My Top 3 Kitchen Tips for Fast, Healthy Meals

1. Keep a Homemade Vinaigrette or Sauce (or two) in the Fridge

Homemade dressings can often be made with basic pantry ingredients in just a few minutes. Because preservatives and other extra ingredients are left out, the flavor is often fresher and more appealing than store-bought counterparts—and you’ll likely spend less, too. Use these condiments beyond your typical green salad to effortlessly add flavor to a wide range of meals.

A simple balsamic vinaigrette or red wine vinaigrette can be used as a marinade for chicken and grilled vegetables. Or stir it into leftover rice or quinoa and top with white beans, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, crumbled feta, and a few sliced olives for a Mediterranean-inspired, plant-based meal that will be on the table faster than takeout. In fact, the flavor of one of my favorite busy-night meals relies on a simple vinaigrette and cooks quickly in a single pan.

My recipe for Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower is a standout thanks to the dressing—a tahini-based sauce flavored with lemon juice and harissa. Though it sounds fancier than your average vinaigrette, it’s simple to make and has lots of uses. 

Once you get in the habit of keeping a sauce or two on hand, you’ll find ways to effortlessly pair them with a variety of pantry and refrigerator staples. A quick glance at my Fast and Fun Meals: Build a Bowl post will get your creative ideas flowing. 

2. Stock Your Pantry for Meal Prep

A thoughtfully stocked pantry can provide the basis for a fast, delicious home-cooked meal. Take time to explore recipes with a foundation of grains or legumes like rice, pasta, lentils or quinoa, or canned foods like beans, artichokes, tomatoes, tuna or salmon. Canned beans and vegetables often contain salt as a preservative, but rinsing with water and draining in a colander will reduce sodium for a healthier option. Shelf-stable boxes of chicken or vegetable stock are always handy and with the addition of vegetables, protein, pasta, lentils or beans, make it easy to whip up a hearty pot of soup in little time. 

Consider your personal cooking preferences and take advantage of heat-and-eat options if you are more likely to reach for them on a busy weeknight. Though ounce for ounce, pre-cooked grains like rice and quinoa will cost you more than uncooked, the time you save in meal prep may make these the better value for your family. The same goes for the items like instant, flavored oatmeal packets and other convenience foods. Read the labels to be sure you aren’t unknowingly adding too much sugar and salt to your diet. 

Following are recipes that rely on pantry staples and may offer fresh inspiration for your weeknight meal rotation: 

• Cannellini Tomato Soup… with Grilled Cheese Croutons or Dippers
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Bites
• Black Bean & Quinoa Enchilada Bake
• Good ‘n Healthy Minestrone Soup
• Good ‘n Healthy Creamy White Chicken Chili
• Red Lentil Pumpkin Soup
• White Bean Dip
• Chili con Carne
• Good ‘n Healthy Southwestern Bean Salad
• Budget Sushi Bowls with Canned Tuna (or use canned salmon)
• Vegan Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew
• Speedy Mexican Pizzas

3. Plan for Leftovers

By planning ahead with leftovers in mind, you can take a bite out of preparation time for the second meal without adding much time or effort to cooking the first. 

For example, whenever I grill or bake chicken, I prepare twice the amount I need for one night. That way, I can use the leftovers in a casserole (Chicken Chip Bake is a family favorite) or chicken salad another night (Curried Chicken Rice Salad offers a hearty twist of the traditional). Or I can simply reheat those leftovers and serve with a bag of vegetables from the freezer.

Tex-Mex meals often lend well to a range of preparations. For example, Slow Cooker Mexican Flank Steak and Cilantro Lime Chicken can be served in a tortilla, as a salad, stuffed into a baked potato, or as a simple protein with a side of vegetables and rice.

I like to freeze portions of leftover proteins and use them at a later date to save time. Vegetarian entrees like veggie burgers and Vegan Chili and a wide variety of soups and stews freeze well, too.

To ensure leftovers, many recipes—including soups, pastas and skillet meals—scale up easily and can be stretched with the addition of a can of black beans (which adds fiber and protein) or any extra vegetables you may have on hand. I always prepare double the amount needed for the first night when roasting vegetables. For a simple meal that’s part breakfast, part dinner, I like to top a heaping portion of reheated roasted veggies with an over-easy egg and serve with a piece of crunchy, whole grain toast. Alternatively, spread a layer of protein-rich hummus on a plate, top with leftover roasted vegetables, and serve with pita bread.

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