YAY! These posts are my absolute favorite! Because they are REAL LIFE! Pretty recipes are fun and all, but eating in under 30 minutes is even more fun! I’ve shared 5 of these posts, but in case you haven’t seen any of them, let me explain – this post isn’t a recipe post. These are meals I make for my husband and myself day after day, all in under 30 minutes. They aren’t perfectly paleo nor do they have specific ingredient amounts and directions, because that’s not how I cook for myself. It’s not about food porn in this post, it’s just about delicious meals that I enjoy eating.

Whenever I’m making easy meals in under 30 minutes, 3 things help me stay on track when it comes to time –

  1. Utilizing brands that help cut down cooking time, as well as leftovers to make creating a full meal even easier
    • I love cutting down cooking time with sauce and condiment brands and making sure I use ALL my leftovers in the fridge
  2. Keeping it simple with the produce that is in season
    • If you’re using produce that is in season, it won’t need a ton of seasoning or a longer cook time because it’s so fresh and flavorful. Plus it’s cheaper if it’s in season, so you’re saving money along the way!
  3. Learn to multitask 
    • Multitasking means while you’re cooking one thing, you’re chopping something else. And that may mean using multiple pans to cut down on cook time, as well!

And below are some of the brands and companies that I use almost every single day!

ButcherBox – Every month I get my monthly supply of grass-fed, grass-finished, antibiotic and hormone-free, pasture-raised beef, chicken and pork. This way I always have meat on hand that I can pull out of the freezer the day beforehand to make for meals the next day. And since it’s delivered to my doorstep, I don’t have to think about it, which is the best part. In every box, I always get burgers and breakfast sausage, then whatever other meat is available that month!

Thrive Market – I try to get a Thrive Market box delivered to my doorstep every month or so. I love stocking up on coconut wraps, coconut aminos, Siete Foods sea salt grain free tortilla chips, and organic extra virgin olive oil. Be sure to follow me on instagram and my instagram stories/highlights because every time I get an order, I share those finds and goodies on my social media! Thrive also offer seafood now and it’s delicious so I will sometimes grab that from them.

Whole Foods or Natural Grocers or Trader Joe’s 

  • Freezer section – I always like to purchase cauliflower rice, sliced bell peppers, asparagus, cauliflower and kale so if I’m in a pinch and have no fresh produce around, I can quickly defrost any of these vegetable and whip up a meal quickly. I also recently picked up Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi and love having that on hand.
  • Produce section – I almost always purchase arugula, kale, carrots, cherry tomatoes, ripe plantains, yukon gold potatoes, sweet baby peppers, butter lettuce, honey crisp apples, cilantro, green onions and whatever other vegetable looks good.
  • Pre-cut veggies – At Whole Foods (and many other grocery stores nowadays), they have pre-cut vegetables that have made a huge difference when it comes to how long it takes to make a meal. It costs a little more, but to me it’s worth it because it keeps me eating healthy. I’ll always buy pre-cut butternut squash fries, brussels sprouts, kale, beets (I buy the Love Beets brand), zucchini noodles, beet noodles, and carrot fries.
  • Butcher section – Since I get all my meat from ButcherBox, I usually only purchase wild-caught fish and seafood at Whole Foods. We try to eat salmon, scallops, sea bass and whatever other fish looks good. And we’ve been eating more fish and seafood recently because my husband is on a strict diet where he can’t have chicken or pork, which is why most of my dinners are beef or fish/seafood. I love getting fish/seafood for the nights that we have limited time since it cooks up so quickly.

Pantry Products – I keep these items on hand because they make prep incredibly easy and quick whenever I’m in a pinch!

Latest Fridge & Freezer Favorites –

Utilizing leftovers a lot

I hope all these brands, companies and even recipes help you make meals a little bit quicker! And if there is something below that you’d like to see an actual recipe for, let me know! I’ll add it to my list!

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This dinner took 15 or 20 minutes. First I got the rice cooking then I sautéed bell peppers onions in ghee until soft. Then I added ButcherBox ground beef with some salt and pepper. Lastly I added Yai’s Thai Yellow Curry Sauce let it come to a low boil. Then I added some lime juice and cilantro.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This meal took 30 minutes and a couple different appliances, but it was worth it. I first started the meal by preheating to oven to 400 degrees F, tossing broccoli florets in avocado oil along with some salt and garlic powder. Once that was in the oven, I started cooking my Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower. Once both veggies were cooking, I cooked a ButcherBox steak in a cast iron skillet with ghee covered in Primal Palate steak seasonings. Once cooked to medium rare, I added some Falafel King Tzaziki for a little sauce.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This meal was super easy because it started off with leftovers, beginning with my Moroccan Carrot Salad. Then I made a super quick salad with leftover cabbage, bell peppers, and carrots dressed in olive oil and lemon juice with some salt and pepper. Lastly, I made my Picadillo. This took about 30 minutes.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

Another leftover meal whipped up in 15 minutes. First I reheat my Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower in the air fryer. Then served up leftover Moroccan Carrot Salad. Lastly I cooked up some bacon in a pan then added a ButcherBox steak to cook in the rendered fat. Then I serve it all up with Falafel King Tzaziki.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This meal was created in less than 5 minutes since it was all leftovers! Leftover Picadillo, leftover cabbage, bell peppers, and carrot salad dressed in olive oil and lemon juice. And I served it with leftover Lemon Tahini Dressing and Majestic Garlic Dip.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This was about a 25 minute meal. I first started cooking white rice. Once that was on the stovetop, I diced up chicken and started cooking that in a pan with some ghee then once cooked through, I added a jar of green chiles covered and let it simmer. Then I made my Air Fryer Sweet Plantains. And while the plantains cooked, I made quick salad of cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, cilantro, olive oil, and salt and pepper,

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

Whenever I’m just completely over cooking for the week, I make a quick pasta with Tolerant Foods Gluten Free Pasta. Once the pasta started cooking, I cooked up ButcherBox pork sausage with pepper and onions, then I added torn kale. Once everything was cooked through, I added Rao’s Marinara Sauce and let it cook together for about 5 minutes. This meal took about 15 minutes.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This was a super quick lunch I made it about 10 minutes. First I started cooking a ButcherBox steak in a cast iron skillet. Once that began to cook, I made an easy salad of romaine hearts, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, mint, dill, cilantro, lemon juice and olive oil. And I added Falafel King Tzaziki.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This was a dinner I made in about 25 minutes. I first made my Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower and Lemon Tahini Dressing. While the cauliflower cooked, I had leftover Garlic Chicken Thighs so I reheated them by cooking them skin side down in a hot cast iron skillet for about 5 minutes then flipping over to cook for another 3-5 minutes until heated through. Then I made a stupid easy salad from green apple, iceberg lettuce, dill, cilantro, and lemon juice.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

Easy lunch right here! Only took about 20 minutes. First I made my Garlic Chicken Thighs, then while the chicken cooked I made a quick salad from romaine hearts, tomato, green apple, cilantro and lemon juice. Then I ate it all with Garlic Chicken Thighs.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This meal took only about 15 minutes. I first made my Thai Peanut Sauce. Then in a pan I cooked up ButcherBox pork sausage with pepper and onions, then I added torn kale. Then I cooked up rice noodles. Once the noodles were done, I added them to the meat mixture with the peanut sauce and tossed to coat. Super easy and filling!

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This was another meal that took more tools than I usually like to use for one meal, but it was worth it. I first made my Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower. While that cooked, I cooked up ButcherBox ground beef with peppers and onions, then added Primal Palate taco seasonings, hot sauce, lime juice and cilantro. Once I got that cooking, I added a ton of ghee to a small nonstick pan then cooked my sweet plantains for about 5 minutes per side, until soft. Lastly I topped it all off with Siete Foods Bean Dip!

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

Another easy lunch! This lunch took probably 25 minutes. I first cooked up cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil and balsamic, in a 400 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Then I made a quick salad of arugula, olives, sundried tomatoes, and lemon juice. Then add it with Falafel King Tzaziki.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

This meal only took 15 minutes! I first cooked cauliflower rice until tender with salt and garlic powder. Once the cauliflower was cooking, I chopped up mango, avocado, and sashimi style tuna. Then I mixed together avocado oil mayo and sriracha and tossed the tuna in it. And I reheated my leftover coconut aminos sauce to add to the cauliflower rice. Topped it all off with sesame seeds, cilantro and green onions.

PaleOMG - Easy Meals I Make at Home in Under 30 Minutes

Last but not least, I made my Asian Salad that took exactly 30 minutes! Love this meal so much!

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This post contains some affiliate links and I may be compensated, but all opinions are my own. This compensation helps with expenses to keep this blog up and running! Thank you for all your support!

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12 Comments

  1. Rebecca says:

    First, I LOVE these posts. They give me inspiration for coming up with simple meals.
    Second, when you cook with cauliflower can you use frozen? I know your recipes call for fresh but I’ve always wondered about frozen as well.
    Third, you must fly 100 mph in the kitchen! Or I’m not just not as good at multi-tasking as you (which def could be). I’ve tried several times to cut my dinners down to 30 minutes but with all the chopping it seems to always take me at least 45.
    Finally, i hope you are having a blast on vacation! Your IG stories are beautiful! Thank you for posting even while you are away!

    1. KariVery says:

      One thing that really helped me is, as soon as I get home from the store, I unpack, wash chop and put all my prepped fruits and veggies in see-through containers as soon as I get home from the store. That way, everything’s ready to go and I can just throw stuff together when I’m cooking. It also helps us not waste food, because we see it better than if it’s still in the plastic bags down in the veggie drawer in the fridge. It took me a while to make this a habit but it is so worth the effort.

      1. Rebecca says:

        That is a great tip, Kari! Thank you for providing that idea. I will try it out this weekend and I’m sure it will help reduce the time in the kitchen the next week.

    2. Liz says:

      Frozen cauliflower rice and mashed cauliflower are really good from frozen. I don’t think it would work well for air fryer cauliflower.

    3. juli says:

      when it comes to the crispy cauliflower, no. it needs to be fresh since when frozen cauliflower is thawed, it gets pretty soggy and it won’t crisp up in the air fryer. and yes, i’m pretty damn good at multitasking in the kitchen because it’s what i do for a living. but buying pre cut veggies or prepping them on a Sunday can definitely cut down cooking time. sometimes i’ll buy precut cauliflower or broccoli because it just makes life easier.

  2. Hillary says:

    These posts are awesome – thanks for keeping them going. Such great dinner inspo. And that tzaziki sauce looks like it needs a spoon 🙂

    1. juli says:

      thanks for the love, per usual, Hillary!

  3. Jennifer says:

    Love this post, thank you!!! And I love Jackson in the photos 🙂

    1. juli says:

      thanks Jennifer!!

  4. Lindsey says:

    Love these posts for real life eats and inspiration!

    1. juli says:

      thanks Lindsey!

  5. Danielle says:

    These are my favorite posts too! Thank you for sharing!