Lately, it is almost impossible to get through an entire day without seeing at least one advertisement for the many meal kit home delivery services available these days. Companies like Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and Plated are spending a pretty penny on advertising their meal kits in every communications channel possible.

We’ve all seen the B list celebrities on Instagram (who are clearly getting paid ridiculous endorsement cash) post pictures while gloriously preparing one of these meal kits. Naturally, these celebrities are typically wearing a full face of makeup and freshly blown out hair – which is how all of us look while we cook. Right?

While I confess that I have never ordered meal kit delivery from any of these companies (mostly due to my dietary restrictions), I know several people who have given these kits a try. While there is no argument here that these meal kits are generally very healthy and can offer a fun family activity on occasion, I have also heard quite a few complaints. For starters, the meal kits can be fairly expensive. Although cheaper than a lovely meal at a fancy restaurant, the meal kits will definitely make your wallet a lot leaner if you order them regularly.

I’ve also heard rumblings that these kits require a considerable amount of preparation time. And some recipes might be more complicated than others to prepare. Sadly, none of the chefs that star in these companies’ commercials come in the box to help you get the dinner on the table.

Lastly, and probably most applicable to me, many of these kits do not work for people who have multiple food allergies and restrictions. You might be able to find one that is gluten-free but not Paleo. Or soy-free but not Low FODMAP friendly. So, I have to permanently pass on these meal kits and go with plan B.

Plan B: A Quick and Easy Meal With Simple Ingredients

While I can’t purchase the meal kits, I love the idea behind them. These kits provide families and individuals the opportunity to cook meals that are a million times healthier than fast food, take-out, processed foods and TV dinners.

If you have the extra cash, the time and a relatively normal diet, by all means order away! If you don’t, no need to fret. There are plenty of other meal options that are much more inexpensive, safe for most food allergies/restricted diets and take no time at all to prepare! In fact, I have a few recipes like this that are in my regular rotation. Below is my first in a series of simple and healthy recipes that I am thrilled to share with you and your family.

Ground Turkey Italiano Recipe

I’d like to be able to sit here and tell you that I spent a long time dreaming up this recipe, but that is far from the truth. In reality, this recipe came to life in a matter of minutes. Basically, I was hungry and running low on groceries. As many of you can relate, I simply relied on what I had in stock in my kitchen. To my amazement, this recipe turned out to be a pretty tasty concoction. In fact, I have made versions of this recipe dozens of times. It is a top request of family members.

What You’ll Need:

Slow cooker (crock pot), large mixing spoon, food chopper (optional)

Ingredients:

1. 1 20 oz. package of ground turkey
2. 2 cups of tomato sauce (If you are following a Low FODMAP diet, it is often difficult to find a jar of tomato sauce without onions or garlic. For Low-FODMAP diet followers, purchase a 14.5 ounce can of plain tomato sauce (preferably organic). Open the jar and pour the contents in a mixing bowl. Add an ounce and a half of water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add dried basil, oregano, salt pepper and any other seasonings that you prefer. If you are not following a Low-FODMAP diet, purchase a 16 oz.jar of tomato basil sauce (preferably organic). Make sure the sauce does not include added sugar.
3. 1/2 cup of chopped celery or red peppers (Use red peppers instead of celery if you are following a strict Low FODMAPS diet. If you are not following a Low FODMAP diet, feel free to substitute the celery or peppers with onions. Also, if you are looking to cut down time, purchase pre-chopped celery or red peppers from the store. You can use the rest of the celery or red peppers in your omelette, salad or other recipes. Otherwise, a food chopper would save you some chopping time.)
4. 3/4 cup of shredded carrots (I typically purchase shredded carrots in a bag at the grocery store. You can also substitute shredded carrots for diced carrots.)
5. 2 teaspoons of dried basil
6. 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
7. Sea salt and pepper to taste
8. 3 cups of arugula or mixed greens (raw or cooked)

Instructions:

1. Add the 20 oz. package of ground turkey to your slow cooker. (If you prefer, you can lightly brown the ground turkey on the stove before adding the turkey to the slow cooker.)
2. Pour the two cups of tomato sauce on top of the turkey.
3. Next, add the 1/2 cup chopped celery (or onions)
4. Add the 3/4 cups of shredded or diced carrots to the slow cooker
5. The last ingredients are the seasonings. Add 2 teaspoons of basil, 2 teaspoons of oregano and sea salt and pepper to taste.
6. Mix the ingredients together.
7. Set the slow cooker to the 8-10 hour setting if you plan to cook the meal in the morning to serve at dinner time. Stir regularly if you will be home while the meal is cooking. (If you want to start the meal in the evening, set the slow cooker to the highest setting. The dish will be ready to serve in about two hours.)
8. Serve over raw or sautéed arugula or mixed greens.

Or simply watch this video:

Bon Appetit!