We all want to eat better. And even though most people know (and research indicates) that preparing healthy meals at home is one of the best ways to achieve this, but it often doesn’t happen. Let’s be real: at the end of a busy day, the last thing you want to do is spend hours cooking and then cleaning dirty dishes! This is probably why a survey published in 2019 found that 56 percent of Americans order takeout or delivery two to three times a week.
But what if cooking something delicious and nutritious at home was just as easy – or even easier – than ordering takeout? No, it’s not impossible. Here are some steps you can follow to prepare a quick and healthy dinner that will have you in and out of the kitchen in no time.
Cut the ingredients into small pieces
The smaller you cut your ingredients, the faster they cook, note Reader’s Digest. This works especially well for vegetables and meat, so opt for the smaller side to get dinner ready quickly. The same goes for ground meats, which are already “cut” in such a way that they cook much faster than other cuts of meat. You can do the prep work ahead of time and freeze pre-chopped fruits and vegetables to quickly get an extra serving of produce on the table.
Choose quick-cooking ingredients
Some healthy ingredients aren’t the best choices for a quick meal because they naturally take a long time to cook. Take brown rice, for example, which is a healthy whole grain. Unfortunately, brown rice can take 30 minutes or more to cook to reach the desired tenderness. Cooking your cereal in advance or choosing a quick-cooking or already fully cooked version can get dinner ready faster. And of course, meals you don’t need to cook at all are naturally fast options.
Opt for prepared sauces and spice blends (low sodium)
While prepared sauces and spice blends are typically avoided by those looking to follow a healthy diet, the right sauce or spice blend can be the perfect time-saving option, allowing you to add lots of flavor to your food in one quick step. ! Many prepared sauces and seasonings are high in sodium, so check the label and choose low-sodium options when possible.
Choose the right tools
Slow cookers are a useful kitchen tool to have on hand, but not when speed is the key! Instead, a pressure cooker (which cooks food faster in a high-pressure environment) is the way to go. Likewise, there are a number of other kitchen gadgets that quickly slice and dice, helping you cut down on your dicing time. These are especially useful if your knife skills are lacking or you don’t have a good set of kitchen knives.
Cook at high temperature and use a lid
Perhaps not surprisingly, a hot stovetop cooks your food faster. Just keep in mind that high heat can also brown and even burn your food, so you’ll need to keep a close eye on things while cooking and stir them frequently to avoid an undesirable result. As Enjoy your food recommends, cover your food while cooking to keep it warm and you will save even more time.
Master multitasking
You may already consider yourself a master multitasker, but doing two things at once in the kitchen can really help you get your meal ready faster. For example, while the pasta or vegetables are cooking, start chopping and measuring the rest of the ingredients so you can quickly assemble them when the time comes. If you find yourself waiting for something to finish cooking, ask yourself if there’s anything else you could do to move the recipe along.
Keep ingredients (and dishes) to a minimum
It stands to reason that the fewer ingredients you use, the less time you’ll need to put them together. When you’re in a hurry, keep it simple. There’s no need to make long ingredient lists to maximize health or flavor.
To save you even more time, we’ve done the planning for you and brought you 9 recipes you’ll want to keep in your back pocket for those hectic weeknights. Each has only five main ingredients (not including oil and seasonings). Many cook in a single pot or pan and can be on the table in 20 minutes or less, and with virtually no dirty dishes to show for it. Enjoy your free time!
