Squeeze More Home-Cooked Meals into Your Busy Schedule

All You Magazine

Meet the Fort Family: The Fort family from Euless, Texas, is an active crew. So dinner prep often falls by the wayside, making their host of restaurant menus look mighty tempting. Diet Coach Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, taught them that whipping up a healthy home-cooked meal doesn't have to eat up your entire evening.
What they typically eat: • Burgers and fries • Tacos • Chinese takeout • Burritos • Pizza • Fried chicken tenders

Related: 8 Ways to Snack Healthier »

Strategy 1: Stock Up on Healthy Staples
You'll always have a head start on dinner if you keep healthful frozen and pre-prepped foods on hand.

Fill your cart with these smart picks:
• Frozen unseasoned vegetables: Already cleaned and cut, they're major time-savers. Toss into stir-fry or serve as a side dish.
• Frozen precooked shrimp: A fast way to add protein-they take five minutes to heat up.
• Chicken breasts: Use them in sandwiches, wraps and pasta and even on pizza.
• Bagged salad or spinach: Rinse, dry, throw in a bowl and salad is served. You also can stir spinach into spaghetti sauces and add to omelets to sneak more greens into your family's diet.
• Whole-grain tortillas and buns: Freeze these so you always have them around. Use tortillas for burritos, wraps and pizzas; buns are your best choice when making burgers and sandwiches.
• Canned fat-free refried beans: For burrito lovers, this is a great fast filling. Leftovers will keep for five days in the fridge in a resealable container.
• Frozen or quick-boil plain brown rice: Takes minutes to cook but is just as healthful as regular brown rice.
• Whole-grain pasta: Look for "100 percent whole grain" on the box; it has more fiber, vitamins and minerals than noodles made with refined flour.
• Jarred tomato sauce: Read the ingredients list; choose a brand with no added sugar.
• Frozen pizza: Opt for a thin crust, veggie-topped frozen pie.
• Frozen unsweetened fruit: Blend with yogurt or milk for a quick smoothie.

Plus: How to Eat Less Meat »

Strategy 2: Prepare Multiple Meals
Use your weekend to batch-cook a large amount of any dish you eat often. For example, bake eight chicken breasts (or other lean protein), then parse them out into the following four days' worth of dishes.

• Meal 1: Mexican Burrito Bowl Divide 3 cups warmed, cooked brown rice among 4 bowls. Top with 12 oz. of chopped cooked chicken (2 6-oz. breasts), 8 cups shredded lettuce or spinach and 8 Tbsp. salsa.

• Meal 2: Asian Stir-Fry Warm 12 oz. chopped cooked chicken with 3 cups frozen brown rice and 8 cups frozen stir-fry veggies. Add 4 to 8 Tbsp. of your favorite bottled low-sodium Asian sauce (such as teriyaki, peanut or sweet and sour).

• Meal 3: American Sandwich Divide 12 oz. cooked chicken among 4 whole-grain buns. Top each with 1 Tbsp. mustard or barbecue sauce. Serve with 4 cups cut veggies and ½ cup low-fat dip to share or 1 cup sliced fruit per person.

• Meal 4: Italian Marinara Serve 12 oz. chicken with 2 cups marinara sauce, 3 cups cooked whole-grain pasta and ½ cup shredded Parmesan. Stir 6 cups spinach and/or shredded zucchini into the sauce for extra nutrients.

Find more great strategies for healthy eating despite busy schedules here.

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