Hot Summer Nights: A 3 Day BBQ Meal Plan
It’s really hot in Bakersfield right now.
Like, really hot. Last night at the first high school football game of the season, it was 107 degrees. We’re used to this in Bakersfield, but it sure doesn’t make it any more enjoyable.
Especially in a compression bra and itchy stitches.
But families still need to eat. It’s easy to pick up trans-fat laden fast food, but I’d encourage you to spend 30 minutes or less each day to make your families protein-rich and delicious meals.
But sometimes life gets in the way, right? Last night on the way home from the game, it was just Chase and me in the car. Chase is 9. He takes vitamins and knows about protein and often asks me questions about healthy food. It was past 8pm, I was so tired and hot that I was about to cry, and Chase needed to eat. We decided to pick food up on the way home. Chase asked to pick the place.
“What’s a healthy place we could go to, Mom?”, he asked.
My brain felt fuzzy and I just wanted to go home and (ironically, I know) take my hot epsom salt bath.
I ran through the short list: Chipotle or Poke? He shook his head and asked if he could use my phone to search up healthy foods in the area. We were all the way across town, so we had plenty to choose from if he could find us a place quickly.
He Googled Healthy Fast Food. “What?!”, he exclaimed.
Apparently the first “healthy fast food” option was McDonalds. Even a 9 year old knew that was ludicrous.
So we had a short discussion about the validity of pop culture nutrition articles online and promptly settled on picking up some sushi from our favorite local sushi restaurant, Toro. We were both happy. Crises averted, bath taken, and Croods 2 watched.
However, any night I’m not getting home at 8:30, I want a healthy meal prepared at home for my family. At this point in my kids’ lives, they seem to want the same thing.
So I’m sharing a free resource with you today: three nights of grilled meals plus a shopping list. I hope it makes your hot summer a little bit more enjoyable.