“Your life”, “healthy cooking” and “enough time” do not always fit together, do they? But eating well does not have to mean having hours to spare. Here are our top tips for saving time in the kitchen and 7 simple, healthy meals.
And delicious, of course.
How do you plan a healthy weekly menu?
Organisation matters when you want to eat well but have little time. Without preparation, it is easier to fall back on ready-made options that may not fit your needs.
Preparing meals at home is an easy way to save money, leaving more for running shoes or that Pilates studio you have wanted to try.
Even if you are always rushing, take a breath. Here are 4 tips to help:
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Keep some cooked foods in the fridge
Properly cooled and refrigerated cooked foods can help with meal planning. Storage times vary by food; follow specific guidance rather than assuming everything lasts several days.
Jarred cooked pulses, potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin provide carbohydrates from minimally processed foods. Rice, quinoa and pasta are useful carbohydrate sources too.
What about protein?
Cook eggs, chicken breast or marinated tofu ahead of time and store them safely. This makes healthy, balanced recipes quicker to prepare.
For extra flavour, keep suitable sauces refrigerated for their recommended storage time. Hummus, guacamole and whipped fresh cheese are useful nutrient-rich options.
These foods cover many parts of a balanced plate and help you fill a lunchbox or improvise a last-minute meal. Adjusting portions lets you make quick, healthy recipes suited to your needs.
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Do not overlook planning
Make a weekly recipe plan. Freezing some portions can save a meal on a particularly busy day.
For example, when making vegetable pisto, triple the quantities to use in different meals. Refrigerate one portion promptly for up to 4 days if safely prepared and stored, and freeze another for later.
Many cooked vegetables freeze well. Freeze separate portions. Follow safe thawing guidance: food thawed in the fridge may sometimes be refrozen safely, but food left at unsafe temperatures must not be treated that way.
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Use store-cupboard staples
Some foods keep for a long time and can help you make simple, healthy meals, including canned tuna, lupini beans and canned vegetables. Like a reliable friend, they are there when you need them.
Properly stored frozen foods can be as nutritious as fresh options and help you make simple, healthy dinners.
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Kitchen tools are your allies
Your kitchen need not resemble a cookware shop. But a few tools can reduce cooking time or save on washing-up.
For example, a Lékué-style microwave steamer can make cooking quick and tidy.
7 quick, healthy recipes
At INDYA, we want healthy eating to fit your lifestyle. Our app includes plenty of recipes ready in under 15 minutes.
Best of all, our sports nutritionists and software help adapt each meal to what your body needs that day.
Here are some simple, healthy meals, so your diet need not suffer when time is tight.
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Courgette and potato soup
Seasonal vegetable soup provides vitamins and minerals. Microwave the courgette and potato until cooked, then blend with a little olive oil, salt and evaporated milk.
Add nutmeg, garlic powder and white pepper for a delicious soup. Serve with boiled eggs as a protein source.
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Rustic goat’s cheese salad
It sounds impressive, but it can be ready in under 15 minutes.
Mix salad leaves, cherry tomatoes and roasted red pepper. Add sliced goat’s cheese and, if you like, nuts. For extra protein, add tofu for a great vegetarian option.
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Rice with broccoli and tempeh
A balanced vegan option providing essential amino acids. It is especially quick if the rice is already cooked, cooled promptly and safely refrigerated; use refrigerated cooked rice within a day.
Stir-fry the tempeh in a little olive oil and season with soya sauce, pepper and ginger.
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Lemon cod with asparagus
This light dish works with other white fish too.
Place cod, a garlic clove, fresh asparagus and lemon slices in a microwave-safe dish. Drizzle with oil and microwave until the fish is thoroughly cooked.
Serve with steamed potatoes or cooked rice for carbohydrates. Delicious and very easy.
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Pasta with mushrooms, spinach and cherry tomatoes
The trick is to choose quick-cooking vegetables. Mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach and onion work well and can retain some bite.
While the pasta cooks, sauté the vegetables in a little oil. Missing something? Add canned tuna or another protein source for a balanced meal.
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Broken eggs with vegetable pisto
Combine prepared vegetables (canned ones work) with cooked tomato sauce, spices and eggs, then cook appropriately.
Try ground cumin, garlic powder and smoked paprika: a combination you will love.
Serve with wholemeal bread for carbohydrates, and you are done.
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Edamame, tofu and avocado bowl
The social-media favourite: a great way to combine ingredients you have at home.
Edamame supplies protein and fibre. You can use cooked chickpeas, rice or quinoa instead, although their nutrient profiles differ and rice is not an equivalent protein source.
For protein, we have used tofu for a healthy vegan recipe. You could also choose tuna, boiled egg, salmon or chicken breast.
Add avocado or nuts for healthy fats, then your favourite vegetables.
There you go: an easy, healthy recipe adapted to you.
How do those options sound?
If 7 recipes are not enough, download the INDYA app. At the time of writing, it offered 7000+ exclusive recipes to help you move towards the nutrition you deserve.
An eating plan made for you, adapted to your needs and goals and supervised by one of our sports nutritionists. All from your phone.
Start a challenge. Working towards your goals has never been easier.
