Meal Preparation Time Savers

The most common reason people give for why they don’t eat right is not having the time. Just because you are busy doesn’t have to mean that you can’t eat healthy and delicious meals. Here are some great low-fat time-savers for any meal. One very easy tip is to buy packages of cleaned stir-fry vegetables to save yourself on preparation time. You can even buy precut meat or poultry for stir-frying. This will give you the ability to have a "good for you" dinner in less tha 5 minutes. Vegetables are a big part of rounding out healthy eating menus. Before you need them, clean and chop bunches of fresh vegetables at one time. Then you can refrigerate them in zip lock bags to be used at a moments notice. A little trick for refrigerating fresh produce is to punch little holes in the bag. You can even purchase perforated bags specifically for this use. Another way to shave a few more seconds off of prep time of your vegetables is to buy them already cleaned and cut. Another great tip for produce is to keep a few packages of frozen vegetables on hand. They are very inexpensive and can be a side dish for almost any meal. A new option is steamer bags that are now available in many varieties and brands that you put straight into the microwave for a few minutes. These have become a familiar addition to meals in my family. If you enjoy barbecuing chicken you can cook it halfway in your microwave first until it starts to whiten on the outside but is still pick on the inside of the piece of chicken. By doing this you will cut down on your cooking time by almost half. A side benefit of this approach is that you will be less likely to burn it on the grill. Even though I mention chicken, you can really use this time saver for any piece of meat that does not have a bone in it. It costs about twice as much but you can buy cheese already grated instead of in its brick form. In my opinion, the cheeses you purchase already grated from the store, usually don’t go as far. Another solution is to grate your cheese ahead of time in a large quantity and freeze for later whatever you do not use right away. Many people think making quick meals really means making unhealthy meals. By using these handfuls of time saving tips, you can save time but also eat right.