quick tips: making fast, healthy meals

getting started

making healthy meals doesn't have to take a lot of time or require complicated recipes. there are many ways you can save time in the kitchen and still eat delicious, healthy food. it's just a matter of having the right foods on hand and learning how to take shortcuts in the kitchen.

• stock up on ingredients for quick meals.

  keeping commonly used foods in your kitchen can help you pull together a quick meal in no time. having frozen and canned foods and foods with a long shelf life is helpful for those nights when you haven't had time to go to the grocery store. some basic ingredients to have are:

  • frozen chicken breasts and fish fillets.
  • frozen vegetables.
  • frozen and canned fruits.
  • vegetable or chicken broth.
  • canned beans, such as pinto beans, white beans, and black beans.
  • tomato sauce and pasta sauce.
  • whole grain pasta.
  • brown rice.
  • onions and garlic.
• let the store do the prep work.

  you can find many foods already cut, washed, and ready to eat, such as:

  • packaged, ready-to-eat fresh vegetables. examples include baby carrots, salad mixes, and chopped broccoli and cauliflower. these are great for making quick salads, soups, casseroles, and stir-fries.
  • packaged, presliced fresh fruits. examples include melon and pineapple. you can add these to a container of low-fat yogurt to make an easy fruit salad.
  • precut, trimmed meat. trimmed meat has less fat. and meat that has already been cut into strips or cubes cuts down on your preparation time.
  • precooked chicken. most grocery stores sell roast chicken in the deli section. you can chop or shred the cooked chicken and use it as a filling in burritos, soups, and casseroles.
• make "almost homemade" meals.

  start with one or two prepared ingredients, and then add your own fresh ingredients. here are some ideas:

  • pizza. use a premade pizza crust and a jar of pizza sauce. add plenty of fresh vegetables and a sprinkle of low-fat mozzarella.
  • vegetable soup. combine canned chicken broth, a bag of frozen vegetables, and some uncooked rice or pasta.
  • asian chicken salad. combine grilled chicken breast slices with a bag of prewashed lettuce, canned mandarin orange slices, and slivered almonds. add a store-bought ginger-soy vinaigrette.
  • fish tacos. use frozen fish fillets, such as cod, and bagged shredded cabbage. place the cooked fish and the cabbage in corn tortillas. top with salsa, lime juice, and low-fat sour cream.
  • stir fry. use precut vegetables, precut and trimmed meat, and canned pineapple chunks. serve with steamed rice.