Easy Lunch Idea For Busy Moms

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Now that the holidays are over it’s time to get back to my regular schedule. I spend my days working online, my afternoons and early evenings wearing my “mom” hat and driving the kids to their various activities, and my late evenings doing even more work. In the past I’ve been so busy that I worked right through lunch and that is something that I’ve really been working hard to stop doing. There is no reason that I can’t take thirty minutes out of my day to relax and eat something and it’s taken a conscious effort to take that break every day. (With a blog name like Making Time For Mommy you’d think it would be easier for me, right?!)

If you are as busy as I am, you are probably a fan of quick lunch options. Personally, I tend to gravitate towards frozen meals because they are the easiest to make and I can multitask while they are cooking. I can stick them in the microwave, go throw in a load of laundry and in minutes I have a hot lunch that’s ready to eat.

My favorite frozen meals are Lean Cuisine ones. I love that they have always had such a great variety of meals, whether I’m in the mood for a meat filled dish or craving pasta. They are full of flavor and always taste freshly made. I like that Lean Cuisine offers product options that are non-GMO, gluten-free, and high in protein. Some options are even made with organic ingredients (like the LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese that’s made with organic pasta).

While the Lean Cuisine meals are perfect on their own, I sometimes will make a side dish as well. Some days it’s a salad or fresh fruit, but I also like to make a quick veggie sauté on days I have a bit more time. My zucchini and squash sauté is the perfect side for the Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese.

The best part about this veggie sauté is that it’s super simple and easy to make. I’m not a huge vegetable eater but I’m working on eating more fruits and vegetables and this is a great way to do it. I always make sure to have some zucchini and squash in the fridge because I make this dish at least a couple times a week for lunches and dinners.

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
• Seasonings to taste (I tend to use pepper, onion powder, season salt and a chicken seasoning mix)

Directions

Slice your zucchini and yellow squash into pieces about 1/2-1 inch thick. (For faster cooking time you can cut the pieces in half lengthwise also to make them smaller.) Add the oil to your pan or pot and let it heat up on the stovetop. Once hot, add your zucchini and squash and then sprinkle on the garlic and seasonings. sauté the vegetables on low to medium heat, stirring often.

Continue cooking your vegetables, stirring every couple minutes, until your zucchini and squash pieces are cooked all the way through. You’ll know they are done when you can easily stick a fork through them.

These vegetables are perfect with the Lean Cuisine white cheddar mac & cheese. The vegetables are savory and a bit crunchy which pair well with the creamy mac & cheese.

My other favorite meal is the LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Butternut Squash Ravioli that I was excited to discover a few years back. It reminds me of Thanksgiving each time I eat it! When I was at Target this weekend I found that all the Lean Cuisine meals are on sale for only $1.99 (through 1/31) so it’s the perfect time to stock up on them. With their variety of flavorful meals you could try something new every day for weeks.

 What is your favorite lunch to enjoy on busy days?