One thing we teach our clients is how to make meals work for their family. Meaning, try searching for recipes that are not only quick, use simple ingredients, and freeze well. Episode 13 of the Nutrition Wise Podcast dives into this very concept. 

 A Family Favorite

One of our favorite family meals has no fun name, but the magic of it is it's versatility. It's a shredded chicken and black bean mixture. I have always made this in the slow cooker, but for this podcast I tested out the instant pot. I'll be honest, the slow cooker is way easier, but in a time crunch, the instant pot made it just as good. There's something to be said for making chicken in eight minutes.   

The base recipe is simple and uses ingredients you typically have on hand. 

Generally speaking, these are cost effective items as well:

• 1 pound of chicken

• 1 cup salsa 

• 1 cup corn

• 1 can drained, rinsed back beans 

• For the spices: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder

Slow cooker version: Throw it all in there and put it on low. That's it, just kidding! I put the chicken down first, covered with salsa, frozen corn, and beans. Top the mixture with the seasoning. Start off with 1.5-2 teaspoon of each seasoning.  I typically do more chili powder and cumin than the others. Cook on low until the chicken is tender and can be shredded. Mix it together, and add more seasoning to taste. 

Turning a mixture into a meal: 

• Spoon over shredded lettuce or mixed greens for a taco salad. 

• Stuff it in a quesadilla - use corn shells if gluten sensitive.

• Serve over a pilaf of quinoa or brown rice. 

• Stuff in a oven roasted pepper.

• Serve over fajita veggies. 

We put the mixture in bags, and freeze flat for easier stacking. Use snack bags for small lunch portions, and quart sized for a family meals.  Check out this podcast episode for more information on the instant pot version and salt free seasoning.  Make SURE you are on our email list, so you get any fun videos associated with these episodes! 

Listen to the Nutrition Wise Podcast here!