It can be difficult to make healthy meals, especially when you’re busy. How can you prep things when you’re always all over the place? There’s so much to do every day, and finding time to prep something healthy over simply putting a pizza into the oven can feel pressing. But don’t worry. Below, we’ve listed 10 quick options that won’t leave you cooking or prepping food all day every day. In fact, most of these can be made in under 30 mins!
- Yogurt Bowls
Yogurt is great for you. Okay, not if you eat a bunch of the high sugar stuff, but Greek yogurt and the like makes a healthy start to the day, or a great lunch if you’re looking for something lighter. You can mix it with fresh fruit to get one of your five a day, and adding in extra protein with peanut butter or even a crumbled bar can make this a filling choice that takes little time to make at all.
- Flatbread Veggie Pizza
We all have a craving for a pizza from time to time. Making one from scratch takes a lot of work, and even if we did it isn’t the healthiest option in the world. However, there’s a way to scratch the itch for a pie without ruining a good diet. Just get a whole wheat flatbread (like a pita or a naan), top it with olive oil, tomatos, peppers and onion (and other veggies too) and then put in the oven with a little scattering of cheese. Is it the healthiest thing? No. But it’s healthier than a pepperoni pizza from a takeout joint, that’s for sure.
- Chickpea Curry
Okay, so this one does take a little more time to cook, but that’s unattended time. Chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, turmeric, spinach and cilantro. You can add chilli and ginger too, and even frozen onion into the mix. Chuck that all into a pot (a crockpot is perfect for this), mix together and leave it be for an hour at least. You could set this up in the morning, go to work, and come back to dinner all ready to go.
- Broccoli Pasta
Even faster if you buy broccolini, all you need to do is boil your pasta of choice, chop up some garlic and onion, add a little butter to a pan to sauté that off. Then, add the broccoli into the pasta water, cook a little, drain and mix it all together. It’s a little carb-y, but it’s not the worst for you in the grand scheme of things.
- Salmon Bowl
Salmon is good for you. We all know it. It’s full of omega-3 fatty acids, which your heart loves. Couple with rice and veggies, and a 15 minute cook time, and it makes one of the best quick healthy meal options out there. You can make a sesame oil and soy dressing to serve with it, and some quick pickled cucumbers and some salad leaves, and when served on some rice you’d have a wonderful meal.
- Chicken Tacos
Tacos as a whole can be complicated, it’s true. But if you break it down to key components, buy some premade parts (like a good healthy salsa and some guacamole), then all you need to do is clean some salad and prep the chicken. Cut into cubes, cook in a pan with some avocado oil and taco seasoning, and then add into some bought tortillas with all the toppings of your choice.
- Smoothie Bowls
Your usual smoothie in the morning doesn’t have to be a drink. It can be a tasty breakfast, complete with extra fruit and granola on top to add some texture and crunch!
- Smoked Salmon Toast
Sans getting some good bread toasted, this can be made without any actual cooking! Just buy some nice smoked salmon, add it to the toast with some avocado and feta, and some balsamic drizzle on top. Easy and delicious, right?
- Honey Sesame Chicken And Rice
This may be the most involved recipe on this list, but from start to finish it cooks in 20 minutes. Dice an onion, mince some garlic, and cook these in sesame oil until soft. Then add some chicken breast, cook it down until half cooked. Then mix soy sauce, honey, water and cornstarch and add this in, cooking the chicken all the way through. Finally, top with scallions and sesame seeds and serve over rice.
- Tomato Spinach Spaghetti
Much like the broccoli recipe, this one is quick and simple. Just boil the spaghetti, add it to a pan with onion and garlic, and then toss in cut tomatoes and spinach for a quick finish. Delicious and nutritious, and makes great leftovers too!