Eating well with little time

Strategies to prepare food quickly

Eating healthfully does not require a huge time commitment. Here are some ideas to reduce the time you spend preparing food:

Choose healthy foods that require very little or no preparation time.

Fruit & veggies

• Apple sauce and other fruit cups
• Fruit, canned or jarred in water-not-syrup (e.g. canned peaches; jarred mango slices; sliced pineapple; orange segments)
• Veggies, canned or jarred in water or brine e.g. jarred roasted red peppers; marinated artichokes; pickled carrots; sauerkraut (cabbage)
• Fruit and veggies you simply rinse and eat whole:
  • Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
  • Pears
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Grapes
  • Oranges and clementines (you do have to peel them)
  • Lebanese ("mini") cucumbers
  • Radishes
  • Sugar snap peas, snow peas
  • Mini peppers
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Baby carrots
  • Green onions
  • White mushrooms
  • Celery
• Veggie party platter: they are washed and cut up for you (put some in a Ziploc bag or container to bring to school with you)
• Pre-cooked beets: more expensive than beets you prepare at home, because they're cooked and peeled for you; but delicious straight from the package at room temperature, and very nutritious
• Pre-cut pineapple
• Pre-washed salad – pour into a bowl and add some bottled salad dressing and trail mix or a hard-boiled egg
• Pre-washed spinach, baby spinach
• Ready-to-serve salad mixes e.g. couscous salad, Lebanese tabbouleh salad, pre-shredded cabbage / coleslaw mix
• Ready-to-serve guacamole
• Olives
• Some heat-&-serve soups e.g. tomato or vegetable soups. Read the labels to choose wisely
• Fruit sippy pouches (in the baby food section)
• Dried fruit: provides fiber, vitamins and other nutrients. They do contain naturally-occurring sugar, so enjoy 1-2 portions (a portion is typically ¼-cup), not more. Popular choices include raisins, dried apricots, prunes, and figs, but discover other dried fruits like blueberries, mango, and cherries. Choose ones with no added sugar.

Whole grains

• Triscuit and other whole grain crackers
• Granola bars with whole ingredients: learn how to read a food label to make a good choice
• Granola or other whole-grain cereal (e.g.e Cheerios): choose the low-sugar options
  • topped w/milk or yogurt, berries, trail mix or nuts, makes a simple meal.
• 100% whole wheat bread, whole wheat pita
• Single-serving oatmeal: pour hot water or hot milk on it and it’s ready to eat. Choose the low-sugar options
• Brown rice cups: microwave-&-serve
• Pre-popped popcorn (check the label and choose one that is popped in a heart-healthy fat)
• Canned corn (yes: corn is a whole grain!)
• Ready-to-serve whole grain salads
• Microwave-&-serve whole grain sides

Protein

• Cheese: break off a hunk, don’t even need to dirty a knife! Or pre-portioned cheese
• Yogurt: choose lower-sugar options
• Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese
• Low-fat milk
• Hummus, and tofu-based spreads
• Ready-to-serve bean salads
• Hard-boiled eggs (you do have to boil them, but they stay fresh for a long time in your fridge)
• Seasoned tuna, salmon, sardines, and other fish and seafood in pouches (doesn’t even need to be drained); or in cans (if you don’t mind draining)
  • add whole grain crackers + a bunch of no-prep veg and fruit for a meal
• Smoked salmon
• Shrimp that has been peeled, deveined, and cooked (you can find them in the freezer section of your grocer), thawed
• Deli like lean smoked turkey
• Rotisserie chicken
• Roasted beans like edamame, lentils, & chickpeas (come in a pouch)
• Some heat-&-serve soups e.g. lentil, minestrone, or chunky chicken soups. More processed than other options on this list, so can be high in sodium or saturated fat – read the labels to choose wisely
• Shelf stable prepared meals in pouches: heat-&-eat. Brands include Tasty Bite; Patak’s; Green Bowl. More processed than other options on this list, so can be high in sodium – read the labels to choose wisely
• Different types of nut butters: peanut butter, almond butter, etc. A good source of heart-healthy fats, so enjoy 1-2 portions (a portion is typically 2 tbsp)
• All the different nuts. A good source of heart-healthy fats, so enjoy 1-2 portions (a portion is typically ¼-cup)

Other strategies:

When you cook, make large portions or plan some time during the week to prepare meals. Store food in containers and put extra in the fridge for the next day or freeze for later.

Invest in time-saving kitchen tools. These include:

• slow cooker (crockpot)
• multi-purpose cooker
  
• rice cooker
• food processor
• steamer

Use time-saving cooking techniques. These include:

• roasting; preparation time is minimal but cooking time can be long
• slow cooking; preparation time is minimal but cooking time is long
• Cooking in parchment or foil

Have a repertoire of quick meals: Most people have a very limited repertoire of recipes. Get a couple of easy to prepare, healthy recipes and stock the ingredients. See below for some ideas.

Consider using pre-packaged, healthy convenience foods: These include pre-cut vegetables, pre-washed and shredded lettuce, bagged spinach, a cooked rotisserie chicken, canned beans, shredded cheese, frozen fish fillets and frozen or canned vegetables and fruit. Some of these options are more expensive (e.g., shredded lettuce is more expensive than a head of lettuce) but they are more convenient.

If you get take away, make it healthy: Use your knowledge about the qualities of a healthy diet (i.e., whole foods, plant based) to select healthy options at fast food or take-away restaurants. Some restaurant chains have nutrition information on their website or in-store. Use your label reading skills to identify healthy options.

Use food labels to identify healthy commercially prepared foods: There are many options of commercially prepared food (e.g., canned foods, frozen foods) that are healthful. Read the labels to identify if they are healthful. You can also enhance the nutrition of a not-so-healthy commercially prepared food by adding lots of healthy ingredients. For example, start with a can of soup or stew and add some canned or frozen vegetables, some meat (e.g., leftover chicken), beans or tofu, extra low-sodium broth and some spices. Now you have a larger batch that you can split into two meals.

Quick meal ideas

There are many healthy recipes available online that take little time to prepare. Some recipes are more healthful and nutritious than others. Use your knowledge of healthy nutrition to select those with ingredients that are most nutritious, such as vegetables, whole grains, beans, vegetable oils, lean meat and low-fat dairy.

For example, EatingWell offers many rcipes that take 10 minutes to prepare, and 20 minutes to prepare.

Salad bowls can be put together quickly. Consult the anatomy of a perfect bowl for ideas. [PDF]

Some recipes require no cooking at all. You can find ideas at quick and easy no cook dinner recipes, 20 quick and easy no-cook recipes or 17 healthy no-cook dinners to make on a weeknight.

A few more ideas:

• Sandwiches: Serve with a garden salad, soup or chopped vegetables on the side. Choose a whole grain bread (sliced bread, tortilla, bagel, pita, bun) and fill with salmon, tuna, egg, cheese, avocado, cucumber, lettuce, radish or whatever suits your fancy. Or try one of these healthy sandwich recipes.
  
• Salads: Choose a green such as lettuce, kale, arugula, or spinach and top with cheese, tuna, salmon, leftover cooked chicken, egg or beans. Add olives, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, corn or whaterver suits your fancy. Drizzle with a salad dressing. Or try one of these quick and easy cold salads.
  
• Seasoned tuna, salmon, sardines, and other fish and seafood; whole grain crackers + a bunch of no-prep veg and fruit.
• Whole-grain cereal with milk, berries, and nuts/trail mix.