Here are a few meal ideas using only shelf-stable or frozen ingredients:
Breakfast
- Oatmeal: Use old-fashioned or quick oats and add honey plus frozen fruit or nut butter.
- Pancakes/waffles: Just add water to the mix plus add frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries (thawed).
Lunch
Bean Salsa Dip
- 1 (15ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 (15-ounce) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
- Tortilla chips
Combine black beans, salsa and corn. Serve with tortilla chips.
Tuna and Salsa
- 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained
- ¾ cup salsa
- Whole-wheat crackers
Combine tuna and salsa. Serve with crackers.
Dinner
Pesto Pasta
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup pesto
- 10 ounces whole-wheat pasta
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Cook pasta according to directions. Save 1 cup of pasta water.
- Drain remaining pasta and place in a bowl.
- Combine ¼ cup pasta water with pesto. Add pesto to pasta. Add additional water as desired.
- Add salt and black pepper and top with Parmesan cheese.
Parmesan Orzo
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine the orzo and butter. Stir regularly and lightly toast the orzo (about two to three minutes).
- Add broth and garlic to the saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring regularly until orzo is tender and broth is absorbed.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese.
Side Dish
Sautéed Green Beans With Almonds
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 bags (16 ounces each) frozen green beans
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
Directions
- Heat the oil in a skillet pan over medium heat.
- Add frozen green beans, chopped almonds and seasoning to the pan.
- Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and cook for about five minutes longer or until water is evaporated from pan.