Healthy meals contribute to weight maintenance, disease prevention and an overall sense of well-being. It is possible to pull together a fast but healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner without resorting to processed food products or restaurant foods. Keep a supply of nutritious beans, fish, oatmeal, dairy products, fruits and vegetables on hand for quick meals.
Breakfast
For a quick, healthy breakfast, consider making a breakfast sandwich. Take two slices of thin whole-wheat toast and add a scrambled egg, tomato slices and diced green pepper. Alternatively, prepare a bowl of quick -- not instant -- oatmeal with added almond slivers, maple syrup and chopped figs. Each of these healthy breakfasts can be prepared in around 10 minutes. Add a cup of coffee, green tea, orange juice or skim milk to complete your healthy breakfast.
Lunch
Fresh chicken breast with vegetables makes a delicious and fast lunch. Prepare thin sliced chicken breast on a griddle, adding squash and zucchini wheels to the griddle near the end of the cooking. Baste the chicken with a mixture of olive oil and honey, if desired. For a different quick lunch idea, create a mixed bean soup by combining cans of pinto beans, navy beans and canned diced tomatoes with freshly diced yellow onions and lemon juice. Each of these meals takes approximately 20 minutes to prepare. Drink a glass of low-sodium vegetable juice, soy milk or skim milk with lunch.
Dinner
For a quick, healthy dinner, grill or bake a salmon fillet topped with herbs and lemon slices. Add a side dish of whole-wheat pasta tossed with blanched broccoli, cauliflower and shredded Parmesan cheese. Alternatively, microwave a potato and add salsa rather than traditional toppings, suggests HelpGuide.org, a nonprofit informational resource. Fix a quick tossed salad to accompany the potato. These dinner meals can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. For a dinner beverage, consider black tea, skim milk or almond milk.
Tips
You can eat most fruits and many vegetables raw, requiring little to no preparation. Fresh and frozen fruits make excellent meal accompaniments, while fresh vegetables make perfect appetizers. Whole-wheat rolls and tortillas add nutritious grains without adding extra time to meal preparation. Buy thin slices of meat, poultry and fish to bake or grill quickly and use canned vegetables and beans when needed.
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