More times than not, I just mix up a bunch of random stuff to make my meals. As Popeye so eloquently said, “I yam who I yam.” So true, Popeye. Though I’ll never know how you eat all that spinach out of cans. Blech.
I do have a general principle that I follow whenever doing said mixing:
- A protein
- A veggie
- A green (different from a veggie!)
- A grain
- A healthy fat
It’s a simple formula but it covers your nutritional bases and usually nets something quite tasty. I don’t always get every single item, but I try. To achieve this variety, I do a little prep on the weekends, which I’ll talk more about some other time. I sort of have this rotation I do of pre-cooking various items so I always have a variety available, or at least a day’s thaw away.
Take this spin on a scramble I made the other day. I just pulled a variety of Ziploc containers out of the fridge and had dinner in about five minutes.
Here’s what I scrambled up:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup cooked lentils
- 3/4 cup cooked spaghetti squash
- 1 cup kale (wilted first)
- 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella (added at the end)
And I poured it on top of 1/2 cup of cooked bulgur wheat. The only thing it missed was the healthy fat, and a little avocado would have been pretty good here. Next time you’re thinking it’s a scramble kind of day, try mixing up a few things you have in your fridge!
In case you’re curious, here is the nutrition in this particular scramble:
Calories:463
Total Fat: 17.4g
Cholesterol: 437mg
Sodium: 497.6mg
Carbohydrates: 49.5g
Fiber: 15.7g
Sugars: 6.3g
Protein: 34g