The good news? You don’t have to choose between the two. With a few strategic tips, you can create meals that are both quick and healthy, making it easier to stick to your nutritional goals. Here's how.
Using semi-homemade ingredients like pre-chopped vegetables or pre-cooked grains can save you time while still delivering a wholesome meal. For instance, I frequently use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and salad greens to assemble quick, nutritious dinners.
We also rely on frozen cheese pizza for quick meals because (1) it costs less than take-out, (2) we have a little more control over the quality of the toppings used, and (3) dinner is still ready in 12-15 minutes with little effort on my part!
Spending just an hour or two on the weekend to plan and prep meals can make your weeknight dinners stress-free. This could involve chopping vegetables, marinating proteins, or assembling freezer-friendly meals to pull out later in the week.
One-pot dishes and sheet-pan meals are perfect for busy nights. They simplify cooking and cleanup while ensuring you provide a balanced meal. A recent favorite of mine has been sheet-pan dinners, which allow everything to cook together, minimizing mess. As the weather cools down, I also rely on big batches of soups and stews - which even get ladled out into individual containers for pre-prepped lunches.
Keeping your pantry and freezer stocked with healthy staples like frozen vegetables, canned beans, and quick-cooking grains means you’ll always have the ingredients for a nutritious meal on hand. These items are invaluable on those nights when cooking from scratch just isn’t an option.
Balancing convenience with healthy eating doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By incorporating semi-homemade meals, planning ahead, using one-pot recipes, and stocking your pantry wisely, you can ensure that your family enjoys nutritious meals even on the busiest days.
