Do you dread planning, prepping & making dinners, especially dinners during the week when you are swamped with all the things? When you need to keep things quick, use these fast, healthy dinner prep ideas to keep you moving forward on your goals without all the added stress & time.
The Slow Cooker
It is my favorite kitchen tool (yes, the Instant Pot can be great here too) – from soups, chilis, stews, casseroles, lasagna, meats, chicken & more… there are lots of recipes you can throw together quickly & then the slow cooker does all the work from there. On nights when you know you won’t have time, put something like chicken tacos or pork chops in the crockpot before you leave for work, & then reap the benefits when you get home! A win-win because you won’t have to waste more time dining out or hitting up a drive-thru either. Pro tip… if you buy those slow cooker liners, it makes for SUPER easy clean-up too!
The Sheet Pan
I’ve been obsessed with this cooking method because it is fun to throw everything together on one big pan (or two… depending on how much food you are making!) – this can be perfect for a fast dinner or really good for prepping meals in advance. One of our go-to sheet pan recipes is coined chicken sausage, veggies, & baby potatoes – easy & delicious. There are lots of recipes on Pinterest for more inspiration, but I always suggest using what you have on hand! Pair a protein, veggie, & starch for a filling meal.
The Grill
Especially if you have access to one outside (& it is FINALLY starting to turn a little warmer here), it makes food fast & basically allows for ZERO clean-up. I love that you can grill meats, veggies, & some starches all at once. Using skewers, cooking baskets, or foil can allow you to experiment with a variety of different foods. Grill, eat, & enjoy time outside with the time you saved yourself during the cooking process!
In summary, the best thing you can do is look at your week ahead & identify what nights need fast meals. This habit will allow for a smoother & more successful dinner routine. Click HERE for additional healthy dinner routine habits.
Need more dinner inspo – click HERE.
What’s your current go-to fast dinner? Hit reply, I’d love to hear!
And, if you’re not already a part of Nicole’s Nutrition Community on Facebook, get there! We are doing a March Meal Madness & focusing on ways to build balanced meals, meal ideas, & other tips all month long!
