No time to cook? If you stock your freezer and pantry with the right ingredients, you can put together a healthy meal in no time.
Fish with Quinoa and Vegetables
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (preferably fatty fish like salmon) twice per week for heart health. I find this really easy to do if I stock up on frozen fish.
Whole Foods carries several varieties of fish that are plain or frozen in marinade. Just transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator in the morning. When you are ready for dinner, toss them in a baking dish for about 10-15 minutes at 375 degrees F or until cooked through. They have Sesame Teriyaki Mahi Mahi, BBQ Salmon, Mango Coconut, Curry Tilapia, and more. Near East boxed quinoa can be prepared in 15 minutes. Use half of the seasoning packet to cut back on sodium. BirdsEye SteamFresh vegetables are microwavable in the bag.
Sample Recipe for Homemade Version:
Citrus Honey Salmon with Brown Rice
Broccoli and Carrots with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Almonds
Teriyaki Chickpeas with Pineapple
My husband and I just decided that we want this on our regular rotation. Think of it as a jazzed up version of beans and rice. Rinse canned chickpeas and simmer in a few tablespoons of teriyaki sauce (I use Trader Joe’s) for about 10 minutes. Stir in some thawed frozen pineapple and cook to warm through. Serve with BirdsEye SteamFresh frozen brown rice and vegetables.
Whole grain pizza and salad
Stock whole wheat pizza dough (e.g., Whole Foods) and pizza sauce in the freezer. Put the frozen dough in the refrigerator in the morning to thaw out. Then put it out on the counter at room temperature for about one hour to make it easier to roll. Dust a large baking sheet and rolling pin with a little flour; roll the pizza out to desired thickness (about 1/2 inch thick). Top with sauce and a little light mozzarella cheese. I keep pizza toppings in the pantry such as sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, and marinated artichokes. Bake around 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Serve with a half of a plate of vegetables or salad.
Sample Recipe:
Roasted Red Pepper and Chicken Pizza with Fresh Basil
Spinach and Apple Salad with Honey Sesame Dressing
Whole grain pasta with turkey meatballs
This is my five year old son’s favorite meal. My husband and I like it because we can make it quickly on a busy weeknight.
Stock whole grain pasta and marinara in the pantry and lean turkey meatballs in the freezer. The meatballs above are from Trader Joe’s. Since storebought marinara tends to be high in sodium, look for a variety that is less than 20% DV for sodium, such as the Ragu Light Tomato Basil pictured above.
Bring a large covered pot of water to boil over high heat, add the pasta, lower heat to medium, and simmer for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Meanwhile, place the frozen turkey meatballs and sauce in a medium pot, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until they are cooked through. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour meatballs and sauce over pasta and stir to combine. Serve with a half of a plate of steamed vegetables or salad.
Sample recipe for homemade lean beef meatballs and marinara:
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Lean Beef Meatballs and Homemade Marinara
Green Salad with Pears, Dried Cranberries and Gorgonzola
Salmon Burgers
Stock canned wild Alaskan Salmon and whole wheat breadcrumbs in the pantry. The varieties pictured above are from Whole Foods. Serve with Sun-dried Tomato Whole Grain Orzo. Whole grain orzo can also be found at Whole Foods.
Sample Recipe:
Salmon Burgers with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Whole Grain Orzo
Chile Lime Chicken Burgers on Whole Grain Buns with Sweet Potato Fries
Stock Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Chicken Burgers and 100% Whole Grain Buns in the freezer with sweet potato fries. Serve with your favorite vegetable sides. Load up the chicken burger with some fresh fixin’s:
Mediterranean Style
~ top with pesto, spinach leaves, and jarred roasted red peppers
American Style
~ top with lettuce, sauteed onions and mushrooms with a thin slice of cheddar
Caribbean Style
~ top with lettuce and a fresh or grilled pineapple slice
Black-eyed Peas and Greens over Brown Rice
This is a quick and easy meatless meal when you don’t have time to fuss in the kitchen. Leftovers would be great for lunch.
Cook frozen brown rice in a bag (e.g., Publix Steam in Bag or BirdsEye Steamfresh). Meanwhile, simmer tomatoes, garlic, and frozen broccoli rabe (or your favorite vegetable) in a saucepan until almost cooked through. Add drained blackeyed peas; cook to heat through. Serve vegetable bean mixture over brown rice.
Steel cut oats with frozen berries
A warm breakfast in under three minutes… now we are talking!
Stock frozen berries and frozen cooked steel cut oats (e.g., Trader Joe’s or Good Food Made Simple available at Publix) in the freezer. Trader Joe’s Frozen Steel Cut Oats are lightly sweetened with brown sugar ($1.89/ 2 servings). They are pictured above with Trader Joe’s Very Cherry Berry Blend Frozen Fruit ($2.99/ 16 oz bag).
