When it comes to preparing meals do you often find yourself pressed for time? Our good intentions to eat healthy often fly out the window after a long busy day and we find ourselves going for the frozen pizza or eating sandwiches and chips. Worse yet, sometimes its just a graze fest on whatever we can find in the pantry and we eat until we are no longer hungry. Sure we have taken care of our hunger, but we don’t truly feel satisfied. We know we really need to eat healthier, but who really has time?!!

Fortunately with a little planning and advance preparation you can serve a healthy meal even on those busy days! 

Have you ever grilled burgers and noticed how perfect the coals look when you’re finished? You find yourself wondering what else can I grill? Why not grill a variety of foods at one time to enjoy throughout the week?!

By investing in a grill basket or a skillet designed for the grill, you can easily grill your favorite vegetables, shrimp and fish. We have even grilled pineapple. Yum! It seems like everything cooked on the grill tastes amazing. 

To get started you will need to you will need to purchase enough meat, fish and vegetables to feed your family for a week. Before you head to the store, google some recipes for cooking on the grill so that you will have the seasonings and ingredients on hand to make your own marinades. Marinate your chicken, shrimp and fish for 12-24 hours before grilling.

My Favorite Grill Recipes are:

Lemon Pepper Chicken

• Rinse chicken and place in gallon size plastic storage bag
• Add Italian dressing to cover the chicken
• Add lemon juice (approximately 1/3 to 2/3 cup)
• Seal bag and refrigerate overnight turning a couple of times
• Take out, discard marinade, season both sides with lemon pepper

Asian Inspired Chicken

• Rinse chicken and place in gallon size plastic storage bag and add the following ingredients
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Allegro Hickory Smoke Marinade
• 1/4 cup Mae Ploy Sweet Chilli Sauce
• 1 tablespoon molassess
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Seal bag and refrigerate overnight turning a couple of times
• Take out and discard marinade

We prefer chicken thighs and grill them for approximately 12 minutes on each side until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Super Easy Grilled Veggies

• Rinse and cut up vegetables into slices or bite size pieces
• Add enough olive oil to coat lightly
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Toss vegetables to coat 
• Spray grill skillet or basket with olive oil spray and add veggies
• Grill until desired doneness

Flat Iron Steak

Flat iron steak is a great tender cut of meat that is not too pricey. It cooks quickly and can be sliced thinly and is perfect for fajitas. Take the steak out of the refrigerator an hour before grilling and let it come to room temperature. Instead of marinating it I opt to keep it simple by seasoning only with salt, pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Grill approximately 4-5 minutes on each side, uncovered until an instant read thermometer reads 130 degrees.

The great thing about grilling is that it is fun and can easily be turned into a family affair. Make sure to pick a time where you aren’t rushed and can recruit the rest of the family to lend a helping hand with prep, cooking, putting up the week’s meals and of course clean up! Then enjoy a week of great tasting, healthy meals that are enjoyable and not rushed!

Got a favorite grilling recipe? Please make sure to share it in the comments below! If you enjoyed this post share it with your friends!