When you’re looking for meal ideas for busy families, you probably come across a lot that you wouldn’t even consider trying. Isn’t it so frustrating that so many convenience foods are super unhealthy?

If you’re looking for a better way to get meals on the table that are actually good for your family, here are six mouth-watering options that come together in no time.

1. Sheet Pan Fajitas

Sheet pan meals are enjoying a bit of a moment right now, and it’s easy to see why. Who doesn’t love the idea of tossing everything on a pan, sticking it in the oven and getting on with their life?

To make this, thinly slice some chicken breasts or lean steak along with an onion and a few bell peppers. Toss in olive oil and fajita seasonings and then bake for around 12 minutes in a 200-degree oven, or until the meat is cooked through.

Serve in tortillas with your favourite fajita fixings like cheese, salsa, lettuce or tomatoes. You can chop any garnishes and set the table while the fajita filling is baking.

2. Grilled Fish and Vegetables

Fish filets cook up incredibly quickly, and if you’ve got a big grill pan, you can add some vegetables and cook everything at once. Chopping your veggies in advance or buying bagged chopped vegetables at the store can make this even faster. Courgettes, onions, red peppers and corn are especially good on the grill.

This is one of the more versatile quick meal ideas for busy families as you could easily substitute thin chicken filets or even thin boneless pork chops for the fish.

3. Shrimp Pasta

In the time that it takes to boil some spaghetti, you can sauté a bit of garlic in a skillet, then add some olive oil and/or butter and sauté some frozen shrimp. Add lemon and the herbs of your choice – I recommend basil and parsley – and then toss to coat your pasta.

You can get this on the table in 20 minutes if you’re really pressed for time, or you can get fancy and add some mixed vegetables if you have the time for chopping.

4. Leftover Frittata

A leftover frittata is a great way to use up food in your fridge that is on the verge of expiring. Whisk together some eggs, then toss in your leftover vegetable or meat scraps and a bit of cheese if desired, along with the herbs of your choice.

Then, it’s simply a matter of cooking it until almost set in a skillet before flipping it over onto a plate and finishing off the other side. You can even do this ahead of time if you want.

5. Anything-goes Quesadillas

When I’m really pressed for time, it’s hard to go wrong with quesadillas. I always keep some tortillas and canned beans on hand for this purpose. If there’s time to chop veggies, dice up some bell peppers and onions really small so they’ll soften a bit while the quesadilla cooks. If you don’t want to get your knife out, use canned corn and/or roasted red peppers.

Mix these fillings with canned beans, spread on tortillas and sprinkle the top with cheese (I promised you healthy meals, so go for a high veg-to-cheese ratio here). Then place on a griddle or in a nonstick skillet until the cheese melts, turning halfway through.

6. Greek Salad “Nachos”

These are a firm favourite in my house, and the fact that you can get away with calling them “nachos” probably plays a big part in that. Layer pitta chips on individual plates and top with whatever vegetables you think you can get away with including – chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions all work beautifully.

Sprinkle on some feta, then drizzle with hummus that you’ve whisked together with olive oil and lemon juice for an oven-free meal that is more prep than actual cooking.

If you can’t find pitta chips, you can just cut up a package of pitta into triangles and toast in the oven at 200 degrees until they get crispy.

As you can see, there are lots of meal ideas for busy families that can be healthy, too, with a just a tiny bit of creativity.

This topic is very close to my heart, so do reach out to me on nakita@themamamanual.com if you need help!

Love,

Nakita xxx