These colorful, family-friendly Sweet Pea Bowls are a snap to prepare, thanks to a few clever tips that will change your weeknight meal routine. {Jump to Recipe}

Sometimes when people see my blog, they wonder (and ask!) how I stay healthy while making so many desserts. The answer is super simple: I don’t like rich foods—except in dessert form. For mains, I like fresh ingredients and bright flavors in dishes that come together quickly and easily.

I wasn’t always like that. Before we had a baby, I’d spend so much time cooking and trying different recipes. We’d almost never eat the same thing twice! After baby arrived, though, everything changed. Time was sparse, which forced me to prioritize. The little time I had in the kitchen, I wanted to spend on what I loved making the most: desserts. Plus, as my son grew older, I cared more and more about what I served him and did my best to assemble balanced meals. Though my son has always LOVED fruits and veggies with a passion, I still had to navigate his toddler whims to avoid having to become a short-order cook (and lose my mind) at every meal.

I started to gather, in a single spot, recipes that both my son enjoys and we adults take pleasure in eating. First, it was just a list on the fridge, then it became a folder, and now I’m thinking of turning it into a binder. All the recipes I collect in there are quick and easy, with some components that can be prepped in advance, so I only need to do minimal prep and assembly when I come back from picking my son up from school. This collection of recipes has often “saved” us from ordering takeout—not that there’s anything wrong with ordering takeout, but I prefer saving it for special occasions, not reaching for that solution several times a week because I didn’t plan ahead.

Because I’m always on the hunt for new recipes to add to our favorites folder, I’ve also been expanding my collection of weeknight-themed and family-friendly cookbooks. There have been so many great books published in those categories lately, but my current favorite is Nicki Sizemore’s “Build-a-Bowl: 77 Satisfying & Nutritious Combos: Whole Grain + Vegetable + Protein + Sauce = Meal.”

Don’t you understand how clever the book is, just by reading its title? I’m a HUGE fan of formulas because they allow you to get inspired yet leave you some freedom to riff on a recipe depending on what’s in your fridge. Let me tell you: if you’ve been in a bind coming up with new ideas for weeknight meals, the Nicki’s Build-a-Bowl formulas will fire your inspiration right back up.

My friend Nicki is, like me, a mom who cares about what she serves her family. She came up with the idea for her book because—surprise, surprise—she was rushed for time, yet didn’t want to give up the pleasure of eating good food every night. (Clearly, she wrote that book for me. And you. And you, too!) Her trick to making bowls interesting is to pack in textures and flavors. Continue Reading