One of the main reasons that people give for not eating healthier is that they don't have enough time. Families are rushing around so much that it just seems easier to go through a drive-through or order a pizza. They're fast, but often not very healthy. There is a better way that will take just a few minutes longer than fast food, but will give you lower-calorie meals that taste a lot better and fill you up more.
Planning
Spend an hour a week on your day off deciding what you would like to eat in the coming week, and do as much prep work as possible in that one hour. Chop vegetables for a stew and put them in plastic bags, ready to go into the pot. Pre-cook ground meat and store it in the refrigerator. Slice chicken or turkey or shred the meat for recipes. Make as much of the meals ahead of time as possible, spending an hour when you have leisure time instead of rushing around after work.
Slow cooker
Make a meal in a slow cooker at least once a week. Start with a simple stew if you've never used a slow cooker before. Put in cubes of beef, chopped vegetables, spices and water or bullion. Set the cooker on low and let it cook all day while you're at work. When you get home, use cornstarch to thicken the broth into gravy, slice a loaf of bread into thick chunks, and you have a meal in 10 minutes' prep time after work. Research slow cooker meals in cookbooks and online, and you can find hundreds of variations to experiment with once or twice a week.
Woks
Make quick meals in a wok. Stir fry cubes or slices of chicken or beef. When the meat is cooked through, add the vegetables that you prepared over the weekend. Cook for about four minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still slightly crisp. Add prepared soy or teriyaki sauce, cook for one minute more, and spoon over instant rice. By experimenting with different meats, vegetables and sauces, you can make this meal dozens of times and never have it the same way twice.
Salads
Bagged and pre-chopped vegetables make salad a quick, healthy meal. Begin with bagged Romaine lettuce. Add chopped vegetables in a variety of colors. Top with cubed chicken, turkey or ham, and cheese if desired. Slice some bread into thick chunks and dinner is ready. This meal can be made into taco salad by using shredded chicken mixed with salsa and shredded cheese, or make it a Cobb salad by chopping up a boiled egg or two. The key here is the prepared vegetables from your day off. Most of the work is already done for you.
Pasta
Pasta dishes can look very elaborate while taking very little time. Cook pasta until just done, five to seven minutes. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Add jarred sauce and a variety of vegetables and cubed pre-cooked meat like chicken or ham. This basic recipe can be as varied as sausage and peppers with marinara on rotini, to fettucini alfredo with ham and peas. Most of the prep work has been done already, and preparing the meal after work is a 10-minute job.
Tags: after work, slow cooker, bread into, bread into thick, chicken turkey, chopped vegetables, into thick
