Faster food: eating right doesn't have to take hours. These healthful and delicious meal plans and snack solutions are ready in minutes

Natural Health, Sept, 2004 by Elizabeth Somer

Do you subsist on coffee and processed snacks at work, then bolt through the door in the evening feeling harried and ravenous? You want a healthy meal--but who has the time to chop vegetables, core fruit, boil beans and barbecue meat when there's barely time to brush your teeth?

Just because you're short on time doesn't mean you can't eat well. "With a wealth of new, healthful convenience foods, quick cooking has never been so easy," says Susan Moores, R.D., spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Here's a supermarket-basket full of ideas for savvy snacking, simple suppers and on-the-fly meal planning.

stock up

The first rule of eating fast and healthy: Maintain a well-stocked pantry. "Keep healthful staples on hand, such as pasta, frozen chicken breasts, bottled low-fat sauces, and fresh vegetables that will wait for you, such as green peppers, garlic and onions, and carrots," says Moores. "With a well-stocked kitchen you can throw together a tasty and healthful meal with little or no planning."

This means buying foods that give you the most nutritional punch for the least amount of calories and preparation time. Draw from the following categories:

(1) High-quality protein from milk, soy, beans, fish, eggs or meat provides staying power throughout the day and helps keep blood sugar on an even keel. Stock up on bean dip, vegetarian chili, water-packed tuna, fat-free dairy, soy cheese, premixed hummus, frozen seafood and soy burgers.

(2) High-quality carbs from whole grains, fruits and starchy vegetables supply the fuel your brain and body need to function in tip-top shape. Make sure your breads, crackers, pastas, tortillas, cereals, pancake mix and frozen waffles are whole-grain; keep a supply of instant oatmeal, fat-free popcorn, and boxes of couscous and instant brown rice; and don't run out of wheat germ and fruit sorbet.

(3) Colorful fruits and vegetables, such as greens, carrots and red peppers, provide antioxidants, fiber and nutrients to keep you healthy today and ward off disease in the future. Add to your basket some dried cranberries, tomato-based sauces, low-fat vegetarian soups, orange juice and frozen berries. And you can pretty much go wild in the produce section.

(4) Heart-healthy fats in nuts and olive oil help you absorb fat-soluble vitamins and phytochemicals. Don't overdo it--they're high in calories--but don't stint, either.

(5) Tasty toppings and flavorings, such as flaxseed meal, garlic, salsa, nuts, raisins, herbs and spices, bring extra nutrients and sensory pleasure to your meals. Make sure your salad dressings are low-fat and your soy sauce is low-salt. Lemon juice is an all-purpose meal brightener, while fat-free chocolate syrup turns strawberries into a heavenly and still healthful dessert.

plan once, shop once

Sit down Sunday morning with your favorite cookbook and plan the week's meals. Then shop once, and be done. "People don't believe how much time they save when they plan things out instead of shopping daily," says Moores.

Of course, saving time in the market doesn't help if you're stuck in the kitchen all day. To get you up to speed, we've developed a sample menu of six square meals that meet all of your nutritional needs, yet can be made in 10 minutes or less for breakfasts and lunches, with dinners taking no more than 30 minutes from start to finish. So turn the page, start cooking, and say goodbye to the nutrition time crunch!

six square meals, double-quick

BREAKFASTS

Tan-Cran Oatmeal

Most of the fiber is soluble, which lowers
diabetes and heart-disease risk. Craisins
lower the risk for urinary-tract infections
and possibly protect the heart.

1 packet instant, plain oatmeal made with

2/3 cup 1% low-fat milk; topped with

1 tablespoon wheat germ

1 tablespoon Craisins

2 tangerines, peeled and sectioned

PER SERVING: 303 calories, 13% fat (4.4 g,
1.5 g saturated), 70% carbohydrate (53 g),
17% protein (12.9 g), 5.4 g fiber, 392 mg
calcium.

Pancake Roll-Ups

Make a batch on the weekend and freeze
for a filling low-fat midweek meal.

18-inch pancake made with reduced-fat
Bisquick, 1% low-fat milk and egg substitute,
adding 1 teaspoon wheat germ per
pancake; rolled like a burrito around

1 banana; topped with

1/4 cup warmed apricot jam; served with

1 cup calcium-and vitamin D-fortified
vanilla light soy milk

PER SERVING: 515 calories, 10% fat (5.7 g,
1 g saturated), 80% carbohydrate (103 g),
10% protein (13 g), 5.3 g fiber, 385 mg
calcium.

LUNCHES

Peanut Butter-Pineapple Bagel

Nut butters can help lower the risk for
diabetes, according to the Harvard School
of Public Health. Nuts are high in heart-healthy
monounsaturated fat.

1/2 whole-wheat bagel, toasted;
topped with

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 slice canned pineapple, drained;
served with

1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice

PER SERVING: 296 calories, 26% fat
(8.6 g, 1.7 g saturated), 63% carbohydrate
(46.6 g), 11% protein (8.1 g), 4.7 g fiber,
319 mg calcium.

Pocket Sandwich

There's no limit when it comes to rich-colored
fruits and vegetables--the more,
the better to lower your risk for all
age-related diseases.

1 whole-wheat pita bread; filled with

1/3 cup canned beans (kidney, garbanzo,
black), drained, or 1/3 cup hummus

1 small tomato, sliced

1 teaspoon red onion, chopped

1 ounce cheddar cheese; served with

2 plums or 1 nectarine; and

1 cup calcium-fortified light vanilla
soy milk

PER SERVING: 420 calories, 26% fat
(12.1 g, 6.3 g saturated), 53% carbohydrate
(55.7 g), 21% protein (22 g), 8.8 g fiber,
533 mg calcium.