_{Ditch the Drive-Thru! Dad's Kitchen Hacks for Easy Healtly Meals}

Let's face it dads, those drive-thru visits and frozen food caves have been awfully tempting during these crazy busy times. When you're juggling work, the kids' activities, household duties, and virtually no personal time left over, healthy home cooking can feel like a pipe dream.

On the surface, it seems so much easier to just snag some fast food on-the-go or nuke a sodium-laden TV dinner to keep hunger at bay. But we all know deep down that taking the McDonald's shortcut too often is a slippery slope toward falling out of shape, lacking energy, and setting a terrible example for our kids.

As dads striving to be healthy role models, one of our most important jobs is getting nourishing meals on the table for our families - no cutting corners. Finding a way to make that happen consistently despite our overloaded schedules is where the challenge lies.

Which is exactly why I've put together this edition diving into my favorite kitchen hacks for dads. The goal? To quickly and easily crank out delicious, nutritious, homemade meals without sacrificing tons of precious time and energy.

Trust me, these shortcuts, smart prep methods, and simple recipe ideas are nothing short of game-changing for the crazy-busy dad juggling it all. They'll not only save your waistline and wallet from the drive-thru, but allow you to spend more quality face-time with your loved ones too.

So without further ado, let's dive into some dads-in-the-kitchen hacks!

^{The Prep-Ahead Meal Formula}

If you've followed any influential fitness influencer on social media, you've undoubtedly seen their weekly food prep photos. Those carefully portioned containers stacked and ready for each day's breakfast, lunch, and dinners.

While the idea of portioning out your entire week's worth of meals might seem excessive, there is something to be said for prepping core foods ahead of time. Successful meal-preppers will tell you that chopping, cooking and portioning out versatile ingredients and basics on a weekly basis is a huge timesaver.

Here's an easy meal prep formula to adopt:

• Grill or bake a bulk portion of chicken breast, lean steak, or Ground Turkey to slice up and use for the week's protein sources.

• Cook a big batch of whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potatoes as your complex carb bases.

• Roast or steam hearty veggies like broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts etc.

• Portion out Greek yogurt, berries, nuts, and other extras that you can mix and match with other ingredients.

With these keystone foods prepped and portioned out, you've got the foundation to fire up easy healthy meals in a flash all week. Throw any protein, carb source, and sautéed veggie together for a solid dinner, top grains and greens for a power lunch, blend yogurt and berries for a smoothie and so on.

The Savvy Frozen Veggie Shortcut

Speaking of veggies, let's get real - prepping and cooking fresh produce from scratch every day is incredibly time-consuming. It's never going to happen amidst a jam-packed schedule.

Which is exactly why I highly recommend keeping your freezer stocked with an arsenal of frozen veggies at all times. Having these nutrient-dense gems chilling and ready to be microwaved means zero slicing, dicing, or complicated stovetop cooking.

In a matter of 3-5 minutes, you've got a hot, healthy serving of:

• Mixed veggie medleys (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower etc.)

• Stir fry blends with snap peas, peppers, onions etc.

• Roasted brussels, potatoes, zucchini and more

My favorite hack is to grab a few different veggie blends, microwave them to just al dente, then sauté altogether in a pan with spices, garlic, soy sauce, or other sauces/condiments you love. It tastes and smells like a labor-intensive restaurant quality dish, but was ready in under 10 minutes!

Simple Recipes for Dads on the Go

Lemon Pepper Chicken & Couscous

(Total Prep & Cook Time: 20 mins)

• 1 package couscous (cooked per instructions)

• 1 lb chicken breast or tenders

• 1⁄4 cup butter or olive oil

• Lemon pepper seasoning to taste

• Garlic powder to taste

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 frozen veggie medley

Instructions:

1. Slice chicken into strips, season with lemon pepper, garlic, salt and pepper.

2. Cook chicken over medium-high heat in oil/butter for 6-8 mins until browned and cooked through.

3. Cook frozen veggies per package instructions, drain and set aside.

4. Fluff couscous with a fork, combine with cooked chicken and veggies. Add extra seasoning to taste.

Super simple yet packed with lean protein, whole grains, and an effortless serving of veggies. You can easily sub quinoa or rice for the couscous too. This dish keeps well in the fridge and can be quickly reheated for meal-prepped lunches or easy dinners.

3-Ingredient Turkey Burger Bowls

(Total Prep & Cook Time: 15 mins)

• 1 lb Ground Turkey

• Whole grain buns or tortillas

• Frozen veggie blend of choice

Instructions:

1. Form ground turkey into patties and season however you'd like - a sprinkling of worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper etc.

2. Grill or cook turkey burgers in a skillet for around 5 minutes per side.

3. Serve protein-style in a bowl over a bed of microwaved frozen veggies. Use leftover burger patties on top of salads, wraps or sandwiches for other meals.

I like to top these bowls with cheese, avocado, hot sauce and any other burger fixings I have on hand. Opting for the bowl cuts way down on bun carbs and makes it easy to load up on that all-important veggie serving. Such an easy switch.

Cheesy Broccoli Egg Muffins

(Total Prep & Cook Time: 25 mins)

Makes 12 muffins.

• 10 eggs

• 1⁄2 cup milk or Greek yogurt

• 1 package frozen broccoli florets, lightly steamed

• 1 cup shredded cheddar, feta or goat cheese

• Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-tin muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. Whisk together eggs and milk/yogurt, along with salt, pepper, garlic etc.

3. Fold in broccoli florets and cheese.

4. Pour egg mixture evenly into muffin tins about 3⁄4 full.

5. Bake 18-20 minutes until cooked through.

I can't get enough of these protein-packed, savory grab-and-go breakfast muffins! Once baked and cooled, they keep incredibly well in the fridge for 3-5 days. I'll meal prep a batch to quickly reheat a few throughout the week for one of the fastest, healthiest morning meals. Feel free to sub other frozen veggie varieties too!

Microwave Peanut Butter Protein Muffin

(Total Time: 3 mins)

• 1 ripe banana, mashed

• 1 egg

• 2 Tbsp peanut butter

• 2 Tbsp protein powder (optional)

• 1⁄4 tsp baking powder

• Chocolate chips or nuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a microwave-safe mug or bowl.

2. Microwave on high for 60-90 seconds until cooked through.

3. Enjoy as is or top with extra peanut butter, honey, fruit etc.

This one-minute muffin is ridiculously simple yet still super satisfying! It makes for a tasty protein-packed breakfast or snack in the blink of an eye. No oven required.

Easy One-Pan Dinners

For ultra fast cleanup, you can't beat the convenience of a one-pan dinner. Some of my

Easy One-Pan Dinners

For ultra fast cleanup, you can't beat the convenience of a one-pan dinner. Some of my go-to combos:

• Chicken breasts or sausage baked with potatoes, carrots, onions and a touch of chicken broth

• Shrimp, Andouille sausage, and veggie medley sautéed together in one skillet with Cajun seasonings

• Ground turkey or beef browned with frozen pepper/onion blend, black beans, salsa and taco seasonings to make taco filling for bowls

The key is to strategically arrange your proteins and veggies on the same sheet pan or skillet so everything can cook simultaneously. It not only simplifies the dinner process down to just one cooking vessel, but allows all those delicious flavors to mingle too.

Rotisserie Chicken - The Ultimate Time Saver

Dads, if you aren't using the rotisserie chickens from the grocery store as a meal-prep shortcut, you're missing out big time. These juicy, pre-cooked birds can become the ultimate time-saving hack for a week's worth of meals.

In minutes, you can tear that baby apart into:

• Sandwiches, wraps, salads for easy lunches

• Quesadillas, tacos, burrito bowls for dinner

• Soup starter by boiling the carcass

• Potpies, chicken salad, you name it

The rotisserie chicken allows you to skip cooking the main protein for every meal while knocking out your servings in no time flat. Keep a versatile sauce or two like barbecue, pesto or teriyaki on hand to change up the flavor profile for variety.

Use Those Appliances, Dad!

Speaking of time-saving cooking techniques, it's time we dads start treating that Instant Pot or slow cooker as more than just clutter on the kitchen counter. Those countertop appliances can be nutritious dinner lifesavers!

An Instant Pot or pressure cooker can whip up:

• Shredded meats in a flash (chicken, beef, or pork)

• Perfectly cooked risotto, steel cut oats, soups and more with little effort

• Fast-track beans, hard boiled eggs, and other simple meal basics

On the other hand, loading up the slow cooker or Crock Pot in the morning allows you to come home to:

• Fall-off-the-bone tender roasts, ribs, whole chickens and more

• Hearty soups, chilis and stews

• Healthy dessert options like baked apples, pears and so on

Instead of letting these appliances gather dust, get in the habit of using them to do the cooking for you! With just a few minutes of morning prep and chop work, you'll come home to a delicious ready-made meal - no slaving over the stove or temptation of takeout required.

Enlist the Family!

Finally, one incredibly underutilized kitchen hack for busy dads is to get the whole family involved with meal-prep duties and cooking.

Now I'm not talking about making your kids full-fledged sous chefs from a young age (unless they want to be!) But delegating age-appropriate tasks is a great way to:

• Teach kids basic cooking skills

• Involve them in healthy eating

• Allow quality bonding time

• Lessen your own workload

Even young kids can help wash and tear lettuce, set the table, toss a salad, etc. Older children can take on bigger responsibilities like chopping veggies, measuring out ingredients according to recipes, and learning to safely cook the more straightforward dishes.

Getting the family unitedly working together on meals eliminates the notion that it's solely the dad's responsibility. It instills valuable lessons for kids of all ages while strengthening quality time together - something us busy dads can always use more of.

There you have it, my fellow dad friends. An arsenal of kitchen hacks to greatly simplify the process of getting healthy, homemade meals on the table without going insane in the process.

From one crazy busy dad to another, I hope these tips, tricks and easy recipe ideas allow you to ditch the drive-thru more often while bringing your family together over nutritious comfort foods on a regular basis. Your wallet, waistline and quality time together will all receive a major upgrade!

Let's get cooking.

Your fellow Hardworking dad

Curtis Leong