Not having enough time to cook healthy meals is a common obstacle. Many people feel hungry after a long day and don’t have the time to chop vegetables and allow grains to cook. This is understandable. While I can’t offer any faster suggestions than fast food (really? visit us who can compete with 30 seconds?) These tips can be used to compromise between eating gourmet food every night and junk food.
Tips on How to Prepare Meals when You’re Busy
Create a Plan
Plan your work week’s meals on Sunday nights or whenever you have ten minutes. Make sure you have leftovers for dinner. You will be able to spend more time on your meal when you come home from work earlier, and less time cooking dinner once you return. Planning is great for eating healthier food and not needing to go to the food court.
Make Food in Advance
You can make a breakfast like Swiss Muesli or a hearty soup for lunch or dinner. These meals can be prepared ahead and frozen (soup), or refrigerated(oatmeal). This is a big deal for me because I often get home late. If it wasn’t for the ability to prepare meals ahead of time, I would be eating pizza every night!
Request for Help
It is so easy, but it’s rare. Ask your teenager to chop vegetables if you are bringing a teenager with you. You can ask your wife/husband to pick up groceries if he/she is near a grocery store while on their way home. It really does make a difference to have the whole family working together. Preparing vegetables is always a 90% struggle. Dinner can be ready in just 20 minutes if you arrive home with everything in one pot. It doesn’t matter if the carrots look like they were cut by a blind woodsman. They are ready to go and that is what matters!
Frozen Vegetables, Canned Beans/Pulses.
Frozen vegetables are usually just as nutritious and delicious as fresh. Frozen green beans are usually just as nutritious as fresh ones. You only need to rinse canned beans, legumes, and pulses like chickpeas or fava beans. Although you lose some flavor, canned chickpeas are better than either soaking them for 24 hours or eating a fast-food meal.