Easy meals for parents on the go

If more gets added to your to-do list than gets crossed off, don’t be overwhelmed — you are not alone. It’s not easy juggling work and school schedules, activities, errands, daily chores and relationships. Some days it seems like the only exercise you get is dashing to the car for another appointment, and you feel lucky to eat at all, much less eat something healthy. Is it possible to find balance in today’s hectic world?

Yes — if you put yourself and your family at the top of your list and make small changes that keep mom or dad and those who matter balanced and healthy.

Andrea Metcalf is a nationally recognized family health and fitness expert. For more than 25 years, this mother of three has inspired people from all walks of life to get fit, eat right and feel better by making simple lifestyle changes in their lives. One of the easiest changes can be in our food choices.

“Making the right food choices is the key to good health and weight loss,” said Metcalf.

Those who’ve had success with diet and exercising say time after time that it’s the small changes that add up to reaching your goal.

“Simple changes are vital to success and that’s why I like using tortillas during mealtimes,” said Metcalf. “Their versatility, portability, variety of healthy choices and great taste make them appealing to folks like me with busy schedules who are looking for easy solutions in the kitchen.”

Metcalf recommends tortillas because they provide as much calcium as a glass of milk and are an ideal food alternative for those who struggle to meet their daily calcium intake or may be lactose intolerant. She says, “They are also a great source of fiber and are enriched with 23 vitamins and minerals, including life’s DHA, a vegetarian source of the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA.”

These wrap recipes are a quick and easy way to start making simple changes that have a big impact. In just a few minutes, you can wrap up a delicious meal that will give you the fuel to keep you going throughout a busy day.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Serves: 3 to 6

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 16 minutes

1 1-ounce package, taco or hot taco seasoning

2 tablespoons cooking oil

3/4 cup water

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 avocado

1/2 cup ranch dressing, prepared

6 Flour tortillas warmed

Hot sauce, to taste

2 ounces blue cheese crumbled

3/4 cup carrots, shredded

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Combine taco seasoning, oil and 1/4 cup water to make marinade. Reserve 1/2 cup.

2. Place chicken in re-sealable plastic bag and add marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.

3. Mash avocado (in mixing bowl) into small chunks and mix with ranch dressing until smooth.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and discard used marinade.

5. Grill chicken over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes per side or until thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken from grill and place on cutting board.

6. Slice chicken into thin strips and serve hot alongside warm tortillas. Serve with build your own sides/garnishes of hot sauce, blue cheese, carrots, cilantro and the avocado ranch dressing.

Breakfast Burrito

Serves: 4

Prep time: 3 minutes

Cook time: 1 minute

4 whole wheat 8-inch tortillas,

warmed

12 slices fully cooked bacon, crispy and chopped small

12 eggs, whole

4 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable spray

1. In a small bowl; whisk eggs with salt and pepper to evenly combine.

2. To make 1 burrito: heat non-stick sauté pan over high heat.

3. Spray pan with vegetable spray; add equivalent of 3 whole eggs to pan. Soft scramble eggs, taking approximately 30 to 45 seconds.

4. Add 2 tablespoons chopped bacon (equals 3 strips chopped) and 1 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese to the eggs and stir to combine, melting the cheese.

5. Spoon hot egg mixture into center of a warmed tortilla; roll burrito style and serve.

6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 for remaining 3 tortillas.

Chicken Club Wrap

Serves: 4

Prep time: 12 minutes

4 Mission Life 8-inch soft taco flour tortillas

4 tablespoons low fat or light mayonnaise

8 slices fat free oven roasted deli style chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 large garden tomato, thinly sliced into 8 slices

1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1/2 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded prepared

1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced lengthwise into 8 thin

strips (save the other 1/2 of the avocado for

additional uses)

4 strips bacon, fully cooked (microwave to crispy)

1. Evenly spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise over each tortilla, covering each tortilla in a thin layer.

2. To build 1 wrap: place 2 slices of chicken breast, overlapping each other, on the center of the wrap. Top chicken with 2 slices of tomatoes. Top tomatoes with 2 thin onion rings. Top onions with 1/8 cup lettuce. Top lettuce with 2 slices of avocado. Top avocadoes with 1 strip of bacon to complete the wrap.

3. Fold in the left and right sides of the wrap towards the center, leaving a gap in the center. Using both hands, roll the bottom edge of the tortilla (facing you) from the bottom to the top into a burrito shape.

4. Slice the wrap in half, on a slight bias (angle) and serve.

5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for each of the other 3 wraps and enjoy.

Find hundreds of printer-friendly recipes at spokane.net/recipes.

All materials courtesy of: Mission Foods