With school in session and a new baby added into the mix, dinner is one of the most stressful times of the day. It’s hard to come up with ideas on what I can feed my kids that is easy, quick, tastes good and most importantly is still part of a balanced diet. Thankfully, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to making sure all of these things are possible at meal time. At least once a week my family and I will normally have a frozen pizza paired with some yummy fruits and vegetables Baked Zucchini Sticks. It’s a win-win because I can get dinner on the table fairly quickly and I know that my kids are getting a balanced meal that meets with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Last week we tried out the new DIGIORNO pizzeria!™ pizzas and they have quickly become a favorite in our household. The DIGIORNO pizzeria!™ pizzas are made with the highest-quality ingredients such as 100% real cheese, premium meats and crisp vegetables picked at the peak of ripeness. These pizza’s contain no artificial flavors, so you’ll only taste the most delicious ingredients.
There is also DIGIORNO pizzeria!™ thin crust pizzas for those who prefer a little less crust. The thin crust pizzas are a thin, preservative-free crust that’s drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and then topped with a made from scratch sauce. IT”S GOOD! Flavors available include: Supreme Speciale, Margherita, Primo Pepperoni, Chicken Parmigiana and Spicy Sausage Italiano.
Now I am all about balancing your plate and adding some fruits and vegetables into our meal wherever I can. With our DIGORNO pizzeria!™ pizzas I like to make Baked Zucchini Sticks. These are the perfect pairing to go with your frozen pizza and they don’t take much effort at all!
Baked Zucchini Sticks
Ingredients:
- 4 medium zucchinis with the both ends trimmed.
- cooking spray
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 425 Degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Slice the Zucchini into long strips. You should get around 8 long sticks from each zucchini.
- In a small bowl add the beaten eggs, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set Aside.
- In a Large ziplock bag, add your breadcrumbs.
- Take the zucchini strips and dip them into the eggs and then place them into the ziplock bag with the bread crumbs. Shake the bag several times to coat the zucchini. Place on the cookie sheet.
- Place in the oven to bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
As you an see it doesn’t have to take you a lot of time or money to balance your plate. There are simple and affordable ways to help you do this. DiGiorno is a great brand to use as an example because they use their packaging to suggest healthy meal pairings like salads and steamed vegetables and easy to follow graphics to understand portion guidance.
I’d love to hear some of your ideas on how you get through those busy school night meals! Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite go-to meal is when your in a hurry.