Planning
Plan your week’s meals one week in advance and prepare as much as you can ahead of time. By following this practice you’ll find that healthy meals can be just as easy as processed or ready meals. You’ll want to plan your meals before you shop. By doing this you’ll only be purchasing what is required for your week’s meals and therefore will spend less time and money on impulse purchases. Meal planning also creates more variety in your diet. When your write down your meals for the week you’ll be able to see what you’ll be feeding your family that week so you’ll avoid making snap decisions which can cause you to eat similar meals two or three days in a row.

Preparation
You can cut down on the time it takes to prepare your evening meals by spending some time on the weekend on food preparation. Precook chicken or other lean meat to add later to salads, pasta or stirfrys. You can also precut vegetables to keep in the fridge as a convenient addition to meals. Precut vegetables also make a healthy snack. You’ll be more likely to snack on vegetables instead of chips if they are ready and available. Keep healthy dried grains in your pantry like couscous, quinoa and polenta for side dishes.

Healthy Options
It may seem like microwave or oven-ready meals are the only option when you’re in a rush but by meal planning and prior preparation you’ll be able to avoid these unhealthy options all together. Ready-meals are full of preservatives, saturated fats, sodium and sugar all things that can negatively impact your health. Instead create meals with fresh produce and lean protein sources. Steaming fresh vegetables is the healthiest option and is quick and easy; however frozen vegetables are quick and still hold some of their nutrients. If you can’t get to the store on a regular basis then stock your freezer with a variety of frozen vegetables. Add some one-pot meals to your repertoire like pot roasts, stews and hearty soups. These types of meals are great for busy families since they can be cooked safely all day in a crock pot and will be ready when the family is ready to eat.

Getting Help
If you’re unsure what to make or how to make it, there are places where you can get help. Many health food stores offer cooking classes and seminars. Also look out for a new concept in shopping and food preparation. Outlets are popping up where you can go and prepare healthy meals. The ingredients are all there along with recipes to choose from and staff to help. You can make 4 or 5 meals in advance and freeze them when you get home.

Also, look online for quick and easy healthy recipes. There are many websites out there with great recipes for everyday meals as well as special occasions. They will also breakdown the nutrition information so you know what you’re giving your family. Another option is to subscribe to cooking or family magazines. Even if you only learn one new recipe each month, that’s one more that you can add to keep things interesting at the dinner table.

Even with busy families it’s important for everyone’s health to eat a home prepared meal at the table. Even if you can’t all be together at one time, try to get everyone eating at the table at some point in the evening. It’s much better for your digestion than eating in the car or standing in the kitchen. You naturally eat slower when you’re eating at the table.