Meal Planning for the Family with Path of Life

Meal planning for my family is a necessity these days. Something has to give with long hours of work and play every day. To make sure we don’t skip out on eating right during the crazy days, I’ve turned to family meal planning. And today, I want to share one of my new favorite finds for quick, easy, and HEALTHY meals!

Stress-Free Dinner After a Busy Day

Owning my own small animal hospital and taking care of 3 kiddos can be overwhelming at times. It is the most rewarding but challenging experience to say the least!

Meal planning for my family is one of those things I love and hate at the same time. 

Aside from being a veterinarian, one of my true passions has always been cooking. It is stress relief for me, and something I truly love to do. But some days are easier than others when it comes to dealing with the stresses of meal prepping.

When I have a long day ahead of me, I always try to plan something that won’t be too stressful and find a recipe that doesn’t include too many steps or kitchen prep.

Getting the Family Involved

When I come home from a long day and I haven’t seen the kids all day, I love taking the time to create memories with them in the kitchen.

I have always felt the importance of teaching kids basic cooking skills at an early age!

Creating a meal together, involving the kids in the process, can be a great break from school work and the craziness of the world right now.

They will flex so many skills in the kitchen, from reading to math and even science!

It also helps hone their skills in listening and following directions. Win win! Cooking any meal is the perfect time to bring the whole family together.

Meal Planning for the Family Made Easy

What could be easier on a busy night than tacos?!

To make this recipe a little more fun and creative, we decided to put together a big taco buffet. We even let the kids make their own plates and add their own toppings, starting with Path of Life Quinoa and Rice Blends!

Since we haven’t gone out to eat during the pandemic, this fun activity gave the whole family something to look forward to. My kids really loved setting the table like they were going out to eat a fancy meal.

Path of Life Plant-Based Frozen Sides

My family and I are obsessed with Path of Life Plant-Based Frozen Sides. My kiddos have no idea the rice blends even contain vegetables. In fact, we all love the Saffron Rice blend packed with turmeric, carrots, and onions.

Mom win! What they don’t know wont hurt them right?

Path of Life only uses real, whole foods with no fillers or hard-to-pronounce ingredients. All of their products are frozen to lock in ingredient nutrients and eliminate the need for added preservatives.

They also use the highest quality seasonings, making each bite burst with flavor. And my favorite thing – Path of Life sides are so, so easy to prepare. Just steam in the microwave or prepare on the stovetop in minutes, and you have a tasty, healthy side dish! Path of Life makes eating clean super easy.

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Taco Buffet

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces Salsa (plus more for the buffet)
• 2 Limes (squeezed)
• 1 Package of Taco Seasoning
• Cilantro (to taste)
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• Chicken

Directions:

1. Mix together 16 oz of salsa, the juice of 2 limes, one taco seasoning pack, and a little bit of cilantro in your crockpot or slow cooker.
2. Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. Then place chicken in the crockpot with the salsa mixture. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
3. Remove the chicken, shred with two forks or a claw, and return to your crockpot to keep warm.

When creating your chicken taco buffet, these sides and toppings are perfect to have on your table:

• Path of Life Quinoa or Rice Blends (your choice of flavor, prepared)
• Avocado
• Chopped Tomatoes
• Shredded Lettuce
• Shredded Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Taco Shells or Tortillas

I love setting everything out in serving dishes with multiple sections for all sorts of toppings. You can get them at the dollar store!

Final Thoughts on Family Meal Planning

Some days after working all day at the animal hospital, I am just wiped!

But this meal was easy and quick to pull together on my break from the hospital.

I can’t say enough about crockpot cooking. It makes life so much easier these days. If you haven’t tried a crockpot, you are missing out!

As a busy working mom with 3 kiddos at home, making a healthy dinner is sometimes the last thing on my mind. But Path of Life and some amazing recipes have become staples in my weekly meals!