Top a whole grain piece of toast with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese and an egg.  Pump up the veggies by layering with spinach, halved cherry tomatoes or even sliced avocado.

320 calories

Stir together 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup of milk, a 1/4 tsp of almond extract and a dash of salt.  Microwave for 90 seconds.  Stir in 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and sweeten to taste.  Sprinkle with toasted almonds.  Mmmm....

350 calories

This creamy shake is a probiotic powerhouse due to the kefir, but the real star of this shake is the PB2, powdered peanut butter.  All the peanut-buttery taste for a fraction of the calories.  PB2 can be found in big grocery stores or ordered online.

Into the blender, put 1 banana, 1 cup of plain kefir, 2 Tbls PB2, 1 cup crushed ice and a dash of nutmeg.  Blend until smooth.

*This is my staple breakfast in the summer because it's so cool and refreshing.  To make chocolate peanut butter banana, add 1 Tbls cocoa powder.

255 calories

I often find it hard to get any veggies in for breakfast, but this veggie frittata makes it easy!  The best part is you can use any combination of chopped veggies you have.

Whisk 8 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, salt & pepper, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and 2 cups of veggies (any combination will do; I used diced peppers, onions and steamed potatoes here).  Gently stir over medium heat until mostly set, smooth around the edges, sprinkle with cheese and then finish baking in a 400 degree oven until middle is set.

167 calories per slice (makes 8 slices)

Place cubed steak in your slow cooker.  Top with Lipton Onion Soup Mix and 1/2 cup of water.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Stir 1 Tbls of cornstarch into gravy, cook 30 more minutes or until thickened.
Serve over steamed potatoes.  No recipe needed!

This crunchy, flavorful chicken is coated in chopped pistachios and served atop a warm barley salad and crispy, colorful vegetables.  It is impressive enough to serve to company, but takes very little time to prep.  Can be prepped ahead of time too!

Best Idea Ever!  Saute shaved steak, diced onions and mushrooms until cooked through.  Season with salt, pepper and worsteshire.  Load into hollowed out peppers then top with a slice of provolone cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees until pepper is warmed through and cheese is melted.

Give yourself a break and go vegetarian tonight.  Slice, zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes and arrange on a sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese.  Bake at 400 until cheese is melted and toasty.  Serve with whole grain bread and butter.

Barley is loaded with fiber.  1 cup of cooked barley has over 6 grams of fiber and what better way to eat it than in this savory beef broth?  Add more mushrooms and onions  to increase the veggies.

Lentils, spinach and chicken, laced with lemon  make this soup absolutely  delicious.  The best part about this recipe is that you can toss all the ingredients in the crockpot on low in the morning and by dinnertime you've got a hearty meal ready to go.  

Protein/grain bowls are a favorite because you can choose any grain and any protein and then load up on the veggies.  For this bowl, I chose shredded chicken, brown rice, black bean & corn salad, Russian red kale, homemade guacamole and sprinkled it all with cheddar cheese.  I linked the recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (LOVE her recipes) so you can get her lime cilantro sauce.  

*Use light mayo and sour cream

This is another one of those great meals you can just toss together.  Thinly slice andoille sausage, then stir fry it with diced onions, peppers, celery (whatever veggies you have to throw in there) and brown rice.  Season with salt, pepper, garlic and creole seasoning for a bit of heat and dinner is served!

In case you want a recipe to follow, I've linked a tasty one below (though it is admittedly more complex than the simple method I just outlined for you, I'm all about getting it on the table fast!)