Whole, fresh foods most often provide the most vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your body needs, but they're not always convenient or quick to prepare. But you don't need to spend all day to eat healthy meals. If you make the most of the free time you do have for meal prep, you can manage to serve healthy food and still save time.
Chicken Tacos
The healthy-eating magazine Cooking Light recommends preparing soft chicken tacos as a kid-friendly option. If you use whole grain tortillas, lean white meat chicken and a variety of vegetables as toppings, you can present a meal that covers several food groups with minimal effort. Just chop up toppings and set them in bowls for a self serve option or buy pre-chopped vegetables and salsa to save even more time. To make the meal as healthy as possible, serve the tacos with low-fat cheese and limit added sour cream, guacamole and other high fat and high calorie toppings.
Stir Fry
A vegetable stir fry with tofu or lean meat is a healthy, nutritious meal with many different nutrients that doesn't take much time to prepare. You can streamline the process by using pre-chopped vegetables and a wok, but a skillet or frying pan works just as well. Chop and sauté as many vegetables as you like, and finish by stirring in cooked tofu, chicken, fish or another lean meat. Stir low-sodium soy sauce, ginger sauce or another low-calorie dressing into the finished stir fry, and serve with fresh greens if you'd like to boost the nutritional content even more. Cut calories and fat from the dish by sautéing vegetables and meat in olive or canola oil rather than butter, as the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders recommends.
Meatless Casserole
To save money and emphasize eating more vegetables, beans, grains and fiber, the Mayo Clinic suggests eating several meatless meals every week. Casseroles are a hearty meatless option that are easy to prepare and leave you with flexible time to use while they cook. For a simple casserole, mix one or two servings of cooked quinoa, rice or bulgur in a large bowl with an egg, some low-fat cheese, chopped vegetables and spices. Transfer the mixture to a casserole pan that's coated with cooking spray, and bake the casserole at 350 degrees Fahrenhiet for 30 to 45 minutes or until it's golden brown on top.
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