You don't have to be a master chef to make a good meal

I’ve had some requests lately to talk about how I manage to cook so much, eat so well, and still have time for so many other things. So today’s post will be pretty straight forward…you asked for tips, I’ve got ‘em!

Believe it or not, I didn’t used to be the kitchen queen that I am today. When I went off to college, my mom actually sent me with a book of recipes for the foods I liked to eat – tofu loaf, baked potatoes, and spaghetti.  I may have opened it once. I was never interested in cooking and hadn’t learned the basics of how to make my meals work. And while I still haven’t tackled the tofu loaf (I leave that one up to my mom) I now know exactly what to do in the kitchen to save time and energy, and still come out with some great tasting food!

So here are my top 5 tips for eating healthy foods without having to become a master chef: 

Think ahead.

You may have heard this before, but it will save you a lot of time (and last minute trips to the grocery store) if you plan your big cooking meals for the week. You don’t necessarily need to plan out every single thing you’re going to eat (see step 3), but it’s good to have an idea of a few big things that you’re going to make.

For example, before I went to the store last Sunday, I knew that I really wanted to make pesto lasagna and a lentil and bean soup for dinner that week, and that I also wanted to make some tofu egg salad for my lunches. I made my list and bought all of the ingredients that I would need. I planned that I would cook them on my nights off, so that I would have plenty of time to get it done.

Cook once, eat twice. Or three or even four times!

In addition to thinking ahead, you also want to know that you don’t have to cook something new for dinner each night! When I thought about the two main meals that I wanted to make, I made them large enough so that I could eat them for the next few nights. I made that pesto lasagna last Monday night, and ate it for dinner again on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. By the time I was sick of it, it was my night off again and it was time to make my second meal for the week! It’s now Monday, and I just finished the last of my lentil and bean soup last night!

This goes for salads, too! It’s so important to get those raw veggies into your diet every day, and ideally after every meal (okay, you can skip them at breakfast). Raw veggies help the digestive process, so it’s great to eat a salad after your lunch or dinner. To make salads easy and simple, pull out the veggie drawer, pick out your lettuce and a few other veggies of different colors, chop them up, throw them in a bowl of soaking water, drain them, and you’re ready to go! My favorite combo is red tomatoes, orange carrots, yellow pepper, purple onion, and green lettuce. When you make your salad, make sure to make triple or quadruple the amount that you want to eat that night. Throw all the leftovers into some Tupperware with a few paper towels, and it will keep for days!

Be prepared.

What happens if you run out of your big meal before it’s time for the next cooking night? Well, you make sure that you always have things on hand that you can prepare in 10 minutes flat. This is where I tell you that not all frozen and canned foods are bad. I always keep a box of quinoa burgers and some gluten-free tortillas in the freezer, and some canned beans in the cupboard (my favorite brand is Eden’s Organic – the cans are BPA free, the beans are soaked and cooked in seaweed so they don’t make you toot, and there’s no salt added!). I also always have some hummus on hand.  Those four things alone can provide endless possibilities: a hummus and quinoa burger wrap, or a bean and Daiya cheese burrito. If you have the basics on hand, you can always throw together something at the last minute!

Keep it simple.

While it can be nice to make yourself an extravagant meal every now and then (hence my epic gluten-free vegan pesto lasagna), it’s also a good idea to keep it simple most of the time. Stick to recipes that have 5 ingredients or less, don’t require much chopping, and can be made with as few pots, pans, and bowls as possible.

I’m also a big fan of steering clear from the recipe books. My favorite easy meal consists of a protein (usually canned beans with some Daiya cheese), a grain like quinoa or cous cous that will cook in 15 minutes or less, and a vegetable, like steamed asparagus or broccoli, or sautéed kale or spinach. While the grain is cooking, you can open that can of beans and put it in a little pot to warm up. While that’s warming up, you can wash your broccoli and throw it in a pot to steam too. In 5 minutes, everything should be done at about the same time, and you can throw it on a plate and enjoy! 15-minute meal, achieved!

Have a pizza day!

By the time Sunday rolls around, you may be out of leftovers and too tired from planning for the next week to spend any time in the kitchen. That’s why in my house when I was growing up, Sunday nights were pizza nights! It’s perfectly okay to have a day off. Don’t feel guilty about ordering in or eating out. As long as you’re eating healthy the rest of the week (which you will be if you try out these tips), it won’t mess up your goals in the long run.

 So there you have it. I’m obviously not a master chef, and you don’t have to be either to eat healthy meals every day of the week!

How do you save time in the kitchen? Have you tried any of these tips before? Do you have a favorite easy recipe? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me some love!