- Making healthy weeknight meals can be challenging: You're tired, you still have work to do, and the kids will need homework help. Worse still, you will probably pass a fast food place (or three!) on the way home. Talk about temptation -- what could be easier than picking up a few burgers?Well, believe it or not, preparing a meal at home can be just as easy. Here are some simple tips to create healthy weeknight meals:Lettuce, cheese, bread crumbs, spinach, tofu, salads, cherry tomatoes -- so many items come ready to use, bite-size, pre-chopped, shredded, cubed, and so on, cooking can be a breeze. Buying these foods can save you a lot of prep time.
- If you are preparing a small portion, consider getting fresh ingredients at a salad bar. (I always do this with sliced olives. I only like them in a few dishes, so I don't buy whole jars. And they always seem to fly across the room when I attempt to slice them myself!) If you only need a small amount of an ingredient or two, this can actually be more cost-effective than buying full sizes (Especially if it's something you don't normally use that will end up being tossed.).
- When chopping vegetables for tonight's meal, chop some extra to keep in plastic containers for another use during the week. I like to do this with celery. It stays fresh longer this way and I always have some ready to toss into salads, my favorite homemade chicken soup, or to whip up a quick serving of tuna salad.When stocking your freezer with meats to have on-hand for quick meals, buy flank steak or stew meat, which is budget-friendly. A slow cooker is a wise investment for preparing lower-cost meats -- they come out super-tender every time. If you set your cooker to cook all day, your meat will be ready when you get home. What could be easier than that? Extra lean ground beef is also a time-saving and healthy choice as it cooks quickly.
- Fast-prep poultry choices include boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breasts, turkey tenderloin, ground chicken, and ground turkey breast. Easier still? At the deli counter, have turkey breast cut into thick slices, heat, and serve alongside microwave steamed veggies and a whole-grain roll from the bread counter for a super-easy, ultra-fast meal. Remember: Light meat poultry always has fewer calories than dark meat.
- Despite what you may think, preparing seafood doesn't necessarily take any longer than other foods. Quick-cooking seafood choices include: fish filets, scallops, shrimp, crab, clams and mussels. Canned seafood, such as salmon, can be easily added to other foods such as salad with no preparation, plus you'll get in those heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
- Weeknights are not the best time to try complicated new recipes. Save those for the weekend when you have more time. Prepare large portions and then freeze the extras to reheat during the week.Kids love helping in the kitchen, so if you have little helpers, put them to use! This may get them more interested in healthy eating, since they'll feel part of the process. They'll also probably be more willing to take leftovers for lunch the next day (which saves you even more weekday time).
