3 Ways to Get Dinner on the Table Fast

I know many of you are overworked, stretched thin, and sleep-deprived –  all of which makes it overwhelming to even consider cooking healthy, low-cal meals at home. With such demanding schedules, it’s no wonder we eat out, order in, and rely on nutritionally suspect convenience foods so often. For all you “no time to cook” people, here are 3 strategies that will get you in and out of the kitchen in a hurry.

If the thought of washing, peeling, slicing, and dicing vegetables makes you avoid the produce aisle altogether, just head over to your supermarket’s frozen food section. Frozen veggies can actually be more nutritious than fresh ones because they’re flash-frozen within hours of being picked to lock in nutrients at their peak. On the other hand, it can take a week or more for fresh produce to reach your table, giving vital nutrients more time to break down.

Double or triple recipes, and freeze leftovers in meal-sized containers. When life is hectic but you still want a home-cooked meal, just defrost a container in your fridge overnight, or microwave it straight from the freezer. This works best for things like soups, chili, pasta sauce, and stews.

Low-cal frozen meals are very convenient and offer lots of variety, but they’re often very skimpy. It’s also kind of depressing to eat out of a cardboard tray. Try transferring your meal to a large plate after it’s warmed up, and bulk it up with a salad and mound of steamed veggies (there’s usually enough sauce in the entrée to flavor them up nicely).

 

Want more quick, easy, and healthy meal idea? Check out my recipe index for family favorites like Chicken ParmesanTurkey Meatloaf, and Orange Pepper Stir-fry.