers for the entire week. Where did that chicken go?
2 entree salads (chicken, cranberries, walnuts)
1 sandwich wrap
1 as is for my lunch protein
1 for baby food

Can I tell you how nice it was to open the fridge and see it all staring back at me? Yep, it took a bit of work and some extra time, but it is so well worth it. So many ingredients can be grilled-of course meat and other proteins-but think about pizzas, breads, desserts, fruits, side dishes (i.e. open up a can of beans, drain and wash, season and put in a pot on the grill-no need to fire up the stove top or the oven)

So does it take time? Yes. Does it take some planning? Yes. Does it take less time than I spend on my computer? Absolutely. Again, it's about choices. It doesn't have to be fancy-just good food for you and your family.

Gotta go check my grill---