We all lead busy lives these days, which often makes it difficult to prepare healthy meals. As a result many of us end up eating ready meals and takeaways which are often unhealthy and can pile on the pounds. But the truth is that with just a little planning, it is possible to enjoy healthy home-cooked meals, even on the busiest of days.
Keep Your Store Cupboard Stocked
Always keep a supply of basic ingredients available, such as rice, pasta, pulses, tinned tomatoes, herbs and spices. That way you can easily prepare a quick, healthy meal at a moment’s notice. And don’t forget to keep your cupboards organised so you don’t have to hunt for ingredients when you’re tired.
Plan Meals for the Week
Instead of arriving home at the end of a long day and resorting to pizza because you can’t think of anything to cook, plan your meals for the week ahead and prepare accordingly. That way you will have the ingredients available and can even prepare some of the food in advance, saving time and effort on those days when you have little energy to spare.
Freeze Extra Portions
The freezer is your friend when you don’t have much time to cook. Most things can be frozen, so instead of cooking only enough chilli or bolognese for one meal, make double or triple portions and freeze the surplus in meal-sized containers. That way you can easily defrost and enjoy a healthy meal at short notice.
Chop Veggies in Advance
Chopped vegetables will keep for several days in the fridge if you seal them in a bag. You can also freeze chopped vegetables and use them from frozen.
Prepare the Basics in Advance
Basics can be prepared in advance – say at the weekend when you have more free time – and either be stored in the fridge for a few days or popped in the freezer. For example, you could make a basic tomato sauce which you can then serve with pasta, use in chillies, stews or chicken dishes. Meanwhile mashed potato can be cooked and stored in the fridge – ready for reheating or for using to make fishcakes.
One-pot Meals
One-pot meals are fantastic for busy cooks. Simply throw all of the ingredients into a slow cooker before you go to work, leave on a low setting, and eight hours later you will have a tasty meal, ready and waiting.
Use Up Leftovers
Meat and vegetable leftovers can be turned into a curry, stew or soup with very little effort as long as you have the basics in your kitchen store cupboard. Left over mashed potato can also be used to make tasty fish cakes. Or you could just reheat the leftovers and serve with a salad or crusty bread.
Cooking healthy meals needn’t be a chore if you are organised. Try and do as much of the preparation as possible at the weekend when you have more time. If you plan ahead, you can have dinner on the table in less than fifteen minutes, which gives you plenty of time to relax and unwind at the end of a busy day.
For more quick meal ideas visit: www.allrecipes.com
