Family mealtime doesn’t have to be a source of stress. I’m here to tell you that it’s easy to make fast, healthy and delicious meals. Here are some tips to help you get all three on your dinner table.

Meal Plan

Getting ahead of the game is key, so plan out your meals ahead of time. By meal planning, you also save a lot of money by shopping the sales at your local grocery stores. Also, plan to double dip. What do I mean by double dip? I mean that you can purchase twice the amount of chicken that will be marinated and grilled, and then use the prepared chicken in two separate meals. You get twice the meals for half the work.

Meal Prep

Set aside some time during the day to prepare all of your raw ingredients. For example, wash all fruits and vegetables, pre-slice as much of your fresh produce as you can and even pre-trim your chicken. That way when dinnertime rolls around, all you have to do is cook.

Carb Load

While it sounds completely unhealthy, what I mean is to have a good selection of whole-grain pastas and breads in your pantry to choose from when you need a quick and healthy meal. You can also make a huge batch of brown rice and portion out the cooked rice into separate freezer bags. When you need brown rice for a quick meal, simply microwave a portion for a few minutes until warm, and you’re ready to eat.

Leftovers

I know some people can’t stand the thought of leftovers, but they are a helpful way to get healthy and delicious meals ready quickly. Whether you literally reheat extras from the night before or take, for example, your leftover homemade pasta sauce and turn it into individual pizzas, leftovers can be your best friends.

Get Frozen

Purchasing frozen fruits and vegetables, not the movie, is a great way to add some nutrition to your meal when you’re short on time. Also, making multiple batches of your meal, eating one and freezing the rest, saves you time later. No matter what you and your family like to eat, there are plenty of ways to get fast, healthy and delicious meals on your table. With a little preparation, the sky is the limit!